Homecoming of sorts for McDonagh
A surreal comedy by writer and standup comedian Mark Doherty is coming to Sligo as part of an extensive countywide tour.
Taking place at Hawk’s Well Theatre on Wednesday 29 th January, Trad follows the absurd relationship between a father and his 100-year old son.
Presented by Livin’ Dred Theatre, the Sligo show and nationwide run follows on from Trad’s highly-acclaimed 2018 tour, and extended residency at The Peacock Theatre, Dublin.
An award-winning play, Trad veers from hilarious to poignant, telling the tale of a 100-year-old Irishman and his father, as they set out to discover the son they never knew he had.
In a short but epic voyage, Da, an ancient widower, berates his son Thomas for failing to provide a son to continue the family line.
But Thomas has a secret, dating back seventy years to an unforgettable night of passion with Mary, that resulted in the very thing his Da is looking for.
Featuring live original music by Jim Doherty, and directed by award-winning actor Aaron Monaghan, Trad is a side-splitting, heart-warming saga not to be missed.
Gus McDonagh plays Da in Trad and is familiar with Sligo, having spent manys a summer here in the North West as a child.
“I’ve got a lot of cousins in Sligo. I spent every summer on Coney and my relatives are around Rosses Point and Strandhill,” he reflected, speaking to The Sligo Champion.
It’s a homecoming of sorts for McDonagh. It’s been well over a decade since he last performed in Hawk’s
Well Theatre.
Gus is a familiar face to many theatre lovers. Most recently Coleman in the Lonesome West (The Everyman ) and Frank in Dublin by Lamplight (Corn Exchange) at the Abbey and Galway International Arts festival, he has an extensive CV of acting credits.
Other theatre credits include Dubliners (Gaiety Theatre, Dublin Theatre Festival 2012),The Definitive View (Brown Bread Mixtape), Hamlet (Second Age), Twelfth Night and Richard III (Fast and Loose), True Enough (Making Strange), Should’ve gone to Lourdes, Lennon-v-McCarthy (Nighthawks), Serious Money (Rough Magic AIB SEEDS Showcase), Alone it Stands (Lane Productions), Song from the Sea, Silly Bits of Sky, Martha, Little Rudolf and The Bus (Barnstorm), and Maisy Daly’s Rainbow (Tall Tales).
Television work includes Rebellion, Smitten, Clean Break, Charlie, The Big Bow Wow, Love/Hate, Fair City and Stardust (RTÉ) and Ripperstreet (BBC).
He has really enjoyed his time working on ‘ Trad’ so far, and says he has always wanted to take part in this show.
“This is a really lovely show. It’s mental but it’s very funny. I read it a good while back and thought I would love to be in this.
“The show was touring last year but I wasn’t part of it.”
At the time of writing, the show had already played in three venues, selling out in both Cavan and Longford.
Proven so far to be popular, ‘ Trad’ appeals to all age groups and people with any taste in theatre.
That’s because, Gus says, it’s a ‘very accessible show’.
Gus is one of the lucky ones. He has been able to make a living from acting, on both TV and on the stage.
“I’ve done a good bit of TV. And of course I have the theatre work too. I love working in both film and theatre.
“It’s my full-time job. Very few actors get to say that they work full-time.
“I’ve been lucky enough with work. I do a bit of voiceover and crew work just to keep going because you have to.”
Trad takes place on Wednesday 29 th January. Tickets, priced €20/18 conc. (plus €1 booking fee) are available now. For enquiries or to book, visit www. hawkswell.com or call 0719161518.