Masquerade Drama bring Farrell play to life
MASQUERADE Drama Group’s new stage drama ‘I do not like thee Dr Fell’ opened last night, Tuesday, at the Pipe Band Hall in Castlepark and will run until this Friday, May 26.
The Arklow-based drama group is delighted to bring the Bernard Farrell play to the local stage, and to tread the boards of this local venue for the first time.
The play, a black comedy with strong elements of thriller and mystery, is funny, gripping and highly entertaining. It centres around a group therapy session involving six people.
There is Suzy, the group co-ordinator, who hails from the US whose remedy for any problem is to ‘relax, relate, communicate’.
Roger, an intellectual snob, has dedicated his life to attending group therapy sessions around the world and thus knows the ‘modus operandi’.
Peter, a builder, and his wife Maureen are there because Maureen is highly strung – according to Peter. Rita speaks of nothing else but her twelve cats and her husband who died three years previously.
There’s the mysterious Joe – the Dr Fell of the title. Just why he’s there is not initially obvious, but his presence and behaviour act as a catalyst, which turns the session into a roller coaster ride for the other participants. They get more than they bargained for when Joe Fell savagely exposes their real social and sexual secrets in this send-up of American group therapy.
And finally then there’s Paddy, the group attendant, an outsider looking in who views the participants as weirdos.
This show features a very strong cast featuring Tom Fanthom as Paddy, Vincent Morley as Joe, Brenda Donoghue as Suzy, Robert Holden as Rodger, Gavin D’Arcy as Peter, Julie Kennedy as Maureen and Marie Milligan as Rita. It is directed by Maggie Murphy who is ably assisted by Marian O’Regan.
The play commences at 8 p.m. each night and admission is €12.