CONNA D.G. IN REHEARSALS FOR ‘SHARON’S GRAVE’

Conna Dramatic Society are well into rehearsals for John B Keane’s ‘Sharon’s Grave’ under the direction of Assumpta Mangan and the intention is to stage the play in Conna at the end of January and hopefully go on to take part in the festival circuit in February/March.

Some of the old stalwarts are in the line up including Tom Cotter as Donal Conlee, Liam Hannigan (Nelius Conlee) and Peter Barry (Pats Bo Bwee). Brendan Hurley takes on the role of the evil but highly entertaining Dinzie Conlee while Dinzie’s brother Jack is in the capable hands of Philip Peet.

Mike Riordan will play Peadar Minogue the journeyman thatcher and Emer Martin is ideally cast as Trassie Conlee, Others making up the large cast include Margaret Flynn (Mague), Ann Gough (Moll), Niamh McAuley (Keener), Marie McCarthy (musician), Ann Hurley (Miss Dee).

TENNESSEE WILLIAM’S EPIC PLAY IN KILWORTH THIS SUNDAY

Tennessee William’s first successful play was ‘The Glass Menagerie’ in 1944 and having been accepted as a serious playwright, he went on to become one of America’s most highly regarded playwrights.

‘The Glass Menagerie’ is considered by many to be a biographical play about Williams life, the characters and story mimicking his own more closely than any of his other works. Williams would be Tom, his Mother, Amanda, and his sickly and disturbed sister Rose would be Laura. ‘The Glass Menagerie’ will be Brideview Drama’s festival play for 2008 and with an excellent cast, should certainly make an impression on the strongest of critics.

The cast includes Vanessa Hyde (Amanda Wingfield), Jenny Fennessy (Laura Wingfield), Brian Hogan (Tom Wingfield) and John Baldwin (the gentleman caller). The play is set in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, during the Great Depression and deals with the troubled relationship between an aging mother, Amanda Wingfield, and her shy daughter Laura Wingfield, as told by the son and brother, Tom Wingfield, who is supposedly relating events from memory.

He states that the play is not completely realistic, because ‘memory takes much poetic licence’. In this ‘memory play’, the time scheme moves freely between the past (the 1930s) and the present (1944-1945).

Brideview Drama Group brings the play, under the direction of Jack Ahern, to Kilworth’s Village Arts Centre on this Sunday night, December 16 at 8.15pm. Tickets €12/10 from 025-32227, 087-6492514, the usual outlets and at the door.

HUGE SUCCESS FOR BRIDEVIEW DRAMA AND ‘LEND ME A TENOR’

This year’s play by Brideview Drama ‘Lend Me A Tenor’ has again been a resounding success. Sean Tobin was a revelation; Will Motherway was obviously enjoying himself while Tomas Roche had a great time jumping about on stage and yet played dead so well. Judy Burton was brilliant for her debut performance with Brideview Drama.

Helen Aherne, a veteran performer gave another great performance on the night as did Deirdre O’Brien, Audrey Sheehan and Frank Ryan. The proceeds of the opening night were going to Tallow National School and our M.C. on the night, representing the school, was Matthew Ahern, well done Matthew.

Brideview Drama would like to thank the Parents’ Association of Tallow school for their support and are delighted to be able to help the local school in their fundraising efforts.

Saturday night again saw cast and crew on top form, proceeds of this night going to the further development of Tallow Community Centre. The centre has already undergone major refurbishment and with the new seating and heating, is a most comfortable spot for a little pre-Christmas entertainment. The play will run again this weekend - Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm.

Tickets are available in local supermarkets, also bookings taken on (058) 56304 and there are some available on the door each night. So if you haven’t already been to sample the fun, do come along and enjoy a great night’s entertainment.

CHRISTMAS ART AND CRAFT SHOW

The Old Market House Arts Centre, Dungarvan, Co Waterford hopes to wow visitors once again with its annual Christmas Arts & Crafts exhibition. This year the exhibition, features paintings, photography, handmade Christmas cards, woodcraft, ceramics and lots more to suit all pockets.

Also available are limited edition sets of prints of ‘The Visual Translation of The Midnight Court’ collection by Pauline Bewick. This exhibition will run until Friday, 21st December.

The arts centre has extended Christmas opening hours of Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm. Admission is free and all are welcome.

CALCUTTA FUNDRAISING CONCERTS A HUGE SUCCESS

Following the recent variety shows in aid of the Street Children of Calcutta, the first in Ballindangan Community Hall on Friday night, we would like to thank all those who made this a very enjoyable and entertaining night.

Special thanks to the following: the community council for making the hall available; the teachers, pupils and parents of Ballindangan National School; sound engineer Richie Rea; musicians Richard Butler, Gabriel and Aidan Frost, Denis O’Dwyer, Mairead O’Brien, Liam Roche, Marian Rice, Shane Keating, Triona, Celina and Maria Buckley; singers Tony Buckley and Mary O’Neill and ‘Sister Act’; Neilus de Roiste who did a wonderful job as MC for the night and Ray O’Connor for his expert graphics.

Thanks also to all those who helped on the night to make the show a big success. They include Nell Coughlan, Ned Walsh, Patricia O’Mahony, Jim & Margaret O’Brien, Betty Delaney, Mary and Kieran Frost, Liz, Lisa and James Kiely, Hyland’s Book Shop, John Ahern, Antoinette Courtney, Nellie Butler, John Murphy, Orla O’Mahony, Catriona de Roiste and our senior council/special advisor.

A big ‘thank you’ to our generous sponsors, The Avondhu; Peter Murphy, Abbey Pharmacy; Reidy’s SuperValu, Tom Roche’s Spar, Tesco, Stitch in Time, Mitchelstown; Every Blooming Thing, Horan’s Health Food Store, Riordan’s SuperValu, Fermoy; John Ahern, Pat O’Keeffe and family, Ned Walsh, Noreen Spillane, Seymour’s Coal, Neilus de Roiste, Betty Delaney, Mary Frost and the priests of the parish, Canon Finbarr Kelleher and Fr Donal Broderick P.P. Finally, a special word of thanks to all of you who supported this worthy cause in any way.

On the following night, Saturday, a second successful and enjoyable concert was held in Fermoy Youth Centre. Despite being a very bad night, weather-wise, as well as being a particularly busy time of the year, a great crowd braved the elements and attended the concert.

Our sincere thanks to everyone who made the night such a huge success especially Pat Hurley, Fermoy Youth Centre, Jimmy Morrison for leading the young Comhaltas musicians and for the use of his amplification system, the young Comhaltas musicians and their parents who turned up on the night, Michael Ryan and members of his dancing school along with their parents, John Arnold for his seanchai acts, Jerry Ferrick and Kieran O’Connor for the singing, Thomas Quirke lighting, the Book Shop (Pearse Square) and Bernie Baker (posters).

We’d also like to thank Liam Howard and The Avondhu newspaper, Liam Barry, Fermoy Print and Design, Tricia O’Hagan, Trisha’s Hair Studio, Every Blooming Thing, Flower Shop, D & M Fruit and Veg., Munster House, Riordan’s SuperValu, members of Fermoy Comhaltas committee and to all those who bought tickets, supported the raffle or made donations to the Hope Foundation/Street Children. Caitriona, Orla and Mairead express their sincere thanks to you all for your generosity.

The three girls would also like to express their thanks to Mr. Kieran McGann for his support. Further fund-raising events will take place in the new year with a table quiz in the Grand Hotel on Monday, January 14, 2008 and a flag day in Fermoy on Saturday, January 19, 2008 Go gcuiti dia libh e.

‘TOM CREAN – ANTARCTIC EXPLORER’ BACK AT THE EVERYMAN

The critically lauded ‘Tom Crean – Antarctic Explorer’ makes a welcome return to Cork’s Everyman Palace Theatre for six performances from January 14th, representing the only dates for the show on this visit to Ireland.

The opening production of the theatre’s exciting programme for 2008, ‘Tom Crean – Antarctic Explorer’ recently completed an eight week sell-out season at the award winning Irish Repertory Theatre New York and will run for six weeks in London following the Cork dates. Inspired by an exhibition at London’s National Maritime Museum, the heroic story of Antarctic explorer Tom Crean is brought to life in this remarkable and uplifting show.

Crean’s 36 mile, solitary rescue trek to base camp during the Terra Nova expedition, has been described by Antarctic historians as “the finest feat of individual heroism from the entire age of exploration”. Aidan Dooley takes us through Crean’s legendary experiences with Scott and Shakleton, capturing the explorer’s humour and humanity throughout.

This compelling one man show has been playing to capacity audiences for the last four years. Awarded Best Solo Show at its premiere at the 2003 New York International Festival and a Fringe First at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2006, ‘Tom Crean – Antarctic Explorer’ is a grippingly vivid, surprisingly funny account of sheer heroism in the face of impossible odds.

Booking on 021-4501673 or online at www.everymanpalace.com