Margaret to bring Big Maggie to life in St Michael’s Theatre
REHEARSALS are in full swing for the New Ross Drama Workshop’s production of Big Maggie.
The popular play which was written by John B. Keane will be directed by workshop stalwart Margaret Rossiter.
As an actress Margaret has appeared in many productions with the group down through the years including Dancing At Lughnasa, Curses Foiled Again, and Sharon’s Grave. As a director she has directed Arsenic anf Old Lace, The Plough and The Stars and The Playboy of the Western World.
The theme of Irish rural life is explored and investigated in many of Keane’s plays, and Big Maggie is no different.
It portrays aspects of Irish rural life through everyday happenings and conversations. Issues such as land, marriage, religion, power struggles, wealth, sexuality and a sense of community are very prevalent in the play.
On the day of her husband’s funeral, Maggie Polpin (Brid Richardson), widowed mother of four, is now ready to take power into her own hands but at what cost? In the play the audience meet Maggie’s four children Mick, Maurice, Katie and Gert (Peter Rothwell, Nicky Flynn, Brid Moloney and Seona O’ Connor), local monumental sculptor Mr. Byrne (Peter O’Connor), womanising commercial traveller Teddy Heelin (Edward Hayden), as well as Maurice’s fiancé and her mother Mary and Mrs. Madden (Sinead Croarkin and Martina Kavanagh) and Maggie’s elderly neighbours played by Peggy Hussey and John Dywer.
Speaking to the New Ross Standard this week group chairperson Edward Hayden said: ‘We are delighted to be bringing the work of John B. Keane to New Ross and feel that audiences will really relate to many of the themes throughout.
‘As chairperson it’s great to have Margaret Rossiter leading the production team as you know that the play is in very safe and trustworthy hands and that she will extract from the text each and every varying nuance and character detail to bring our audiences the best possible play.’
The play will be performed in St. Michael’s Theatre on April 26, 27 and 28 at 8 p.m. nightly. To book contact 051-421255.