PLAYS AND GROUPS ANNOUNCED FOR ALL-IRELAND FINALS IN BALLYDUFF

Co Tyrone group, Pomeroy will be thanking their lucky stars for having secured four second places along with their one win which was enough to allow them through to this year’s All-Ireland confined finals at the other end of the country in Ballyduff, Co Waterford, pipping DADS (Dunmore, Co Galway) who had one win and just three seconds.

The draws for the final took place in St Michael’s Hall, Ballyduff on Sunday afternoon giving Co Limerick group, Ardagh the task of performing on opening night (April 17) before adjudicator, Mr Russell Boyce.

Their play comes from the pen of Limerick native, Mike Finn (scriptwriter for Killinaskully) and is entitled ‘The Quiet Moment’.

They are followed on Saturday night (18th) by Sillan Community Players from Co Cavan) with ‘Carthaginians’ by Frank McGuinness;
Sunday 19 - Compantas Lir (Co Galway) bring us ‘Johnny Belinda’ by Elmer Blaney Harris; Monday 20th - Doonbeg Drama Group (Co Clare) presents ‘The Honey Spike’ by Bryan McMahon; Tuesday 21st - Droichead Nua Players (Co Kildare) in ‘The Lonesome West’ by Martin McDonagh’.
Wednesday 22nd - Lislea Dramatic Players (Co Armagh) with the evergreen ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ by Joseph Kesselring; Thursday 23rd - Kilmuckridge Drama Group (Co Wexford) in Sean O’Casey’s ‘Juno and the Paycock’; Friday 24th - Pomeroy Players (Co Tyrone) ‘Pools Paradise’ by Philip King and Saturday 25th - Bridge Drama (Co Wexford) ‘Same Old Moon’ by Geraldine Aaron.

Truly a feast of theatre for all to enjoy with plays to suit every taste. Booking is now open on 058/60456. (See feature pages 24/25)

LISMORE DRAMATIC SOCIETY

Preparations are ongoing on a feverish basis for our musical presentation over 5 days from Thursday, April 30.

The intense amount of rehearsals that the teenagers are undergoing has to be seen to be believed. Aislinn and her merry band of helpers are really working hard to produce a show that everyone would enjoy.

A selection of songs, dance and verse from the four musicals have all the makings of a wonderful night’s entertainment. Details of booking next week.

A WHALE OF A STORY FOR THE KILWORTH STAGE

Where better than Youghal, which served as the location for New Bedford in the 1956 film of ‘Moby Dick’, for the Gare St Lazare Players to launch the stage adaptation? That done, the company moves on to another 27 theatres and arts centres, among them The Village Arts Centre in Kilworth where the play can be seen on Thursday night of next week (April 16).

According to actor, Conor Lovett, ‘Moby Dick’ is a huge novel – ‘a masterpiece of literature with a gripping plot, a cast of amazing characters, a mythic monster, themes of life, death, vengeance, industry and the questioning of an interventionist god.

A road movie on a ship, with an obsessive sea captain, a noble pagan, a pious first mate and a young adventurer and supporting characters that include a drunken landlord, a ragged docklands prophet, a happy-go-lucky second mate, a pugnacious third-mate and about 25 other motley crewmen.

All against the backdrop of a whaling voyage across three oceans and as round an education in the business of 19th century whaling that you could wish for’.

All this and some of the most fluid, beautiful and romantic descriptive writing ever put to paper. Adapting the novel ‘Moby Dick’ to the stage has been a major undertaking but a real labour of love for Conor and the play’s director, Judy Hegarty Lovett.

A must-see show if ever there was one. Booking now open on 025-32227.

‘PIGALLE!’ - DERBY BROWNE’S

Tribute to Edith PiafChanteuse Derby Browne comes to Kilworth’s Village Arts Centre on Saturday, April 18 where she will perform her personal tribute to The Little Sparrow - Edith Piaf, with performances of the singer’s best known songs including ‘La Vie en Rose’, ‘Hymne a L’Amour’, ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien’ and ‘Under The Bridges of Paris’ as well as French cafe songs from Jacques Brel, Charles Trenet and Michel Legrand!

‘Pigalle!’ tells the story of two girls who move to Paris to follow their dream and pursue the path of their heroine, Edith Piaf - The Little Sparrow. ‘Pigalle!’ is packed with music from the cabarets and cafes of Paris, with romantic interludes from Parisian tea-shops, carnivals and market-places!

The evening is sprinkled with French cafe songs from Derby’s debut album, ‘Sweet Pea’. This is a wonderful evening at the theatre in the company of a true star! ‘Dreamy and Dripping with Romance - my personal favourite of the Festivities!’ The Chichester Observer.

Tickets are €20 (€17.50 OAPs and students), booking is now open on 025-32227.

THE RASTRELLI QUARTET - FOUR SUPERB CELLISTS - ONE MAGIC RECITAL

Kira Kraftzoff, Kirill Timofeev, Misha Degtiareff and Sergio Drabkine (above) are, according to Strings Magazine, ‘men on a mission’.

“The Rastrelli Cello Quartet, four Russians living in Germany, is out to cross all genres. The Rastrelli runs the gamut from classical to polkas, tangos to rags.’’

The Rastrelli Quartet will be the first concert this year from North Cork Classical Music and will be held in Kilworth’s Village Arts Centre on Sunday, April 26.

The cello has been described as the instrument that sounds closest to the human voice and it is with this unique attribute that the Rastrelli Cello Quartet weave their magic as audiences are treated to a heady mix of classical, jazz and Latin-American music in a concert by this astonishing and hugely entertaining quartet.

While remaining true to the great Russian tradition of big-toned, soulful cello playing, the ensemble takes the instrument into unknown waters, often playing transcriptions of music not intended to be performed on the cello.

With pieces by Piazzolla, Sulchan Zinzadze, Billy Strayhorn Alfred Schnittke, Jimmy Forrest and Modest Mussorgsky amongst others, the result has to be heard to be believed. Since 2002, the quartet have released three CDs on the German label, Ars Verona, while between them the four cellists have garnered an impressive collection of prizes and worked with such luminaries as Gidon Kremer, James Galway and Yuri Bashmet.

Tickets €15 from Jane Annesley (022-26145), Liam Howard (025-24858), from the usual Arts Centre outlets and from 087-6492514.

ANNUAL YOUNG DRAMA SHOW IN TOWN HALL

Mitchelstown Young Drama & Co will stage their annual show in the Town Hall, Mitchelstown on Saturday, April 18, commencing at 8pm and on Sunday (19th) at 3pm.

All members of Mitchelstown Young Drama have been busy since January preparing for their presentation of ‘Money, Money, Money’ based on ‘Mamma Mia’ with many novel characters that promises this to be a fun show throughout.

If we can only dream about money lately, the young artistes in this show will certainly put a smile back on your faces, if not (in the characters of Ms Ria Cession, Mr Numunee and Ms Greedyguts) put a smile on the other side of your faces.

The junior group will start the show, singing many well known action songs, reciting their individual hat rhymes and presenting ‘the news’ as never heard before.

The seniors are very busy learning the line of the script ‘Money, Money, Money’, a delightfully humorous and highlyt entertaining take on the musical ‘Mamma Mia’, written by Michael Dennehy in the light of our recent economic woes and international downturn.

So what if it takes young performers to show up the adult world of ‘Me, Me, Me’ and ‘Money, Money, Money’ in a truly charming way!

Please support us by coming along to any one of our performances on the Saturday or Sunday. All proceeds will be donated to the Town Hall. Many thanks to all our helpers and sponsors. See you all there.

Na deanagai dearmad orainn!