What does the staging of the play using a giant pop-up book tell us about the play?
That the play will appeal to children more than it will to adults
That it will place importance on storytelling and artifice
That the story which is about to unfold will be realistic and 100% accurate
Which of the statements below best describe the function of the factual readings and accounts?
They are entirely unrelated to the plot
They shape the story and thread it together
They create humour
What might the mountains symbolically represent in the play?
mountains
The endurance and resilience of the Highland people
The happiness and satisfaction of the Highland people
The sadness and isolation of the Highland people
A ceilidh traditionally consists of what?
Music, song and dance
Competitions, songs and jokes
Serious readings and comedic sketches
At a ceilidh the function of an M.C. is to do what?
To sing most of the songs, to tell some inappropriate jokes, and to make sure that everyone gets up to dance
To compère the assembly of songs, storytelling and music, and to ensure the smooth progression of the evening’s planned entertainment
To narrate the story from start to finish, and to introduce the actors to the stage
The cyclical nature of the ceilidh play (it begins and ends with song) allows McGrath to do what?
Reinforce the theme of ownership
Reinforce the theme of role of women
Reinforce the theme of change
In this play, Gaelic is used frequently by McGrath to make a wider political point about what?
The teaching of foreign languages
Vowel sounds in Gaelic
The erosion of Gaelic culture
Why does McGrath often not provide translations of Gaelic for the audience?
To destabilise and alienate the audience, and to reinforce the extent of the cultural loss
To let the audience enjoy the songs or dialogues without interruption
To make the audience work harder to understand the main points being made
Pathos is successfully evoked by what?
Slapstick comedy and parody songs
Haunting Gaelic song and detached readings
Jokes told by the M.C.
In relation to the landowners, the mountains symbolically represent what?
Money, wealth and power
Ambition, drive, and hard work
Failure, poverty and loneliness