WEST WATERFORD DRAMA FESTIVAL KICKS OFF NEXT THURSDAY

While some drama festivals around the country struggle to attract three open groups, the West Waterford festival in Ballyduff has this year no less than seven open groups fighting out for the top spot.

The festival gets underway on Thursday night next with a total of ten plays on the programme, with neighbouring group, Conna Dramatic Society opening proceedings with John B Keane’s ‘Sharon’s Grave’.

Their competition will come from Ferns Dramatic Society with Marina Carr’s ‘By The Bog Of Cats’ on Friday 14th and the Holycross/Ballycahill Drama Group’s presentation of ‘Love In The Title’ by Hugh Leonard (final night, Sunday 16).

Getting the open section underway will be another local group, The Palace Players with a brand new play, this one titled ‘The Band’ from their director/producer, Liam Howard on Friday 7th.

This will start a run of six open plays, these being ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ (by Christopher Hampton - Dundalk Drama Group); ‘The Cripple Of Inishmaan’ (Martin McDonagh - Kilmeen Drama Group); ‘The Importance Of Being Earnest’ (Oscar Wilde - Anvil Players); ‘Philadelphia Here I Come’ (Brian Friel - Silken Thomas Players - last year’s All-Ireland winners) and ‘Caught In The Net’ (Ray Cooney - Ballyduff Drama Group).

The final open group will be Brideview Players Tallow with Tennessee Williams’ ‘The Glass Menagerie’.

What a superb line up of plays - 10 glorious nights of theatre on your doorstep. For bookings, ring 058-60456 (between 2-8pm) or 058-60208.

‘SISTER ACT’ AND MORE MAKE GLANWORTH CONCERT MEMORABLE

The Glanworth Players had the audience in stitches with their recent production of the Hugh Leonard comedy, ‘The Last Of The Last Of The Mohicans’. The excellent cast, comprising of John Gallagher, Tom and Aiden McGrath, Susan Hanrahan, Liz Foley and Yvonne Gubbins, received superb back up from the stage crew of Michael Walsh, John Aherne, Yvonne Gubbins and Bernard Gallagher.

The evening also featured some much-appreciated concert acts including ‘Sister Act’, a group of most unusual nuns, followed by singer and guitarist Julie Clifford and the children’s choir. John Aherne and Bernard Gallagher performed an impressive extract from John B Keane’s ‘Year Of The Hiker’, while Mary O’Neill had them ‘rolling in the aisles’ with a version of Irish dancing that Michael Flatley never even dreamed of.

Special compliments must go to organisers Bernard Gallagher and Mary O’Neill as well as Glanworth Community Council who provided the hall and the teas.

Master of ceremonies, Neilius O’Neill held the whole thing together in great fashion and organisers have expressed their thanks to all those who turned up on a cold night to make this an occasion to remember in Glanworth.

LEGENDS OF TRAD FOR KILWORTH ARTS CENTRE

Noel Hill is one of those standard-setting voices in Irish music today. Few musicians in any field or in any generation achieve a position where both audiences and experts agree on their preeminence and mastery of an instrument; Noel Hill’s virtuosity has firmly established him as the defining Irish concertina player of our time.

In the world of traditional Irish music, Tony Linnane is renowned as a fiddle player of outstanding ability. His distinctive playing has superb fluency and flow in its style and is characterised by impeccable technique and a wealth of feeling and sensitivity. He is recognised as on of the finest exponents of the instrument in Ireland today.

A founding member of De Danaan, Alec Finn has been one of Celtic music’s most influential musicians. Equally skillful on guitar and bouzouki, Finn continues to use instrumental virtuosity and emotional soulfulness to bring traditional Celtic music up to date.

Hear the trio in Kilworth on Saturday night, March 8. Booking is essential, tickets are €20 and are now on sale from the usual Arts Centre outlets, from John Nyhan (087-7921771) or from 087-6492514.

BARRYMORE PLAYERS PRESENT ‘AS SOME TALL CLIFF’ THIS WEEKEND

Barrymore Players take to the stage of Castlelyons Community Centre this weekend for one weekend only with their production of 'As Some Tall Cliff' by John Power.

Produced by Donal Howard and Eileen Keane, this play takes place in the kitchen of a working man’s house in the North side of Cork city. The house is owned by Bill Cronin and his wife Nonie, with their 3 children, PJ, Alice and John. ‘As Some Tall Cliff’ has it all - love, hate, jealousy and loyalty.

Cast members include some well seasoned actors and some newcomers to stage. Bill Cronin is played by Donal Howard, Nonie (Ann Hegarty), PJ Cronin (Mark O’Flynn), Alice (Niamh Hartnett), John (Joseph Sheehan), Edgar Kelly (Pat Fenton), Edgars wife Cissie (Jennie O’Flaherty), Lily (Julie Nolan), Bro Murphy (John Joyce), Sarah (Mary Geary), Jimmy the Echo Boy (shared between Frank Howard and Brian O’Donovan.

Dates to remember: Friday, February 29, Saturday March 1 and Saturday, March 2 at 8.15 sharp. Please, also note that children must be accompanied by an adult. The Barrymore Players look forward to your continued support over the weekend.

A very big thank you to all who sponsored the play, who gave props, their time and effort of building and painting the set. Without this support the plays couldn’t go on. See you at the weekend.

STAINER’S CRUCIFIXION IN LISMORE

A liturgical performance of ‘The Crucifixion’ subtitled ‘A Meditation On the Sacred Passion of The Holy Redeemer’ by John Stainer will be sung by the combined Lismore and St Carthage’s Cathedral Choirs on Palm Sunday, March 16th, 2008 in St Carthage’s Cathedral, Lismore at 3pm.

‘The Crucifixion’ had its first performance in February, 1877. ‘The Crucifixion’ maintains its popularity all over the world as a meditation for Good Friday. Stainer composed this work to facilitate a need for Passion music.

The work is famous for its hymns, in which the congregation is intended to join. Recitatives, solos and choruses make up the other parts. Robert Beare tenor, a renowned teacher of vocal technique has performed this work many times before with his brother the Very Rev’d William Beare, bass, Dean of St Carthage’s Cathedral, Lismore who has also sung Stainer’s cantata in many Cork churches and further afield.

Colin Nicholls will be the organist and Carmel O’Shea of Lismore Choir will conduct. It should be a fitting introduction to meditation for Holy Week.

A RARE TREAT FOR LISMORE D.S.

It is a rare event to be honoured with the premiere of a play – but we were the presenters of such an event last weekend. We presented Hank Regan’s play ‘God Rest His Soul’ for four nights and we received an overwhelming welcome.

It was a bit intimidating to have the author in the audience, but Hank gave us a free hand and was justifiably proud of his writing being produced on stage. On last Sunday night our chairman, Una Walsh, thanked all for their enormous help in the production.

Hank, the cast, back stage, front of house, sponsors and the wonderful patrons we have, thank you all.

C.O.S. PRESENTS BULGARIAN PIANO MASTER

“In a world of outstanding players, the Bulgarian pianist Vesselin Stanev is a rare master of the keyboard. His Wigmore Hall programme was truly memorable... This was playing of outstanding character and finesse, subtlety and virtuosity being applied in equal measure. - Robert Matthew-Walker Musical Opinion, London 2005

Cork concert-goers are in for a rare treat on Thursday, March 6th when piano maestro Vasselin Stanev returns to Ireland with a programme of truly exquisite music at the world-class new auditorium at Cork School of Music, Union Quay.

Opening with the spiritual beauty of a Bach partita and the rare emotion of Beethoven before treating us to some spectacular romantic music from Chopin and Liszt, with this concert Stanev is sure to attract wide range fans of great piano and true musicianship.

Admission is €20/€16 (members & concessions €15-€8) and the concert will begin at 8pm Born 1964 in Varna, Bulgaria, Stanev was awarded prizes at the Moscow Tchaikovsky competition and among others and has appeared in major European concert halls.

Stanev regularly tours to Scandinavia, Russia, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and Japan and he has made CD recordings for Sony Classical and the Bulgarian label Gega New.

Full programme: Johann Sebastian Bach Partita No.2 in C minor, BWV826; Ludwig van Beethoven Sonata No.11 in B flat major, Op.22; Frederic Chopin Allegro de concert in A major, Op.46; Nocturne in E flat major, Op.55 No.2; Quatre Mazurkas, Op.24 and Franz Liszt Reminiscences de Don Juan S418.

FRIARS’ GATE GOES WILDE!

Friars’ Gate’s delightful production of Oscar Wilde’s comedy, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ continues this weekend from Thursday, 28th February – Sunday, 2nd March at 8pm.

The play is directed by John McGrath and features a very talented local cast, many of whom were in last year’s production of ‘The Rainmaker’ that reached the All Ireland drama finals in Athlone. The group are looking forward to heading out again on the festival circuit travelling the length and breadth of Ireland with their latest production.

Playing with everything - wit and words, sex and society, with the theatre itself, Wilde’s immortal comedy of bad manners is a joyous affirmation of its author’s belief that ‘life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about’.

‘PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD’

Torch Players, Limerick return to Kilmallock on Tuesday, 4th March with their production of John Millington Synge’s acclaimed play, ‘The Playboy of the Western World’.

Synge’s classic comedy drama is set in a shebeen and tells the wonderful story of Christy who, having killed his Da, goes on the run and arrives in a remote corner of Mayo. The locals, on hearing his story, treat him as a hero and much to Christy’s delight, he is the toast of the neighbourhood and has two fine women fighting over him.

Torch, the company who recently produced ‘Happy Birthday Dear Alice’, ‘A Life’ and ‘Blythe Spirit’, returns to Friars’ Gate with the cream of Limerick acting talent, including the well known Mary Harvey to present another wonderful night’s entertainment. Directed by Maurice O’Sullivan.

‘THE CORNER BOYS’

On Thursday, 6th March, Water to Wine Theatre Co visit Kilmallock with their production of ‘The Corner Boys’ by John McKenna. The play features talented actress Cora Fenton from Ardpatrick.

This production from the company and the writer who brought ‘Who By Fire’ is full of laughter, love, missed opportunities and tragedy. It’s 1963, in a small Irish town shop assistants Alice and Mary fantasise about the visiting President John F Kennedy. On the street corners, however, a cynical and more desperate life is being lived by Billy and Sparrow, two corner boys.

A warm insightful and challenging play intended for an adult audience. Bookings 063-98727.