Arts Over Borders Summer Festival 2019 welcomes international cast.
A Wilde Weekend by Lough Ernest, part of the Arts Over Borders series of international bio festivals, is set to take place from 2nd to 5th August in locations across Enniskillen, including Oscar Wilde’s former school Portora Royal School (1864-71) to commemorate the 150th anniversary years.
Created by curators Sean Doran and Liam Browne, the Festival will showcase a host of events based on the much loved and treasured works and life of Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde, including talks, music, film, song, readings and more.
Opening A Wilde Weekend is renowned historian and biographer Matthew Sturgis with WILDETALK, who will be discussing his recently published biography of Oscar Wilde with Carlo Gebler. WILDETALK will also see Franny Moyle and author, biographer and documentary film maker, Cate Haste discussing their biographies respectively of Constance Wilde (Oscar’s wife) and Alma Mahler (Gustav Mahler’s wife). The talk will be followed by WILDEMUSIC: Kindertotenlieder by Gustav Mahler, sung by Ruby Philogene MBE (mezzo soprano) and Maya Irgalina (piano).
The highlight of this year’s three-day-festival, following its successful debut at the original Wilde Weekend in May 2015 and an award-winning revival in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York in 2016, will be At Home with Oscar Wilde, showcasing excerpts of Wilde’s plays performed at the school he once attended, Enniskillen Royal Grammar (Portora). Conceived and directed by David Grant, this witty and poignant telling of Oscar, Constance, Speranza (and Bosie) “at home” again, this time in the characterful and historic surroundings of Portora School will make you question whether it is life or art.