Tir Na N’Og (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998) which was retitled Into The West (1999, 2000, 2001 and 2016)

About the show

Having now completed 8 tours, spanning over 20 years and touring across the world INTO THE WEST is one of our best-loved and most highly-acclaimed shows

Imagine a glorious white horse comes out of a sea-mist and into your troubled life. Imagine trying to keep her on the 14th floor of a Dublin tower block.  Imagine the law is on your trail and the only escape is to ride into the West. Finn and Ally escape the tower blocks of Dublin and ride across Ireland on their magical white horse with a price on their heads. The course of their adventures leads them closer to their old lives as travellers and helps them rediscover their lost sense of family.

Originally titled TIR NA N'OG, our nineteenth original production was adapted from Jim Sheridan's screenplay for the film INTO THE WEST (Directed by Mike Newell and Produced by Jonathan Cavendish for Little Bird Productions). The play is one of our most well-known and successful, being remounted a total of eight times, and won us our first award, for Best Children’s Production at the 1999 Dublin International Festival.  The show toured extensively across the UK as well as Ireland, the Netherlands, America, Canada and Jamaica.

This show also inspired our Youth Theatre (14-19s) to re-tell the myth of Oisin and Niamh as a part of our anniversary fesitval, 30Fest.

In spring 2016 the play was remounted with a new cast to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of its creation.  After a long tour all over the country we finshed back in Bristol with a extremely well-received three week run at Tobacco Factory Theatres.

Press

Loads of theatrical imagination.. goes right to the roots of how theatre is made  Toronto Star

A richly satisfying blend of realism and fairytale, comedy and tragedy, this brilliantly imaginative piece will reward adults and children alike  The Scotsman

I have never seen a play that touched me as deeply as this masterfully-staged tale. It's a beautifully-acted testament to the power of imaginative theatre  Calgary Herald

This isn't just exceptional children's theatre, it is complex, moving and vivid theatre; a remarkable, mature piece that creates a complete imaginative world of its own  The Guardian

Press from the most recent tour

Greg Banks, who with this piece set a very high bar and created a dynamic (and influential) vernacular for visual, physical and emotionally-charged work for younger audiences – indeed, the 'Bristol style' of family theatre is greatly in his debt.  Bristol 24/7

Performers and audience are left moved and mesmerised.  Children’s Theatre Reviews

Travelling Light brings us theatre at its most raw, most basic, most creative… Invention doesn’t get better than this. ***** Stage Talk

On the Relaxed Performance:

Travelling Light really excelled at their Relaxed Performance… the company and theatre managed the accessibility so well… Into the West itself was brilliant. Chopsy Baby

Age range

7+ years

Meet the cast

• 

  David Annen

  Pa / Granpa (2000, 2001)

• 

  Fiona Barrow

  Musician (1999, 2000)

• 

  Craig Edwards

  Pa / Granpa (1995, 2016) Finn (1997,1998,1999,2000, 2001)

• 

  Joe Hall

  Pa / Granpa (1996,1997,1998,1999

• 

  Thomas Johnson

  Musician (1997, 2000, 2001)

• 

  Christopher Nolan

  Finn (2001)

• 

  Zara Ramm

  Ally (1995,1999, 2001)

• 

  Cerianne Roberts

  Ally (1996,1997,1998,1999, 2000)

• 

  Cathy Ryan

  Ally (2001)

• 

  Matthew Wood

  Musician (1996,1999)

• 

  Kevin Byrne

  Musician (1995)

• 

  Janet Bamford

  Finn (1996)

• 

  Sarah Beckett

  Finn (1995)

• 

  Sean Gleeson

  Pa / Granpa (1999)

• 

  Bing Lyle

  Musician (1998, 2016)

• 

  Nina Logue

  Ally (2016)

• 

  Adam J Carpenter

  Finn (2016)

The creative team

• Greg Banks

  Director

• Sarah Salaman

  Set & Costume Designer (1995)

• Peter Milner

  Set Designer (1997)

• Katie Sykes

  Costume Designer (1997)

• Jane Lopresti

  Composer / Music Director (1995)

• Thomas Johnson

  Composer / Music Director (1996)

• Andy Shewan

  Lighting Designer