Besom Productions
Coolaboola
Information
Writer: Teresa Godfrey
Producer: Margo Harkin
Director: Sean McGuire
First TX on RTE: Friday 30th November 2001
Broadcasters: Channel 4
A 3 x 25 minute Comedy Sketch & Drama Series for Channel 4 Schools.
Synoposis
Coolaboola explores and celebrates the vernacular speech of young people in modern day Northern Ireland. At the heart of Coolaboola is a mini-drama called Bog Off! which is intercut with short comedy sketches across the three programmes.
Language is a living expression of people’s history and identity. Sketches such as Gaelic Coffee highlight the Irish origins of many words in use throughout the English speaking world while others, such as The Interview, humorously make the point that there are times when it is more appropriate to “speak properly”, without denigrating the dialect.
Bog Off!, the mini drama which runs throughout the series, tells the story of a city boy’s growing awareness and respect for the speech of his rural friends whose everyday language reflects the rich influence of Ulster Scots. Other sketches include Big Muckers and Who Wants to sit in the Dialect Chair? The series makes great use of comedy to prove that education can be thoroughly entertaining.