Feasts of drama for Kilcullen boards

While summer is holiday time for most people, two local drama groups have been working hard in rehearsals for productions to entertain us soon, writes Brian Byrne.

Stalwarts of Kilcullen Drama Group are preparing three one-act comedies which will be presented on 25-27 September, while the Kilcullen Youth Theatre will be engaging us sooner with two one-act plays scheduled for 28/29 August.

The Youth Theatre productions are 'Family Affair' by Lisa Sherin and 'The Essay' by Ronan Carr. Tickets, adults €10/children €5, can be booked by phoning 045 481497 and a great family night out is guaranteed.

The Kilcullen Drama Group productions (some of the cast pictured above during rehearsal this week) feature Bernard Berney, Dick Dunphy, Letitia Hanratty, Siobhan Patterson, Vivian Clarke, Philomena Breslin, Maurice O'Mahony and John Coleman. The plays are 'Between Mouthfuls', 'The Barber's Tale', and 'The Workhouse Ward'. Tickets for these will be on sale soon.

'Kohl' in action at Town Hall Theatre

The Diary couldn't stay for the opening performance of 'Kohl' by Kilcullen Youth Theatre last night, but going on past experience it was likely a most entertaining presentation, writes Brian Byrne.

For those others who didn't make it, there's a second chance tonight to catch the youngsters (and three not quite so young actors) in action.

Try not to miss it. Isn't it great that the Youth Theatre can attract so many young people to take part?

Senior support for young drama

There was lots of support on Thursday from the senior Kilcullen Drama Group for the Kilcullen Youth Theatre young people on the opening night of their presentation of two 1-act plays.

The final performance is tonight, don't miss it.

Youth Theatre run begins tonight

A 3-night run of a brace of one act plays begins tonight in the Town Hall Theatre.

Presented by Kilcullen Youth Theatre, they are 'Folie Tha'' by Ciaran Grey and 'Snap'd' by Jim Daly.

Performances start at 8pm sharp, tickets €10 can be booked through Berney's Chemist 045481497.

Youth Theatre in rehearsal

Just a reminder that Kilcullen Youth Theatre are presenting two one-act plays next week from Thursday 23 August to Saturday August 25.

They are 'Folie Tha' by Ciaran Grey and 'Snap'd' by Jim Daly.

Tickets €10 can be booked through Berney's Chemist 045 481497. Book early to avoid disappointment.

Youth Theatre productions

Kilcullen Youth Theatre are presenting two one-act plays on Thursday 23 August to Saturday August 25.

They are 'Folie Tha' by Ciaran Grey and 'Snap'd' by Jim Daly.

Tickets €10 can be booked through Berney's Chemist 045 481497. Book early to avoid disappointment.

What the Dickens?

So what would Dickens characters Tiny Tim and Oliver Twist be doing if they lived in the 21st century of cominatcha media and celebrity, writes Brian Byrne. In last week's presentations of Jonathan Dorf's Run Like the Dickens, a motley but very talented group of young Kilcullen people gave us a fairly good idea.

They would likely have become—something like Bill Cullen's street barrow start to millionaire success story—media-savvy and cut-throat business moguls. Or more likely the celebrity fodder operated by such 'corporates'. What would Dickens have made of it all?

He probably would have enjoyed it immensely. 'Run' was a non-stop stampede of satire, comic send-up and an underlying wry look at our modern 'values', grounded as they are in 15 minutes of carefully manipulated fame.

With no less than 44 characters played on stage, there was a serious degree of multiple-parts performance by the members of Kilcullen Youth Theatre, and the management of all those involved behind the simple black curtain 'set' was an extraordinary feat.

The entertainment level was very high, the smack-bang dialogue often achieving hilarity. The performances trumped the youth and relative inexperience of the players and suggest there's no danger of Kilcullen Drama Group turning into a rest home for its senior actors.

(Which seniors, by the way, will be doing their own next gig in late November, with Alan Aykbourn's 'If I Were You'.)

Meantime, congrats to all concerned—especially director and producer Eilis and Siobhan Phillips—for yesterday's culminating matinee of great fun in the Town Hall Theatre as winter outside keened and doused its way into the remainder of 2011. Thanks also to veteran RTE broadcaster Donncha O Dulaing for coming down to introduce the final performance—he was mightily impressed.

It is the nature of things that many, if not most of those same young people will be leaving Kilcullen to make their lives elsewhere. For some of those, their short experiences on the local theatre boards may well be the kickstart to them contributing to drama and the arts wherever they land, for years, decades, and even generations to come.

That's an awesome thought.


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'Dickens' on the boards

The Kilcullen Youth Theatre got their production of 'Run Like the Dickens' under way last night, and the Diary went down to get pictures of them getting ready for their performance.

The show will also be performed on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.



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Rehearsal for 'Run Like the Dickens'

Stephen Clare, Diarmuid Cummings and Lisa Kennedy in rehearsal for 'Run Like the Dickens', which starts performances on Thursday evening.



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