Get set for the Saoirse on Stage annual show
ALL are invited to Gorey Little Theatre on Saturday, November 30 from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. to experience the Saoirse Training Centre’s presentation of the annual Saoirse on Stage variety show.
Coordinator and director Tara Ann Byrne explained that this year’s show will have a social message and will be a showcase of all on offer at the Saoirse Training centre.
‘Every year we have upped the challenge, so we have new material that is a little bit more difficult than previous years. Last year we did a piece on plastics and the environment, and this year we are doing it on mobile phones which was the choice of the service users.
‘When they are walking on the street, people ignore them when they might need help or instruction because they are too busy talking on the phones, so we are integrating that but there’s fun to it as well’.
As part of St Aidan’s Services, Saoirse provides programmes for adults with an intellectual disability which include personal development, computer skills, health and fitness, woodwork, arts, cooking, basic horticulture and literacy.
Tara Ann said that service users are involved in all the creative processes and their autonomy is of key importance.
‘We will have musical numbers, a comedy sketch, plays and poetry, a puppet piece and music they like such as Abba and Queen, before we finish up with a Christmas medially.
‘As part of the artist in the community scheme, service users were helped to make their own hand puppets at the Saoirse centre and we decided to integrate the puppets into their show.
‘So using the theme, the puppets all have mobile phones in their hands, we think it will catch peoples’ attention this year.
‘The role of the training centre is about learning life skills and being introduced to the community, becoming part of it. This is one of the reasons we took it to the theatre rather than keeping it in house. It has proved to be quite entertaining in fact,’ she said.
Now in its forth year, last year was a sold out show and Saoirse on Stage expects a similar response this year.
‘What we have done over the years is that show is now integrated into all the other programmes Saoirse offers. Service users wrote their poems during the literacy programme, their art and crafts skills were brought in, and the with the puppets as props are featured.
‘It’s really a showcase as well for everything that they do. The service users really get a sense of achievement of walking out there on stage, facing an audience is a very difficult thing for any person to do.
‘There can be some nervousness but they thrive and love getting out there. During the year they learn to work together as a team and there is great respect among them.
‘One of our rules is that everyone has a right to be here and have a voice. Saoirse on Stage has increased their creativity, their self confidence and the bonds they have with each other as well as their co-operation, attention and ability to retain information, their cognitive ability has developed with their muscle memory as well as their over interest in music,’ she said.
Tickets costing €7 are available now from St Aidan’s Services and the Saoirse Training Centre in Gorey Business Park and all money raised from the show will go back in to the Saoirse training programme and next year’s Saoirse on Stage production.
IT’S REALLY A SHOWCASE FOR EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO. THEY GET A SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT WALKING OUT ON STAGE.