Drámaíocht | Theatre

BALLINA ARTS CENTRE

Barrett St, Ballina, Co. Mayo

096 73593 | info@ballinaartscentre.com | www.ballinaartscentre.com

Juno and the Paycock

Clann Machua Drama Group

Friday 24th February 8pm

Clann Machua Drama Group, Kiltimagh, is delighted to bring their production of Sean O’Casey’s Juno & The Paycock to Ballina this February.

Juno and the Paycock was first staged at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1924. It is set in the working class tenements of Dublin in the early 1920s, during the Irish Civil War period and revolves around the misfortunes of the dysfunctional Boyle family.

Juno and the Paycock is the second of three O’Casey plays in what is known as the ‘Dublin Trilogy’ set in the tumultuous years of 1916-1923, with The Shadow of a Gunman and The Plough and the Stars,

Drawing upon his firsthand knowledge of Dublin tenement life and workers’ suffering during the period, to depict the ensuing hardships of poverty, malnutrition, disease, and lack of privacy, the play has been praised for O’Casey’s realistic representation of idiomatic Dublin speech, rich literary allusions, characterization, social conscience, and blend of comedy and tragedy.

"Th' whole worl's in a terrible state o' chassis". 

 Tickets: €12 / €5. Early booking advised.

Stolen Child

by Bairbre Ní Chaoimh  & Yvonne Quinn 

Riverside Theatre Group

Friday 10th, Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th March, 8pm

Set in 1990, the play tells the story of a young Dublin woman's journey to find her natural mother. She enlists the help of a private detective whose irreverent humour and hard-drinking lifestyle mask a deep understanding of human frailty. Parallel to her quest is the heartbreaking personal story of her mother's upbringing by nuns in a 1940s Industrial school and the harsh facts surrounding the enforced adoption of her newborn baby. 'Stolen Child',  written by Bairbre Ni Chaoimh and Yvonne Quinn, first performed in 2002, and was one of the first plays to explore the secret history these schools, the plight of unmarried mothers and the adoption process.

Tickets: €12 / €10. Early booking advised. 

Moll

By John B Keane

Parke Drama and Arts Group

Thursday 23rd March, 8pm

John B Keane’s Moll is a comedy set in a rural presbytery in Kerry where the newly appointed priest’s  housekeeper takes over a parish house with a “divide and conquer” strategy.

When Canon Pratt and his two curates, Father Brest and Father Loran, lose their esteemed Ms Bottomly, they must recruit a replacement to carry on with the cooking and cleaning. They select Ms Maureen Kettle, Moll. She wraps the Canon around her little finger, feeds him well while starving the curates and continues this pattern as the Canon is promoted and one of the curates takes his place. When it comes to the question of Moll’s pension, more chaos ensues – however with the support of the Bishop, Moll proves to be an unstoppable force.

Tickets:  € 10  Early booking advised.

Straight Outta Connemara

Friday 31st March, 8pm

Páraic Breathnach comes from a long line of story tellers and his new version of Straight Outta Connamara tells of his long and difficult journey from the wind swept shores of South Connamara to Henry Street. His story telling will lead the audience on a cosán dearg of detours, diversions and devilment visiting various places around the known world and end up where he started from. The stories recall an Ireland where the Church still reigned, where politicians were still respectable and the cosmhuintir knew their place. Breathnach spent most of his youth trying to get the hell out of Connemara and cast off the shackles of ignorance and repression that dominated the West at that time. The show casts a cold eye on the society of that time but finds humour and laughter even in the most miserable circumstances. This show is not suitable for children or people of sensitive disposition.

Tickets: €12 / €10.  Early booking advised.

LINENHALL ARTS CENTRE

Linenhall St, Castlebar, Mayo

094 9023733 | linenhall@anu.ie | www.thelinenhall.com

Wednesday 1st March @ 8.00pm

Dyad Productions - Jane Eyre: An Autobiography

Charlotte Brontë’s classic brought vividly to life by writer/director Elton Townend Jones and consummate actor Rebecca Vaughan. Struggling to think, live and love beyond the stifling expectations of duty, class and convention, governess Jane Eyre and Master Edward Rochester take a dark journey towards sensual and intellectual liberation. Told through Jane’s eyes, English literature’s most celebrated autobiographical novel shocked the Victorians, and Charlotte Brontë’s gothic subversion of fairy-tale romance is now distilled for the stage. Performer Rebecca Vaughan embodies everywoman Jane - and several other characters - in this intimate study of love’s realities. Another unforgettable production from the creators of Austen’s Women, Female Gothic and I, Elizabeth.

“...Rebecca Vaughan’s magnetic stage presence and captivating control.” - British Theatre Guide

“Quite simply, it’s astounding. Powerful, polished and absolutely unique. ” - Broadway Baby

“Brilliantly performed by Rebecca Vaughan.” - The Scotsman

“A theatrical masterpiece.” - Edinburgh Guide

Adm. €16 / €14 (concessions)

Wednesday 29th March @ 8.00pm

The Humours of Bandon

written and performed by Margaret McAuliffe

“Don’t be afraid of that floor, hammer it!”

On the eve of the Irish Open championship, we meet Annie, a 16 year old Dubliner, as she charts us through the various successes and disappointments of her Irish Dancing life. We share her mind numbing commitment and burning desire to win the Irish Open title. Will she win and, if so, in what way? From the confines of every Parochial Hall in Ireland, Irish Dancing champions are churned out at a massive rate. Medals and cups build up in drawing rooms and Riverdance swells a national pride, but the public aren’t privy to the blood, sweat and tears that pave the way to the first place podium. The Humours of Bandon is a coming of age story, full of heart, humour and wisdom, for anyone who had a childhood passion that threatened to overwhelm their life.

“Terrific… both writing and performance are by turns sharp, charming and hilarious. All round, a champion turn.” - Irish Times

“Truly breathtaking…  dazzling performance.” - The Reviews Hub

Part of Show in a Bag, an artist development initiative of Tiger Dublin Fringe, Fishamble: The New Play Company and Irish Theatre Institute.

Adm. €16 / €14 (concessions)