Alex is back with a tale of community spirit

WHAT A delight to see that Celtic Women’s Alex Sharpe is gracing our stages again, this time in a fantastic production in Smock Alley Theatre. Parcel From America is a new play based on a story by Tomáseen Foley, a musical adaptation of A Celtic Christmas which Tomáseen has been touring in the US for over 25 years.

The play will feature original songs by award-winning Malcolm Hillgartner and renowned Irish composer Kevin Corcoran in contemporary, evocative expressions of traditional Irish music as well as an all star cast including Alex, Pat Nolan and Rose Henderson of Fair City fame,

Michael Grennell from Game of Thrones and Joyride’s Charlie Reid in an important role as Seanin. Alex plays a put upon mother whose community rallies round after her careless son leaves for the States.

‘It’s great to be back on stage,’ she tells me. ‘After the pandemic everyone is really happy and really grateful to be doing this piece. It’s so beautiful and poignant too, particularly after the pandemic because at the heart of this is really a community of

people who look out for each other. It’s an old way of life but you still find it and I think the pandemic showed that.

‘My character Brid Kelly, a widow, is going through a difficult time as she spends her life living for this child who then leaves. The community comes to help her. ‘I think the feelings of isolation we had during the lockdowns are still raw so people will relate to her and the spirit of compassion and concern in the play from her neighbours. ‘It is centred round the fact that anyone who emigrated to America would always send a parcel back to the family and literally what would come in this parcel would do the families for a year — the clothes, food and money. It’s a heartbreaking story of emigration but it’s so heart healing as well, it’s intimate and authentic without being corny. And these stories are all rooted in Tomáseen’s life growing up in Listowel. You are laughing one minute and crying the next.’

Parcel from America will offer a fantastic chance to hear Alex’s wonderful voice again. She is, of course, a star outside Celtic Women, performing in Les Mis with Colm Wilkinson and as an original cast member for The Beautiful Game in London.

‘It’s great to get back to musical theatre - I love the whole journey of a musical as the songs move the story along,’ she says.

Parcel From America runs from May 10 to 15, see smockalley.com for tickets.