Busy and exciting season ahead at An Tain Theatre

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The next few months are going to be busy ones at An Táin Arts Centre, which has just revealed its summer programme for May to August.

As usual General Manager Paul Hayes has managed to put together an array of events which with lots of audience appeal, from drama to music, as well as a stunning art exhibition.

Among the highlights are two in-house productions which Paul is very excited about.

‘In the four and a half years since An Táin opened, we have only done one in-house production, ‘An Easter Service’ for the 1916 centenary celebrations.’

The first of the two productions which Paul has been working on is ‘Everyman’, which sees the choir from Dundalk’s Men Shed taking to the stage to perform a new song cycle.

‘We have been working on this for a year,’ explains Paul. Local singer/songwrier Sophie Coyle has been listening to the stories which the men have to tell to write new songs for the performance, while musicians Zoe Conway and John McIntyre have arranged the music.

‘We are rehearsing every week and the show will be on May 25 for one performance only.’

The other in-house production sees an outdoor summer show returning to the grounds of Anaverna House in Ravensdale.

Similar to the productions staged by Quintessence Theatre when they were in residency in An Táin, this promenade show will take the audiences through the garden and forest at Anaverna as they follow the classic story of Pinnochio. Always a big hit with families, this year’s production will take place from July 24 to 28.

While the programme may be smaller as the summer months are traditionally a quieter time of year, Paul says the months of May and June are very, very busy.

The Bealtaine festival of celebrating creativity in older people takes place in May, and as well as the ‘Everyman’ production with the Men’s Shed, An Táin will host Bottom Dog Theatre Company’s one-woman show ‘Smallone’ starring Michelle O’Flanaghan. Written and directed by Irish Times Theatre Awards nominee John Murphy, the play tells the story of an elderly woman who lives alone with her cats and guards her privacy like a treasure. ‘ The Experience of Being’ by An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny is a powerful one-woman show about aging on May 31.

For comedy lovers, there are a number of great shows coming up. ‘Nobody Puts Bernie in a Corner’ on May 10, tells the story of single mum Bernie Jones as she prepares to go on her hen party after her driving instructor pops the question. Mary McEvoy and Jon Kenny star in John B Keane’s classic comedy ‘ The Matchmaker’ which takes us back to those pre-Tinder days when dating was a less complicated affair. This highly acclaimed production is on June 14.

And the queens of comedy sketch, The Dirt Birds, bring their ‘Self Help Tour’ to An Tain on June 21. Dundalk’s own Sinead Culbert and Sue Collins of The Nuala’s fame, introduce new charactors to take to the stage along with some of their wellknown favourites.

As always there are plenty of local productions including S.O.N.G presenting a concert featuring hits from the musicals and films, tenor David Martin in a concert in aid of the Rape Crisis North East, ‘Rock of Ages’ from Colaiste Ris and Dolmen Theatre Group’s production of ‘ Weighing In.’

The Basement Gallery will host a major exhibition by the internationally renowned Dundalk born artist Michelle Rogers. ‘Secret Places’ is a series of paintings inspired by Patrick Kavanagh which opens on June 12. This year saw Paul putting a national call out for the Emerging Artist exhibition which sees El Harrington showing her ceramics in August. The North Louth Artists annual exhibition opens on May 17.

Full details of An Táin’s programme from May to August are available on www. antain.ie