Two of Ireland’s best-loved actors star in The Successful TD, which
will be staged in Skibbereen Town Hall on Friday, March 10th next, as
part of a nationwide tour.

Mary McEvoy and Jon Kenny get together for another comedic romp, based
on two John B Keane books, the Letters of A Successful TD and Letters
of An Irish Minister of State, this piece – adapted for stage by
McEvoy, Kenny and director Michael Scott – follows the trials,
tribulations, misadventures and hilarious antics of TD Tull McAdoo as
he seeks re-election to the Dáil in the ‘October elections.’

Written by John B back in 1967, it displays his edge for humour and
satire that are still uncomfortably close to the politics of today. It
contains Keane’s usual quota of madcap characters.

Tull has roped in the help of his faithful daughter Kate, while his
wife nurses her various ailments in bed or Lisdoonvarna, but his arch
enemy, Flannery, the local school teacher, plans to scupper the
election for him.

Uncannily tying in with latterday phenomena such as ‘fake news’ and
alternative facts,’ McAdoo’s sums up his philosophy, as follows: ‘Any
man with a vote is a man to be respected. I’ll play with them, lie to
them, sing dumb about them while I have a chance of a vote. That’s my
livelihood. Don’t give me no more stink about the truth. Christ told
the truth and they crucified Him…’

Tickets for The Successful TD in Skibbereen on March 10th are on sale
at Thornhill Brothers Electrical, telephone 028-22557 or 22316, and
advance booking is strongly recommended.

Jon Kenny & Mary McEvoy

Skibbereen Theatre Society has a very busy weekend ahead with three performances of their one-act play, ‘No Romance Act 2.’ They perform this Friday (11th) in the CAT Club, Carroll’s Quay, Cork, in the Cork One-Act Drama Festival (tickets 021-4505624). On Saturday 12th, they move to the West Clare Festival in Doonbeg (tickets at the door) and, this Sunday night, they’re back to County Cork for their performance in the Haulbowline One-Act Drama Festival, which this year is being held in the Community Hall, Ringaskiddy (tickets 086-3388942).

‘No Romance’ is already an award winner – Skibbereen won the Naas One-Act Drama Festival a fortnight ago, with Fachtna O’Driscoll winning the award for best performer.

They are competing in a total of five festivals (their final festival will be in Rossmore on Saturday 19th – tickets 086-4481086) and three wins are needed to secure a place in the All-Ireland finals, which are on in Dundrum, Dublin, on the first weekend of December. A tall order but fingers crossed.

If you know any Skibbereen exiles in any of these places, spread the word.

Skibbereen Theatre Society is presenting two very funny one-act plays in the Town Hall this Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, October 21st, 22nd and 23rd, Lovers – Losers by Brian Friel and No Romance Act 2 by Nancy Harris.

Lovers is directed by Declan McCarthy and the cast comprises Ger Minihane, Angela Galvin, Catherine Field and Siuin Hurley. The Skibbereen group first presented this hilarious romp back in 2000 and reached the All-Ireland Confined Drama Finals with it.
No Romance Act 2 is directed by Catherine Field and stars Carmel and Fachtna O’Driscoll as they reprise their roles as a married couple who cut loose on one another on the occasion of his mother’s funeral. It contains strong language and some adult themes and so is not suitable for children.

The stage crew includes Barty Connolly, Gearóid MacEoin, Charlie Keohane and Fachtna Hamilton. Tickets are available in advance from Thornhill Bros Electrical, Skibbereen, tel 028-22316, or at the Town Hall door from 7.30pm on the three show nights.

Carmel and Fachtna O’Driscoll, who reprise their roles as a married couple in No Romance

Skibbereen Theatre Society will be bringing their acclaimed production of The Quiet Moment by Limerick playwright Mike Finn back to Skibbereen Town Hall for three nights only on Sunday, August 7th, Tuesday 9th and Wednesday 10th, nightly at 8pm. Earlier in the year, they reached the All-Ireland Confined Drama Finals in Castleblaney, Co Monaghan, where they impressed the playwright who travelled there specially to see their interpretation of his poignant play that is laced with dark humour.

The cast includes Mary O’Driscoll, Fachtna O’Driscoll, Declan McCarthy and Gerry Minihane, directed by Hilda Hegarty, with Catherine Field as assistant director. The stage and production crew includes Barthy Connolly, Gearóid MacEoin, Con Minihane, Fachtna Hamilton, Charlie and David Keohane and Gearóid McCarthy.

Tickets may be booked in advance from Thornhill Bros Electrical, Skibbereen, tel 028-22557 or 22316, or purchased at the Town Hall from 7.30pm on show nights.

Three of the cast of Skibbereen Theatre Society’s award-winning production of ‘The Quiet Moment’ by Mike Finn which returns to Skibbereen Town Hall for three performances in early August – from left – Fachtna O’Driscoll, Mary O’Driscoll and Declan McCarthy.
(Photo: Patricia Coogan-O’Dell)

Skibbereen Theatre Society will be bringing their acclaimed production of The Quiet Moment by Limerick playwright Mike Finn back to Skibbereen Town Hall for two nights only this weekend ahead of their appearance at the All-Ireland Confined Drama Finals in Castleblaney, Co Monaghan, on Monday next.

Having enjoyed a very successful run on the on the amateur drama festival circuit during the past month, the group qualified for the All-Ireland with three wins, two seconds and two third placings. They also won an array of acting, directing and production awards at the various festivals from Scarriff to Kildare and Mountmellick to Rossmore.

The cast includes Mary O’Driscoll, Fachtna O’Driscoll, Declan McCarthy and Gerry Minihane, directed by Hilda Hegarty, with Catherine Field as assistant director. The stage and production crew includes Barthy Connolly, Gearóid MacEoin, Fachtna Hamilton, Charlie and David Keohane and Gearóid McCarthy.

The Quiet Moment will be performed at Skibbereen Town Hall this Friday and Saturday, April 15th and 16th, nightly at 8pm. Tickets are available in advance from Thornhill Electrical, tel 028-22557, or at the venue from 7.30pm on show nights.

Their All-Ireland performance will be on Monday next, April 18th, at the Iontas Theatre in Castleblaney and the adjudicator for the finals in Anna Walker. Having seen the nine groups perform, she will announce the winner and the various awards on Saturday 23rd.

The cast of the Skibbereen Theatre Society production of ‘The Quiet Moment’ in pensive mood in a scene from the play by Mike Finn – from left – Fachtna O’Driscoll, Mary O’Driscoll, Gerry Minihane and Declan McCarthy.
(Photo: Patricia Coogan-O’Dell)

After a successful campaign on the amateur drama circuit during March with its production of ‘The Quiet Moment’ by Mike Finn, Skibbereen Theatre Society has qualified for the All-Ireland Confined Drama finals in Castleblaney, Co Monaghan, in mid-April.

The final weekend, they won both the West Cork Drama Festival in Rossmore and the North Cork Drama Festival in Charleville, again also picking up several individual awards for acting and production. They ended up with three wins, two seconds and two thirds.

In advance of the All-Ireland finals, they will be staging two more performances of ‘The Quiet Moment’ at Skibbereen Town Hall on dates to be confirmed – probably during the second week of April.

Skibbereen Theatre Society’s Spring 2016 offering is ‘The Quiet Moment’ by Limerick playwright Mike Finn, which they will be performing on the amateur drama festival circuit during the month of March. It opens at Skibbereen Town Hall on Wednesday next, February 24th, at 8pm.

After a break for the general election polling in the Town Hall, it will be on again there on Saturday and Sunday, February 27th and 28th, and finally on Wednesday, March 2nd, before embarking on the festival circuit.

Tickets are available in advance from Thornhill Electrical, tel 028-22557, and there will be a complimentary wine reception to mark opening night to opening night on Wednesday next.
The cast includes Mary O’Driscoll, Fachtna O’Driscoll, Declan McCarthy and Gerry Minihane, directed by Hilda Hegarty, with Catherine Field as assistant director.

SKIBBEREEN Theatre Society’s Christmas comedy offering is Bookworms by Bernard Farrell.

Directed by Hilda Hegarty, it will be performed by a cast, which includes a nice blend of experienced actors and newcomers, this Saturday, Sunday and Monday, January 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th, at Skibbereen Town Hall with curtain at 8pm each night. Two further performances are scheduled for January 7^th and 8^th next.

It tells the story of book club host, Ann, struggling to stay calm, desperate to deliver the perfect evening of literary classics and late-night canapés. But when the all-female group invite their husbands to join the club, and a mysterious figure pays a visit from upstairs, everyone is forced to contend with a lot more than just Virginia Woolf!
Opinions are challenged; suspicions aroused and tempers flare as their daily lives unravel into a saga to rival even the wildest fiction.
The cast of Bookworms includes Breda Herlihy as the put-upon Ann, as well as Catherine Scroop, Carmel O’Driscoll and Isobelle Nealon, Kevin Cadogan, Ger Minihane and Sean Conmy. The stage manager is Niamh Woods.

Lighting is by John Hegarty and Gearóid MacEoin, with sound by Fachtna Hamilton, who also were part of the set construction crew that included Barty Connolly, Con Minihane and Charlie Keohane.

The cast and crew of Skibbereen Theatre Society’s production of ‘Bookworms’ by Bernard Farrell

In advance of shows in both Dublin and Cork later this month, Karen Underwood – one of Ireland’s best-kept musical secrets – will be performing at Skibbereen Town Hall on Sunday, July 12th. Her show is called The Nina in Me and tells of a Chicago diva’s struggles through the medium of sweet soulful music.

In Cork, Karen is revered as one of the foremost talents in jazz, blues, and soul. The impeccable technique of Karen, and pianist John O’Brien, coupled with a mastery of composition and storytelling, makes this concert a memorable experience.

Karen not only has the music, but she has the story as well: The Nina in Me is a musical adventure in which she helps the audience explore Karen’s and Nina’s lives through music and discuss issues of religion, race and sexuality in America and Ireland.

In The Nina In Me, Karen recounts her restrictive church-going years, the periods of intense personal and social suffering during the post-Civil Rights era and, more recently, her experience in a state that, until recently, did not recognise her right to marry the person she loves. Karen’s life is a triumphant story; a soulful struggle.

John O’Brien, Karen’s best friend, decade-long partner in music and winner of two Irish Times Theatre Awards for opera, adds artistic delicacy and passion to music. No other pianist shares his strange gifts of sophistication, accessibility and downright joy.

If you want to experience this different type of concert, tickets for The Nina in Me on July 12th are available in advance from Thornhill Bros Electrical, Skibbereen, telephone 028-22557.

John O’Brien and Karen Underwood who will be performing ‘The Nina in Me’ at Skibbereen Town Hall on Sunday, July 12th.