iT’S HIGH NOON FOR HIGH COUNTRY IN KILWORTH

Bluegrass fans eagerly look forward to the return of the six piece High Country bluegrass band to Kilworth’s Village Arts Centre, on Tuesday night next (July 8).

Butch Waller heads up High Country. Having been one of the first to play professional bluegrass in Northern California, he formed the band in 1968. Along with his distinct mandolin playing, Butch sings lead and baritone and also contributes many of the band’s original songs and mandolin instrumentals.

Bob Waller (guitar) is Butch’s younger brother and a veteran bluegrasser. Bob and Butch zero in on the close harmony sound that is the gift of siblings. Larry Cohea’s genuine enthusiasm for music and life pervades his energetic banjo work, which spurs the band’s hard-driving sound. He is also featured on lead and tenor vocals.

Jim Mintun (dobro/vocals) is a welcome addition wherever bluegrass players convene as he brings with him a vast repertoire of songs, along with a soaring bluegrass voice of the high lonesome variety. Jim’s gritty, zestful approach to the dobro never ceases to delight audiences and his songwriting is a key ingredient in the band’s personalized stamp on the genre.

Tom Bekeny’s traditional fiddle solos explode with bluegrass sentiment. Occasionally Tom will line up with Butch for some dazzling mandolin duets that leave the stage smoking. Tom is also a talented and heartfelt singer in his own right, singing every part at one time or another including bass on the gospel quartets.

Glenn Dauphin anchors the band with his solid, dynamic bass playing and inspired singing. Glenn is possessed of a clear, soulful bluegrass voice and is at home singing lead, tenor or baritone. He is also a songwriter of high regard and his finely crafted compositions are a lively addition to High Country’s repertoire.

Booking now open through John Nyhan (087-7921771), at the usual Arts Centre outlets - The Avondhu office, Fermoy (025-32227), Cotters, Kilworth (27109 after 5pm), Hyland’s, Mitchelstown (24528) and on 087-6492514.

‘BAROQUE TO THE BEATLES’ THIS SATURDAY IN FARAHY

St Colman’s Church, Farahy is the venue on this Saturday evening for the fifth recital in this year’s North Cork Classical Music series.

The music featured will range from Bach to The Beatles and the programme gets under way at 6pm. With no electricity in St Colman’s, the concert will be all the more special by candlelight.

Three musicans, Ian Sexton (harpsichord), Una Whyte (harps) and baritone, Micheal O Suilleabhain have put together an interesting and varied programme that will include pieces such as ‘Gabriel’s Oboe’, ‘Inisheer’, ‘Fly Me To The Moon’, ‘Blackbird’, ‘Lead Kindly Light’ etc., etc.

The event sponsor is Robert Duffy, Pharmacist, Castletownroche. Admission is just €10 and Jane Annesley (022-26145) or Liam Howard (025-24858) are accepting bookings (also 087-6492514).

NEW PLAY BY PAT TALBOT HAS IRISH PREMIERE

A brand new play, ‘Rita Dunne’ by celebrated Cork director, Patrick Talbot will premiere in Dublin next week.

The Everyman Palace Theatre production previews this week in Ballymun’s Axis centre before opening in the Civic Theatre, Tallaght on July 8th. Rita Dunne will continue in Cork’s Everyman Palace Theatre from July 22nd – Aug 2nd.

It’s two days before the publication of a transcript that might decide the fate of a government. Though separated from Taoiseach Willie Dunne for many years, ex-wife Rita’s identity is still irritatingly defined by her relationship with him. When scandal threatens Ireland’s popular leader, Rita finds herself torn between family loyalty and personal freedom, as she and her daughter are plunged into the media spotlight.

Inspired by recent political events, ‘Rita Dunne’ is a fictitious account of how a political family deals with scandal. ‘Rita Dunne’ is written and directed by Patrick Talbot, with set design by Eileen Diss, lighting by Conleth White, costumes by Leonore McDonough and sound design by Irene Buckley.

The cast includes Deirdre Monaghan, Frank Melia and Vanessa Keogh The play runs at The Everyman Palace Theatre, Cork from Monday, 21 July (preview) until Saturday, 2 Aug @ 8pm. Booking on 021-4501673 or visit www.everymanpalace.com

AUSTRALIAN COUNTRY/ROCK BAND ‘THE PLOUGHBOYS’ FOR KILWORTH

‘Island to Ireland – from the Merri to the Shannon’ is a show that integrates music, imagery, dance, story telling and song at The Village Arts Centre on Monday, July 14.

“The show begins with the story of our great grandparents – Mary Cleary from Silvermines, Co Tipperary and Patrick Howard from Dublin.

Mary was a young Irish famine orphan who settled in Killarney, Victoria. Patrick was a miner arrested at the Eureka Stockade rebellion, Ballarat, Victoria, whose wife – Eliza Darcy- was involved in the sewing of the Eureka flag.

At this time in history political unrest was enveloping the world and these ancestors landed in a country where the same injustices they left behind were being committed. The Island to Ireland show reflects on some of these injustices through the story of the Eureka Rebellion, which forged Australia’s democracy, Aboriginal dispossession and atrocities, and the legendary story of the Irish-Australian Bushranger - Ned Kelly.

The show concludes with Marcia and Damian’s songs and stories that reflect the legacy of their ancestors and explain their connection to place. As brother and sister Damian and Marcia continue to pay homage to the culture of their Irish ancestors and the culture of the Aboriginal people whose land they live on.

Booking on 025-32227 or 087-6492514.

SUPERB TALENT ON DISPLAY AT 1-2-3 DRAMA FESTIVAL IN LISMORE

Many many thanks to all who competed, helped organise, sponsored and patronsied the second annual ‘123 Drama Festival’ last Saturday and Sunday in the lovely Lismore Courthouse Theatre in Lismore.

Adjudicated by the very experienced Michael Twomey of Cork, the shows saw many people brave competition judging for only the first or second time in their acting careers. With just a bare stage and general lighting to work with, each performer very bravely and successfully stepped up to the challenge.

Programmed by festival director Vanessa Hyde, each night had a glorious mix of comedy and drama - in between the tears was much silliness and farce. The festival took place only because of the great support of the sponsors and the cheerfully given help of the host group, Lismore Dramatic Society.

Many thanks to Una Walsh, Tina Flynn, Joan Bolger, Edward Lynch, Margaret Madden, Padraig Pollard, Julie Landers and John Sullivan for their very hard work. Groups performing were Brideview Drama of Tallow, Aisteoiri tSean Phobail of Old Parish, Stagemad, Waterford Dramatic Society, KCK Drama, Cappoquin Drama Group, Ecdysis of Dungarvan, Ballyduff Drama Group; and there were solo performances by Konor Halpin, Dolores Ronayne and Denise Quinn.

The festival also gave many local authors the chance to put their works on stage. Overall, eight new pieces of writing were performed, often by the writers themselves.The prizes were awarded at a ceremony hosted by festival sponsor, Lismore House Hotel.

The main festival sponsor was WLRFM with others including Waterford County Council, Waterford City Arts, Samuel French Theatre Agency, Dungarvan People Newspaper and Red Kettle Theatre. Many thanks to Lismore town councillor, Orla Russell for representing Waterford County Council at such short notice! Michael Twomey awarded a great stretch of prizes, indicating in his many nominations the range and depth of the quality of what the audiences saw on both nights.

This was the second 123 Festival and, for it to keep growing and being such an effective showcase of Waterford talent, the support of audiences and drama groups is vital. Lismore Dramatic Society has now hosted the festival for two years - in 2009, another Waterford drama group is very welcome to take on the mantle of excellence!

Lastly, Vanessa Hyde as festival director would like to thank all those behind the scenes in each group who helped out with staging, lighting, sound, props, transport and makeup.

Nothing gets performed without a huge array of talent cheerfully donating their time, braincells and hard work. Many thanks and see you next year! Prizes and nominations were as follows:

Best Overall Performance (sponsor: WLRFM) won by Denise Quinn of Waterford; Best Actor in a Duologue (sponsor: WLRFM) - Declan Terry of Aisteoiri tSean Phobail (winner, for ‘The Man from Clare’), Con O’Sullivan and Henry O’Keeffe of Dungarvan (‘My Papa’), Aoife Tobin of Aisteoiri tSean Phobail (‘The Wedding’), Fergus Cooper in Stagemad’s ‘The Weir’;

Best Actor in a Monologue (sponsor: Waterford County Council) - Denise Quinn, Irene Kelleher of Brideview Drama (winner, with ‘Mary O’Donnell’), James Lenane of Lismore, Shane Collander of Dungarvan, Dolores Ronayne of Dungarvan, Jim O’Brien of KCK Drama, Declan Terry, Vanessa Hyde of Brideview Drama;

Best Director (sponsor: Waterford County Council) - James Hyde of Brideview Drama (winner) with Christopher Durang’s short play, ‘Desire, Desire, Desire’, Hank Regan (‘My Papa’), James Lenane (‘Kings of the Kilburn High Road’), Louise Bradley (‘We Had It All’), Denise Quinn (‘Winsome Webster’), Amelia Clancy (‘Lady of Larkspur Lotion’), George Peet (‘The Poppy and the Shamrock’), Geraldine Canning (monologue and duologue from ‘The Cripple of Inishmaan’), Declan Terry (‘The Man from Clare’);

Best Performance in an Ensemble/Short Play (sponsor: Red Kettle) - the cast of ‘Desire, Desire, Desire’ (winner) - Irene Kelleher, Sean Ahern, Yvonne Seymour, James Lenane, Vanessa Hyde, Assumpta Mangan, Brian Hogan), Sharon Hennessy of Cappoquin Drama Group (‘The Prognosis’), the cast of Waterford Dramatic Society’s ‘Lady of Larkspur Lotion’ (Denise Quinn, Hugo O’Donovan and Peggy McCarthy).

Best Actor in a Short Play (sponsor: Waterford City Arts) won by Vanessa Hyde of Brideview Drama; Special Adjudicator’s Prize (sponsor: Waterford City Arts) - George Peet of Brideview Drama for writing, directing and acting in his play, ‘The Poppy and the Shamrock’;

Best Moment in Theatre (sponsor: Samuel French Theatre Agency) - the near-execution scene between soldiers George Peet and Jack Aherne in Brideview Drama’s ‘The Poppy and the Shamrock’ (winners), Denise Quinn (for mixing and balancing so well humour with eroticism in her monologue ‘Winsome Webster’ about a widow’s chance sexual encounter), the egg-breaking scene between Courtney Canning and Aoife Walsh in Ballyduff Drama’s duologue, ‘The Cripple of Inishmaan’.

Best New Writing for Theatre (sponsor: Dungarvan People - ‘We Had It All’ by Dolores Ronayne of Dungarvan (winner), Hank Regan for ‘My Papa’, George Peet for ‘The Poppy and the Shamrock’, ‘The Wedding’ by Val Rossiter of Aisteoiri tSean Phobail;

Highly commended actor awards (sponsor: Lismore House Hotel) - Peggy McCarthy as Mrs. Hardwicke-Moore in the short play, ‘The Lady of Larkspur Lotion’ and Dolores Ronayne for her monologue, ‘We Had It All’.