FALLING OFF THE STAGE

The 47 Theatre Group went on tour with ‘The Year of the Hiker’ to such far flung places as Glanworth and Galbally and much further away to Harry Geraghty’s home town of Buttevant. In Glanworth, an oil heater blazed up and had to be put outside, making the audience nervous and also very chilly as it was the hall’s only means of heating.

As with all groups, money was a big factor and raffle tickets had to be sold to fund expenses and the draw was always made before the play ended. In Galbally, Jim Flynn was in charge of the draw and stepped too far forward through the curtain to gain more light to read the ticket and he ended up on the floor at the feet of a startled member of the audience! Thankfully, neither party were injured and Jim clambered back on stage, dusted himself down and completed the draw and got a resounding round of applause as he exited.

‘MANY YOUNG MEN’

Their next production in 1965 was another John B Keane play, ‘Many Young Men of Twenty’ and the following is an article at the time from the Cork Examiner.

‘Michelstown to produce Keane play’

‘For their forthcoming production,

Mitchelstown’s 47 Theatre Group have chosen another John B Keane play, ‘Many Young Men of Twenty’, which has been described by the author as a play with music. The group has assembled an impressive cast with many of the faces that were associated with their success of last year – ‘The Year of the Hiker’ - such as Jerry O’Mahony, Nancy Walsh (former North Cork Drama Festival awards winner), Jack Aherne and Bob Honohan. The newcomers to the stage are Breda Hughes in the exacting lead of Peg Finnerty, supported by Brian Murphy, Jim Griffin, Michael Dunne, Ellen O’Mahony, Margaret Walsh, Douglas Fleming and Bedina Fitzgerald. Musical accompaniment, Charles Sweeney.

The play goes on the boards for the first time in Galbally on Sunday, March 21. The dates for Mitchelstown have not yet been finalised. Mr Harry Geraghty is the producer.’

HUGE SUCCESS

Breda Hughes’s sweet soprano voice left many in the audience with a tear in their eye as she sang ‘Many young men of twenty said goodbye, all that long day, from break of dawn until the sun was high, many young men of twenty said goodbye.’

The play was a huge success and played to capacity houses, helped no doubt with a cast of 13, including musician Charlie Sweeney. The group took this play on tour also to some of the neighbouring villages.

In 1966, the group put on the play ‘An Trial’ with Breda Hughes in the leading role. ‘Letter From the General’ was their final production as Harry Geraghty was transferred from Mitchelstown. Within a few years, Michael Dunne started up a new drama group which was very successful for a number of years.

Unfortunately, a number of ‘The 47 Theatre Group’ have exited stage left and are no longer with us, may they all rest in peace.

The 47 Theatre Group, with their production of 'Many Young Men Of Twenty' in 1965 - Back l-r: Brian Murphy, Michael Dunne, Bob Honohan, Douglas Fleming, Jerry O'Mahoney (with cap), Harry Geraghty, Jim Griffin, Michael McElroy, Jack Aherne and Charlie Sweeney; front l-r: Evelyn Forde (?), Margaret Walsh, Nancy Walsh, Breda Hughes, Ellen O'Mahony and Bedina Fitzgerald.

Bedina Fitzgerald in the role of Kitty Curley, reading Gerry O’Mahony’s palm as she sang ‘Cross my palm or you’re a Gonner’, which brought great audience participation as she sang with gusto, while stamping her boot on the stage floor and was joined each night by the audience doing likewise.