Tony Ward to relive dream day at Raspers production
RUGBY HERO WILL BE IN THE GOREY AUDIENCE FOR ‘ALONE IT STANDS’
HE played on the famous Munster team that beat the All Blacks in Thomond Park; he’s one of the 64 characters in ‘Alone it Stands’ which tells the tale of that celebrated day; and now Irish rugby legend Tony Ward will get to relive it all when he attends the upcoming Rasper Players production in Gorey Little Theatre.
Details of the show were announced last week at a launch night in The Loch gCarman Arms, Gorey. Director Stephen Acton advised that bookings are already coming in for the hilarious hit show which plays from Tuesday, September 20, to Saturday, September 24, at 8 p.m.
‘We have seventeen actors who play a multitude of characters, 64 in total,’ he said. ‘It promises to be a great show. It’s very funny.’
The account of the 1978 rugby union match was written by John Breen and has been revived by professional companies several times. One early production featured Gorey’s Garrett Lombard.
The 12-0 victory remains the only time any Irish team, national or otherwise, have ever beaten the All Blacks. A multitude of stories interlink to convey the hype and the nervousness running up to and during the match. Stories of birth, tragedy, and building bonfires are told.
The cast includes: Gillian Tallon; Brian O’Gorman; Sean Hendley; John Redmond; Ian Parle; Aoife Parle; Paula Acton; Stephen Walker; Aoife Murphy; Roy O’Connor; Barry Gormley; Padraig Darcy; Ann May; Syd Flood; Lucinda Nolan; Julie Kinsella; and Jason Emery.
Tickets at €12 can be booked on 087 3345465. Previous sell-out September Rasper shows have included ‘Calendar Girls’, ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’, and ‘ The Full Monty.’
Some 45 people are involved in Rasper Players productions at present. On October 25 and 26 in Gorey Little Theatre, they will perform two one act plays. ‘I Never Saw a Butterfly’, directed by Cathy Ann Murphy, features a cast of 22, including 18 children.
‘Me and my Friend’, directed by Stephen Acton, and featuring Réidín Dunne and Michelle Reid, will go on the one act circuit.
In December, ‘ Two’ with Tanya Tighe and Kevin Bolger, directed by Gillian Tallon will play in various bars around Gorey. Preparation is also underway for John B Keane’s ‘Sive’ next May.