Goldmine Memories & Kenny Ireland
The acclaimed Scottish actor and director, Kenny Ireland, died yesterday at the age of 68.
Latterly he became a household name with a starring role in the sitcom, Benidorm, but he was a major player in Scottish theatrical circles for many years.
An obituary appeared in today's Herald.
(Love the story told by my Herald colleague, Keith Bruce, about Kenny dropping crumbs on the head of the Scottish Arts Council... )
Regular readers might remember I'm working on a biography of the late George Wyllie with George's daughter, Louise.
Kenny Ireland worked closely with George and Bill Paterson during the 1980s when he re-scripted and then directed them both in A Day Down a Goldmine. (ADDAG)
This award-winning two-handed play about the iniquities of the world banking system (and looking out for Great Bum Steers) sold out at the 1985 Edinburgh Festival, London's ICA and Tramway, Glasgow 1990.
I had a root about in my box of Wyllieana - a miscellany of notes, sketches, pictures - to see if I could find a picture of George with Kenny but drew a blank.
There will be one in the archive somewhere...
I found this hand drawn programme though.
In it, Kenny Ireland is described (by George) as a 'quiet force and effective prime mover in Scottish theatre over the last 15 years.'
Inside, George writes of ADDAG: "This is a multi-media SPECTACULAR with the spoken word, song, dance, scul?ture, a balloon and a Magic Wheelbarrow we found down the Goldmine. The performance is aimed at most of the masses and some individuals, and our intention is to change the world, and it will suit children. If any of this moves you, please sit still until the end of the show. Above all... BE SUSPICIOUS!
PS - We also visit Robinson Crusoe's Island
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