The Dreamweaver
Book and lyrics by John Farndon, Songs by John Farndon.
"Let me take you away from the trials of the day..."
The Dreamweaver interweaves the mixed up lives of group of contemporary Dubliners with the ancient Irish legend of the bard Ossian and his strange journey to Tir na n’Og, the fairy land of youth, to create a multi-layered tale in which reality, stories and dreams swirl to and fro, in a mix of song and dialogue, music and narrative, dance and visual media.
Sample text
| Song Title | Composer | |
| Peace in my heart | John Farndon | Download: Peace in my heart.mp3 |
| Dreamweaving | John Farndon | Download: Dreamweaving.mp3 |
| Shadowfall | John Farndon | Download: Shadowfall.mp3 |
| Star of the morning | John Farndon | Download: Star of the morning.mp3 |
| Down the waterfall | John Farndon | Download: Down the waterfall.mp3 |
| I can see the tears | John Farndon | Download: I can see the tears.mp3 |
| Her name is Niamh | John Farndon | Download: Her name is Niamh.mp3 |
ANYA
Video by Abdirahman Cadani at Code Blue media, edited by Shoot You.
Sample text
The Story
Themes
In the recordings here, 'The Closed Door' 'The Sleep of Winter' and 'This Baby Sleeps' were recorded in St Petersburg by Russian folk group Koleso. There is another version of 'This Baby Sleeps' recorded for the Beyond the Gate review on the Other musicals and songs page on this site. The other songs here were recorded at the Donmar Warehouse and the Royal Academy of Music.
| Song Title | Composer | |
| The Closed Door | John Farndon | Download: The Closed Door.mp3 |
| The Sleep of Winter | John Farndon | Download: The Sleep of Winter.mp3 |
| Shooting Pinkoes | John Farndon | Download: Shooting Pinkoes.mp3 |
| When I was young | John Farndon | Download: When I was young.mp3 |
| Rule like Iron | John Farndon | Download: Rule like Iron.mp3 |
| Lighten up, Mr Stalin | John Farndon | Download: Lighten up_ Mr Stalin.mp3 |
| This Baby Sleeps | John Farndon | Download: This Baby Sleeps.mp3 |
| Take off that uniform, Soldier | John Farndon | Download: Take off that uniform_ Soldier.mp3 |
| Seven Years Older | John Farndon | Download: Seven Years Older.mp3 |
| Our young men are dying | John Farndon | Download: Our young men are dying.mp3 |
In Love and War
Book and lyrics by John Farndon, Music by Marc Folan and John Farndon
“Oh yes, I have my pride!”
‘…In Love & War’ is a powerful original musical
in which love and betrayal in wartime France lead to the heart of a
modern political scandal. It is set partly in Occupied France in 1944
and partly in the 1980s, when Mitterand’s Socialists came to power
after long years of Gaullist rule.
At the centre of the story is socialist politician Henri
Dumas, whose iron-willed determination to fight for his ideals blinds
him to the effects of his actions around him – with tragic
consequences.
As France undergoes the ordeal of Nazi occupation — when
no-one is certain who is collaborating and who is not – Henri and
Blanche de Laurette fall in love working together for the French
Resistance. But while Henri is out on a mission of sabotage, Blanche
is faced with an agonizing decision — and makes a sacrifice which will
blight both their lives, and come back to haunt them long after.
Almost 40 years later, when Henri has risen to become a defence
minister in Mitterand’s government, he concieves a fatal passion for a
young woman, only to become devastatingly engulfed by a
cash-for-contracts scandal.
As the media and the public round on their one time hero, Henri learns to his horror at last about Blanche’s secret.
| Song Title | Composer | |
| I'm getting wise to you | John Farndon | Download: I'm getting wise to you.mp3 |
| You have to take a risk | John Farndon | Download: You have to take a risk.mp3 |
| Once you loved me | John Farndon | Download: Once you loved me.mp3 |
| In this little town | John Farndon | Download: In this little town.mp3 |
| I have my pride | John Farndon | Download: I have my pride.mp3 |