Very, very exciting! Made me grin too domino.....my first thought was the devil seems to be following him around. And this Friday!! That makes me happy.
So... he's reading the Eimear Mcbride story which 'takes us into a world of dark family secrets and revenge'. Sounds good!
Wasn't Heather Larmour the producer for Student Stories?
Damien returns to the airwaves tomorrow to read a short story in a BBC Radio 4 series celebrating emerging Irish writers.
In the last episode of the series, Damien will be reading Me and the Devil, a tale that “takes us into a world of dark family secrets and revenge” by prize-winning Irish writerEimear McBride.
With a wide-ranging career including theatre and television, Damien has delighted audiences with a growing number and variety of radio projects, this being his sixth appearance on BBC Radio 4.
He made his debut on the channel in 2013, reading short story Student Stories, followed by BBC NI Radio Drama’s production of William Trevor’s The Hill Bachelors alongside Fionnula Flanagan, and Jim Sheridan’s adaptation of The Commitments, alongside Colm Meaney.
More recently, our favourite irish actor read W.B Yeats poems in two episodes of world-renowned poetry programme Poetry Please.
Since 2012, Damien has also given voice to short stories and poems with WordTheatre, including First Person Shooter by Charles Yu at the 2012 Latitude Festival, St. Dismas by Dan Chaon at Chatsworth House in 2012, People Carry Roses by Toby Litt at The Arts Club London in 2013, Othello by Marjorie Celona at the 2014 EFG Short Story Awards and The Woman At The Window by James Lasdun and Angry by Joyce Carol Oates atHeartstrings: Bittersweet Love Stories in September last year.
With his first audio book Raven (a full 5 CDs of narration and multiple accents / characters) also arriving at the end of last year, we’re thrilled Damien is continuing to be recognised as an exceptional voice talent.
Tomorrow’s programme is available to listen to live and on catch-up worldwide, be sure to tune in!
Damien reads ‘Me and the Devil’ on BBC Radio 4, 3,45pm Friday 27 March. The programme is produced by Heather Larmour. Listen Live and on catch up here (works internationally).
To comment on Damien’s radio appearance and discuss with other fans, comment below!
Wow... I think this is the most affected I have been by one of Damien's readings. The combination of the striking writing style with the powerful, moving story and Damien's delivery of it made that a fifteen minutes that has left an impression, like an echo I can still feel.
Not everyone has had a chance to listen yet so I won't give spoilers, but look forward to hearing everyone else's thoughts!
I know exactly what you mean, domino. Damien's beautiful voice and his wonderfully poetic style of reading draws you in. The incredible writing full of vivid images and the very moving story left me feeling very emotional.
I couldn't agree more with you Rosie and domino. I'm almost speechless, the beginning of the reading dropped my jaw and I could only admire how captivating and beautiful his voice was.
The story was dark but I can only hope something more like this. It was truly amazing experience hearing him reading something like this, interpret dark story with his massively impressive poetry reading style as always... Like he was floating trough the story with his voice, living it, feeling it, experiencing it while he was reading it. I have heard his other work but this was truly something else.. Brilliant!!
I finally found the time to listen to this (couldn't listen to it live as my daughter was coming in from school- no peace and quiet allowed) and once more i was utterly drawn in. Such a dark storyline so perfectly read out. I was transfixed.
I was a couple of minutes late tuning in and so missed the very start - for a moment it sounded like poetry...I couldn't quite grasp the narrative to begin with. Dark yes - but so beautifully written....such vivid and striking imagery. And - oh my - so beautifully read! I agree Jozie - Damien's voice just really pulls you into the story and takes you on a journey with him.
Agree with you Rosie and fifi about the vivid imagery in the writing , incredible rich prose, almost like poetry and even a couple of rhymes or maybe more (need to relisten) beautifully and subtly conveyed by Damien. The writing has left me very intrigued by the author and wanting to see more of her prose, I will certainly be seeking out more of her work.
Well put Jozie, there was a very immediate feel to Damos reading, very alive, making it captivating and breathtaking.
Jozie, Lisa and fifi it truly was a dark tale.. And there was a depth to the darkness.. both heartbreaking and utterly compelling.
Effective sounds like too clinical a word but for 15 minutes the whole experience was pretty profound, intense but not in a whack you in the head kind of a way ...more a deep growing creeping into you ... Bringing Tears and a feeling of a shared journey, leaving textured layers in your heart not your head.
"leaving textured layers in your heart not your head" - domino, that is so beautifully put and expresses my feelings about this story and Damien's reading so perfectly.
Just in awe of Eimear McBride's incredible writing. Such a heartbreaking story told with such rich language and imagery capturing not only the emotions of the character but invoking a real sense of place too.
I think this might be my favourite of Damien's readings - captivating from the very first word.
Got a lovely reply to my tweet from Heather Larmour
that's the only way I could express it, so thanks Rosie I'm a big fan of Heather Larmour and hope she and Damien work together again one day, Huge thanks to her for a second production with Damien and for that lovely recording photo!
For anyone interested in Eimear McBride's writing, check out her website eimearmcbride.com and here she reads an excerpt from her novel 'A Girl Is Half Formed Thing' which has the same unique style as Me and the Devil. Love love loving her writing!
Yes Rosie - you must! I've made myself listen to it every day (such a harship) because it won't be on iplayer for ever! And the more I listen.....the more drawn into the words I get.