Palace Players back home in Fermoy’s Palace
Palace Players head to Athlone on Thursday next (5th) where they will open the RTE All-Ireland drama finals in the Dean Crowe Theatre. But first, they will stage their final three performances at The Palace Theatre, Fermoy on this Saturday and Sunday (8pm) and a matinee performance on Bank Holiday Monday at 3pm and all support will be appreciated.
There’s a touch of ‘ deja vu’ about this weekend for the group in the Fermoy venue, finding itself back where it first started in 1988 when Liam Howard put together a group with the intention of taking plays on the festival circuit.
The play chosen for the group’s debut back then was Bernard Farrell’s ‘ I Do Not Like Thee Dr Fell’. Their debut on the circuit proved to be a huge success, winning all three festivals entered and gaining them a place in the All-Ireland confined finals in Gorey, Co Wexford. The cast on that occasion consisted of Kate Murphy, Pat Flynn, Ann McCarthy, Liz Dolan/Liz Desmond, Tom Dunne, Jeff O’Connor and Joe Kerrigan.
Five years later, they would win the confined All-Ireland in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford with ‘ One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’. This saw them move up to the open section and while the qualified for a crack at ‘open’ honours on a number of occasions in the intervening years, they would have to wait until 2017 to become All-Ireland champions. This came courtesy of Tom Murphy’s play ‘Conversations On a Homecoming’.
Coincidentally, their good friends from Kilmeen will take their chance with the same play in Athlone this year on the night following the Palace Players’ presentation of ‘Chapatti’.
The other ‘ local’ group taking part will be Ballyduff Drama Group with their play ‘ Rabbit Hole’
(Sunday, May 8th).
‘CHAPATTI’ CHARMING AUDIENCES
‘Chapatti’ (by Christian O’Reilly) has been good to Palace Players - winning them five festivals out of eight entered. They also took away from the circuit more that 20 awards including 11 best acting awards for Mary Colbert (best actress x 6) and Sean Ahern (best actor x 5) and 5 best director awards for Danny Buckley. And when you see the play, you’ll understand why.
In ‘Chapatti’, romance is a distant memory for two
lonely animal-lovers living in Dublin. When forlorn Dan and his dog Chapatti cross paths with the amiable Betty and her nineteen cats, an unexpected spark begins a warm and gentle story about two people re-discovering the importance of human companionship.
Please note the play contains some sensitive issues. Tickets on sale from both Avondhu offices (025-24451/32227), from the theatre box office (02532042) or you can call or text 087-6492514.