Kildare County Council Arts Service

In time to celebrate our national holiday Maynooth Film for All, Film Club will screen Tom Collins’s Irish language film KINGS in JHL2, NUI Maynooth on Wednesday 4th March at 7.45pm.

Stage and screen actor Donal O’Kelly who plays lead character Jap Kavanagh and playwright Jimmy Murphy will both be joining us to take part in our usual post screening discussion. Jimmy’s play The Kings of the Kilburn High Road was adapted as the film Kings, and chosen as Ireland's entry for the Best Foreign Film Oscar in 2008.

Kings is the story of a group of friends who immigrated to England in the late 1970s promising to return to Ireland rich and successful. Now 25 years on, only one of them is going home, Jackie - his body was found on the railway, crushed by a passing train. It is when his friends are forced to confront the possibility it was no accident, but suicide, that they must face up to the bitter chill of truth. Kings is a story of a lost generation, rich in humanity and emotion, and with a heartbreaking resonance (not just for the Irish) in today's changing world

While the cast of 'Kings' have a lifetime of screen and stage work behind them, what they've achieved together here ranks as a career high point. They bring these characters so vividly to life that there isn't one scene or exchange of dialogue that doesn't ring true. Drink flows, denial is reinforced and rage boils over, while the tenderness the characters have for each other proves a lot harder to release. You'll be drained and wiser by the end of it.

Club membership is open to all over 18yrs. and costs a recession-beating €15.00 for the remaining season of three films.  Cost to students €2.00 per screening with valid student card and admission for non members is €8 on the night.

Joining and full membership details for Maynooth Film for All: Film Club are available from Maynooth Community Library, Tel: 01 6285530 Email: maynoothlib@kildarecoco.ie.

Kildare County Council Library & Arts Service in partnership with The Centre for Media Studies NUI Maynooth welcomes feedback and suggestions re film club programming and development.

For further information or queries please contact Brenda Brady, Kildare County Council Arts Service, Tel: 045 448328 or Email: bbrady@kildarecoco.ie
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Jimmy Murphy was born in Dublin. His stage plays include Brothers of the Brush (Dublin, The Peacock, Dublin Theatre Festival 1993), which was awarded best new Irish play; A Picture of Paradise (The Peacock, 1997); The Muesli Belt (Dublin, The Abbey Theatre, 2000); Aceldama (1998), and The Kings of the Kilburn High Road (Waterford, Red Kettle Theatre Company, 2000), and The Castlecomer Jukebox (Red Kettle, 2004)

He is a former writer in residence at NUI, Maynooth, a member of the Abbey Theatre’s Advisory Council, and a member of Aosdana

Donal O’Kelly is a writer and actor. His much-traveled solo plays include the award-winning Catalpa (Edinburgh Fringe First, London Time Out Critics’ Choice, Best Event Melbourne International Festival), Bat The Father Rabbit The Son (Best Writer and Best Actor nominations Irish Theatre Awards), and Jimmy Joyced! (Best Actor nomination Irish Theatre Awards)

Previous film roles include Brainer in Spin The Bottle and Funny Face in I Went Do