Seán auditions for the Irish Sesame Street

I had posted a while back that I would love to audition for the Irish Sesame Street, but my lack of Irish prevented me from doing so.

Well, some good friends of mine have been on to me since and, with their encouragement and expertise as gaeilge, I have submitted my application to be one of the Sesame Street characters.

My attempt at doing so is a recording of a conversation between Kermit the frog and Count VonCount.

I wrote the script in English on Wednesday (I thought it up while putting my toddler to bed, actually). My idea was that Kermit would be doing something like MTV cribs where he went to visit the Count’s castle – but the “crib” in question was actually the Count’s childhood crib. I was told that this would not translate well into the Irish.

So, instead the Kermit is working for a program called an comhairle and is simply interviewing the count at his castle. So today I had the translation read to me and I spent a few hours this afternoon desperately trying to

A. Pronounce the Irish correctly.
B. Pronounce the Irish correctly while maintaining the muppet voices.
C. Keep the munchkin off my lap, quiet and happy while recording.

Not an easy task, gentle reader, I can tell you.

In any case, it is done. You can listen to my audition where Kermit interviews the Count here.

Again, as gaeilge! Tá le seo mo taifeadadh ag déanamh mar Count agus Kermit sa chlár Sesame Street.

For those English speakers amongst ye, here’s the original script I wrote in English:

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Sean’s Audition Script
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Kermit: Hi-ho! Kermit the frog here for an comhairle Sesame Street. Today we’re high in the Carpaggian Mountains where we’ll be talking with Count VonCount. The Count, as you know, is called The Count because

*thunder clap*

K: . . . he . . . um . . .

*count enters menacingly*

K: *gulp* . . . loves to count.

Count: Hello!
K: Hello.
C: I am the Count.
K: Yes, yes you are . . .
C: Do you know why they call me the Count?
K: Because you love to count?
C: Because I love to count! Ah-ah-ah!
K: So, anyway – here we are with Count VonCount for an comhairle Sesame Street. Can you tell us a little about yourself, Count?
C: What was that?
K: I didn’t hear anything.
C: No! That thing you just did!
K: What? You mean, ask you a question?
C: Yes! A question! Wonderful! I will count it: One! One question! Ah-ah-ah! *thunder*
K: Sheesh! Okay. So, tell us, Count, What was life like when you were a countling?
C: Excellent! Another Question! Two! Two questions! Ah-ah-ah! *thunder*
K: Um. Okay. Listen Count, are you going to answer any of my questions?
C: Three! Three questions! Ah-ah-ah! *thunder*
K: Why did I agree to do this?
C: Four! Four questions! Ah-ah-ah! *thunder*
K: This is Kermit the frog here .. .
C: One! One Frog! Ah-ah-ah! *thunder*
K: . . . reporting for an comhairle . . .
C: an comhairle! One! One an comhairle!
K: . . . Sesame Street. Sheesh.