'Quare Land' author in Kilcullen

"I wanted to write a play set in a bathroom," the author of The Quare Land, John McManus told the Diary last night, when he came down from Cavan to see the play performed by Kilcullen Drama Group — the first amateur group to put on the production.

"Then I needed a special occasion for the bath, so I decided on it being the character's first bath in four years."

And in that first bath for four years, he had a visitor, probably his first in the same length of time ...

The rest, well, there might still be a few tickets for some of the extra four nights of the sellout play left, if you hurry, beg, cajole, intimidate, or hijack from Berneys Pharmacy.

Meantime, John (third from left in top picture) and his father Pat (in the blue jumper) posed on set with director Eilis Phillips, crew and cast, and outside with the front of house guardians.