Operating Theatre

• Roger Doyle - composer/musician
• Olwen Fouere - voice
• Liam de Staic (Liam Stack)
• Tom Matthews
  
  
  Operating Theatre in 1981, taken for the first CBS single.
  Left to right: Olwen Foure, Liam de Staic, Roger Doyle, Tom Matthews
  

Bio:

Operating Theatre was basically a collaboration between Roger Doyle and Olwen Fouere to explore the role of music in performance. Tom Mathews and Liam Stack (better known now as an actor) were members during 1980-82 and appear on the first two CBS singles from 1980-81, as does Jolyon Jackson.

Roger Doyle in 1981, taken for the first CBS single.

The first phase of the bands activities ran from 1981-88, the second phase from 1999-2008. See Roger Doyle for more details. Operating Theatre are mentioned in Dave Henderson's Wild Planet article that appeared in Sounds, May 7th 1983.

"The Pentagonal Dream" is a dream sequence monologue in five movements written for Operating Theatre by poet/novelist Sebastian Barry. It was performed by Doyle & Fouere at the Damer Hall on 13-22 February 1986, directed by David Heap.

There is now a very nice website on www.operatingtheatre.ie

 



 



side one:
Rapid Eye Movements

side two:
Fin-Estra

Notes:
The United Dairies cassette edition was licensed by RRR Records and may still be available from RRRon. The Audio Arts cassette may pre-date the United Dairies release and is credited to Roger Doyle (solo). The United Dairies CD edition contains one bonus track: "Temple Music - Earth To Earth (1991/92)". The Silverdoor CD edition is credited to Roger Doyle and contains two bonus tracks: "Piano Suite (1968-69)" and "Why Is Kilkenny So Good? (1971/1974)" from Doyle's solo debut LP.

 

track: In The Neck

Notes:
The LP was issued in two different cover designs (500 copies of each). The cassette edition was licensed by RRR Records and may still be available from RRRon.

 

side one:
Gloss + Eggshell
Elation After Hours
No Come
Syllable
Dragon Path
The Confectioners
Miss Mauger

side two: Blue Light + Alpha Waves
Positive Disintegration
Ramp Walk

Notes:
Side one plays at 33rpm and contains new material. Side two plays at 45rpm and includes three of the four tracks which appeared on Irish CBS singles ("Austrian" is omitted). "Gloss + Eggshell" and "Elation After Hours" are omitted from The Early Years 2xCD. Steve Rapid dissed Miss Mauger in a review in Hot Press (vol.7 nr 18, run to the library and check it out, quick!)


• Queen of No Heart / Spring Is Coming..
7" - Mother Records - MUM 4 - IRL - May 1986 - diecut PS

side one:
Spring Is Coming With A Strawberry In The Mouth
Part Of My Make-Up

side two:
Atlantean
Satanasa

 



disc1:
Sir Geoffrey (1981) (included on Doyle's "Babel" 5-CD set)
Positive Disintegration (1981)
Part Of My Make-Up (1983)
Fingerdance Waltz/Hymn (1982) previously unreleased
Ramp Walk (1982)
Satanasa (1984)
Ah Love, Ah Love (1984) (included on Doyle's "Fairlight Memories" 2-CD set)
Clubmusic/Amene-Moi (1984) previously unreleased
No Come (1983)
Austrian (1981)
Dragon Path (1983)
The Confectioners (1983)

disc2:
Blue Light + Alpha Waves (1982)
Belisa In The Garden (1984) (included on Doyle's "Fairlight Memories" 2-CD set)
Don Perlimplin Has No Honour (1984) (included on Doyle's "Fairlight Memories" 2-CD set)
The Tractor (1984) previously unreleased
Queen Of No Heart (1986)
Syllable (1983)
Spring Is Coming With A Strawberry In The Mouth (1986)
Before She Was Asked To Dance (1988) previously unreleased
Johnny's Body At 002 pt. 1 & 2 (1999) (included on Doyle's "Babel" 5-CD set)

Notes:
Remastered by Roger Doyle. An interesting release for fans with some previously unreleased tracks, but even so not a full discography. Titled The Early Years and covering the period 1981-88 with one additional track from 1999, the year the second phase of Operating Theatre began.

This 2xCD set was initially issued as two loose discs inserted into the folds of the Dublin Electronic Arts Festival program in 2006. It has since been made more widely available with proper artwork, etc, by the ever so slightly pretentiously named Incunabulum label in Holland.

tracks:
Austrian
Eighties Rampwalk

We need your help to correct and/or complete this entry. If you can provide more information about this band, have scans, photos or any other memorabilia we can use, or spare copies of any releases, then please get in touch.