‘Into Battle’ – an excerpt from Karen Egan’s play ‘Warrior’
‘Into Battle’ – an excerpt from Karen Egan’s play ‘Warrior’.
Words and music: Karen Egan
Arranged by Cian Boylan
Vocal arrangement: Karen Egan
Copyright Karen Egan © 2022
Exploring the vulnerability, chaos and humour of what it means to be a patient, Karen Egan’s engaging theatre film Warrior, loosely based on her own experience with breast cancer, was recently streamed online via theatre partners Project Arts Centre, Dublin; The Everyman, Cork and Mermaid Arts Centre, Wicklow.
Karen’s journey through the medical system involving surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy inspired her to explore the vulnerability, chaos and humour of that experience. Warrior is a multi-sensory piece, which examines the collective themes of fragility, anxiety, patience, ignorance and good, old-fashioned mortality. It’s the universal story of how we derive strength by turning adversity into opportunity.
The C-Word: “I drew on my own experience as a starting point for the many fictional scenes floating around my head,” says Karen. “It has become its own story. I believe the subject matter is something that will resonate with artists and audiences alike. Everyone knows somebody who has suffered from cancer. Being a patient puts everything into perspective and gives one time to reflect. Exploring the personal has enabled me to tell a more universal story.”
Harnessing her talent as a writer, performer, singer and composer, and in collaboration with leading musicians and actors, Warrior fuses theatre, music and comedy in an entertaining and provocative way, presenting the idea of patient as both warrior and prey and engaging audiences with socially relevant new writing and music.
Developed over a number of years, in collaboration with Musical Director Cian Boylan, the piece has been specifically adapted to be filmed, and features performers Ruth McGill, Rory Pierce and Damian Evans.
The creative team included Dramaturg Maureen White; Paul Keogan who brought his creative flair to the set design; lighting was in the expert hands of seasoned artist John Comiskey; graphics and animation were designed by Mark Kilroy and it was filmed by Gan·See Films.
The project was generously supported by the Arts Council Ireland
THE CAST:
KAREN EGAN
Singer, actor, comedian and playwright, Karen Egan originally qualified as a barrister in Dublin’s King’s Inns, but soon changed course opting to train at the Gaiety School of Acting and later at Trinity College, Dublin. A former member of award winning Irish comedy singing trio The Nualas, Karen has also worked for a variety of theatre companies throughout Ireland, including The Abbey, Corn Exchange, Pan-Pan, Fishamble, Bewley’s Café Theatre and many more, touring to New York, Berlin, the UK and Tasmania.
For film and television, Karen has appeared in Ripper Street (BBC), The Turning (Dreamworks), The Bailout (TV3), Rock Rivals (ITV) Your Bad Self (RTÉ), Man About Dog (Treasure Films) and played a leading role in Ruth Meehan’s award-winning feature film, The Bright Side (Playground Pictures).
Karen has been Artist in Residence at Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris (2014) and Rakastajat-teatteri, Finland (2011-16)
Karen’s début album, ‘Very Very,’ was released in September 2006 to critical acclaim. She launched her follow-up album ‘Charlatanne‘ in spring 2015, receiving five-star reviews. Karen composed the music to the song ‘Eight Little Whores’, featured in BBC’s Ripper Street.
CIAN BOYLAN
Cian Boylan is an Irish pianist, composer, arranger, songwriter and producer working internationally in the music industry for over 20 years. A critically acclaimed jazz pianist, he has recorded a number of albums under his own name and produced or performed as a sideman on many others.
He is the owner and producer at Dublin’s premier recording facility Camden Recording Studios, the base for most of his album and television/film music productions.
Artists he has worked with include Sinéad O’Connor, Bressie, Gregory Porter, Bono, Bronagh Gallagher, Imelda May, Andrea Corr, Duke Special, Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Ronan Keating, Hothouse Flowers, The Villagers, Mary Coughlan, Roisin O, Something Happens, Van Morrison and Neil Hannon, amongst others. He was Musical Director for the recent 3 Olympia Music Exclusive on 2fm.
He has also worked with The RTE Concert Orchestra, The Ulster Orchestra, The Irish Chamber Orchestra, The National Symphony Orchestra, Las Vegas Symphony Orchestra among others.
Cian and Karen share a long history working together on live shows, and also co-producing Karen’s album ‘Charlatanne’.
RUTH MCGILL
Uniquely experienced and established as one of Ireland’s finest character actors, Ruth McGill is also founder, musician, singer and songwriter with the multi instrumental, 3 part harmony group “The Evertides”.
An acclaimed actress she is a regular performer at the Abbey and Gate theatres, and other leading Irish theatre companies, receiving two Irish Times Theatre Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her performance of Lucy In The Threepenny Opera (Gate Theatre, Dublin) & Lydia in FREEFALL (Corn Exchange Theatre Company).
For film and TV, Ruth has appeared in The Clinic, Love|Hate, and What Richard Did. She was most recently seen in Kin and Ruth Meehan’s award-winning film The Bright Side.
Ruth combines her listening and communication skills to alchemise vocal embodiment and healing, including her work as a ‘death doula’ or ‘soul midwife’.
RORY PIERCE
Rory Pierce has worked as a professional composer, performer, producer and educator for decades, writing original music for feature films, shorts, documentaries, TV shows, dance performances, theatre and radio. As a performer, he co-created the ground-breaking ensemble Cuillin Music with Martyn Bennett. He has also performed, toured and recorded with many mainstream artists, such as The Divine Comedy. He is a founder member of the multi-award winning Grit Orchestra, playing arena shows with some of the finest musicians in the UK.
DAMIAN EVANS
Damian Evans is a professional musician with over 20 years’ experience. A founding director of Galway Jazz Festival and Documenting Jazz conference, he has toured America, Australia, Dominican Republic, Italy, Germany, Austria, France, accompanying many international artists including Van Morrison, Sharon Shannon and Terrel Stafford.
With a PHD in Jazz Studies from TU Dublin and a Master in Music (Performance, First Class Honours), he has an extensive knowledge of all forms of music and is comfortable teaching to all ages including early years music education and strings for Music Generation, as well as for UCD and University of Ulster, Magee Campus, Derry.
He was Honorary Secretary, Society for Musicology in Ireland, 2019–2021 and Book Review Editor, Jazz Perspectives, (Taylor and Francis).
Karen Egan
Singer, actor, comedian and playwright, Karen Egan originally qualified as a barrister in Dublin’s King’s Inns, but soon changed course opting to train at the Gaiety School of Acting and later at Trinity College, Dublin. A former member of award winning Irish comedy singing trio The Nualas, Karen has also worked for a variety of theatre companies throughout Ireland, including The Abbey, Corn Exchange, Pan-Pan, Fishamble, Bewley’s Café Theatre and many more, touring to New York, Berlin, the UK and Tasmania.
For film and television, Karen has appeared in Ripper Street (BBC), The Turning (Dreamworks), The Bailout (TV3), Rock Rivals (ITV) Your Bad Self (RTÉ), Man About Dog (Treasure Films) and played a leading role in Ruth Meehan’s award-winning feature film, The Bright Side (Playground Pictures).
Karen has been Artist in Residence at Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris (2014) and Rakastajat-teatteri, Finland (2011-16)
Karen’s début album, ‘Very Very,’ was released in September 2006 to critical acclaim. She launched her follow-up album ‘Charlatanne’ in spring 2015, receiving five-star reviews. Karen composed the music to the song ‘Eight Little Whores’, featured in BBC’s Ripper Street.
