Meet The Deadly Wizard of Oz
SOMEWHERE over the rainbow, in the grounds of Anaverna House, Ravensdale, the story of The Wizard of Oz, is being brought to life in a brand new adaptation that will delight audiences of all ages.
For their summer visit to this beautiful setting, Quintessence Theatre have taken this muchloved story by L. Frank Baum and transported Dorothy and friends from Kansas to 21st century Co Louth.
‘Dorothy is a surely teenager called Dee who finds that her mobile phone doesn’t work when she arrives in Oz so she can’t use Google maps or My Taxi to find her way home,’ explains Anthony Kinahan, who plays the Cowardly Lion, as well as a Munchkin and Crow.
A distraught Dee has to call on the audience to help her and her friends, the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, and her best friend Toto, who in this version is not a dog but her phone.
As she embarks on a journey through Oz to get back to all the modern conveniences of Wifi and Netflix, the audience will follow her through the lush setting of the gardens of Anaverna House.
The show ends with a tea party for everyone, courtesy of Anavera House.
‘ The classic American script has been adapted by our director Anna Simpson and there’s a lot of comedy which will appeal to all the family,’ says Anthony. ‘ The Oz characters, for example, keep wanting to burst into song, as they have a song in their heart, but this is something which Dee doesn’t appreciate.’
The show will be performed with the group’s hallmark physical theatre techniques with multi-roll ensemble playing.
The colourful and stylised costumes have been designed by Anne Coburn, adding to the magic of the production.
The cast features Anthony, Leah Rossiter, Amy Kellett, Fiona Keenan O’Brien, Anna Simpson, and Mark O’Reilly, who is making his debut with the group.
Quintessence Theatre are An Táin Arts Centre’s Theatre Company in Residence and ‘ The Deadly Wizard of Oz’ is the third production in their ‘Origins’ season.
The company’s summer productions at Anaverna have become an established treat and make a great family day out.
Previous productions which were staged there have included ‘ The Wind in the Willows’, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘Grimm Tales for Young and Old’.
‘ The Deadly Wizard of Oz’ runs on Wednesday to Sunday with performances take place at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm and an extra show at 7pm on Saturday.
Tickets, €15 and €8, available from the box office at An Táin Arts Centre, phone 042 9332332 or online at www.antain.ie