‘Sharon’ sparkles at home in Listowel

THE Shoestring Theatre Company’s production of John B. Keane’s ‘Sharon’s Grave’, which failed to make the final of the All-Ireland Drama Final in Athlone, packed St. John’s Theatre in Listowel for three nights last week and the cast got standing ovations each night.

People were astonished that this production failed to get nominated for the Athlone final last month.

Among the audiences each night were members of the late playwright John B. Keane’s family, who were delighted with the interpretation of the director Kevin O’Shea of the play and his excellent cast, particularly the performance of Martin Hennessy as the cripple Dinzie Conlee. Billy Keane has urged Kevin O’Shea to put forward Martin Hennessy to audition for the part in the professional production of the play, which will be performed in Dublin at a future date.

Kevin O’Shea, the Shoestring Theatre Company’s director, feels there is something of a bias against the Kerry playwright but also believes that he will be rightly recognised as Ireland’s Shakespeare as we move on in time.

“In over a hundred years ‘Sharon’s Grave’, which was Keane’s favourite of the plays he wrote, will be regarded as great literary creation,” he said. Poet Gabriel Fitzmaurice, who initially reviewed ‘Sharon’s Grave’, said that the performances in Listowel even surpassed those which he saw on previous occasions.