Dramatic Memories

The clouds of war were still rumbling when I came to live in Sligo in the year 1944. It was a frugal time of ration books, depression, little luxuries and no money. Television in the 1940’s was as yet Science Fiction. We had the “wireless” which served as a constant reminder of war and its atrocities. Against this backdrop, “doing a play” served as a kind of anaesthetic which temporarily blotted out the misery and sadness of the troubled world. It was the late Joe Mc Morrow who introduced me to the Sligo Unknown Players. I was not without experience as I had been involved in amateur theatre and feiseanna from my school days. The Unknowns and their talented producer, Jim Wynne, were the best “known” amateur group west of the Shannon. Charlie and Margaret Hughes took up where Jim Wynne left off. It is with great pride and affection that I look back on the years I spent with the Unknown Players. I look back with sincere gratitude to Charlie and Maggie who kept the flag flying through those difficult times.

I have unearthed some old programmes and find myself amazed at the variety and quality of the plays we tackled, keeping in mind the limitations of the Gilhooly Hall and the Town Hall and our inability to afford a place for rehearsals. I am sure there are many in Sligo who will recall “Pygmalion”, “She Stoops To Conquer”, “The Rugged Path”, “The Barretts of Wimpole Street”, “The Far-Off Hills”, “The Money Doesn’t Matter” “Arsenic and Old Lace”, “Pride and Prejudice”, “Charlie’s Aunt”, “Crabbed Youth and Age”, “The Righteous Are Bold”, “Professor Tim”, “The White-Headed Boy”, “Shadow and Substance”, “Is the Priest At Home?” – to name but a few. It was the custom in those days to have a “curtain-raiser” before the main show. This could be a one act play or a thirty minute variety concert. Very often the same personnel appeared in both! The whole idea was to give value for money. After all, the front of house seats cost all of three and sixpence, bookable at Brodericks, which was then situated at the opposite side of O’ Connell Street.

The Bernadette Players were formed by the late Gerry Westby, some time in the late forties I think. He asked me to do the part of “Grace Poole” in his production of “Jane Eyre” which was staged in February 1951. I also played Mrs. Bramson in “Night Must Fall” and “Mrs. Danvers” in “Rebecca”. Gerry favoured costume plays and was a stickler for authenticity in costumes and sets. His other productions included “The Blind Wolf”, “Ladies in Retirement”, “Ill Met By Moonlight”, “See How They Run” and “Blythe Spirit” etc. His most spectacular production was that of his own play “Sight Unseen”, which was performed in the moth of May, 1958 at the Holy Well, Sligo. Tom Palmer and Joe Burns were the co-producers of this mammoth undertaking for which a huge amphitheatre was constructed, elaborate lighting and amplification installed, seating and sanitation etc. Special bus loads came from all surrounding counties and from as far away as Galway and Athlone. It was the most ambitious show ever undertaken in my time and it was truly memorable. Sligo String Orchestra and Sligo Oratorio Society were involved in this lovely show. 1958 was the centenary of the Lourdes apparitions and “Sight Unseen” told that story all over again, under the stars, and sometime the rain at Tobernault. If my memory serves me right, we did about ten performances including matinees. I should know, wasn’t I the “Mother Superior”.

There was a third very active group in Sligo around this time. I cannot remember its name but it was run by George O’ Donnell and his wife Celia. Fr. Kerrigan in Summerhill College put on some splendid Shakespearian plays almost annually. We had the legendary B. & P. Productions, produced and scripted by Tom Palmer and Joe Burns, always staged around the Christmas period. They were slick colourful extravaganzas which appealed to every age group and packed the Gaiety Cinema twice nightly. No season was complete without an opera treat from Jenny Ballantine-Koss. Most of the drama people were involved in her shows which always carried that professional stamp even on opening night. Jenny is one of the hardest workers in the business. She is a perfectionist and it shows.

Which brings me to the Drama Circle. I am happy to say they evolved from The Unknowns. They are a splendid group with a long list of outstanding successes. They have an adventurous spirit which I admire. For instance, production was very much a closed book in the old days. There was one producer per group, full stop. Be he or she good or bad, the status of producer was a jealously guarded “rank”, and dare any upstart try to usurp that office! Now the Drama Circle has a plethora of producers and I notice some of them are very young people. I think this is great. What better way is there to attract more young people to what must be the most rewarding and fascinating hobby of all. My appearance with the D.C. include “Philadelphia, Here I Come”, “Juno and the Paycock”, “J.B.”, “the Colleen Bawn”, “The Magic Glasses”, “The Piedish”, “The Pot of Broth”, “Sive”, “The Man Born To Be King”. Unfortunately time and space does not permit me to dwell on our many excursions to festivals and feiseanna, the joys and heartaches of competition, the lengthy discussions, celebrations and postmortems that went on “ad nauseum” until dawn. This trip down memory lane is not without its sadness. Let me just say, there is an abundance of Sligo talent in heaven ………

Names from my collection of programmes: Jill Noone, Dam Mc Cormack, Mary Mc Govern, Eithne Dolan, Paddy Foran, Ronald Perry, Brendan Cauldwell, Eddie and Mary Watson, Joan O’ Hara, Dominic Rooney, Aileen Harte, Tom Palmer, Joe Burns, Gretta Dunleavy, Ray Cawley, Paddy Thornton, Eric Koss, Eddie and Marie Mc Dermottroe, Lottie Burke, Betty, John and Tom Mullaney, Monica Hughes, Pearse Devins, Jos Power, Vivian Francis, Bernie Kennedy, Willie Neary, Paddy Mc Morrow, Vera Francis, Joe Mc Donagh, Ann Tolan, Brian Bohan, Joe Mc Morrow, Bernie Mc Caffrey, Frank Mc Cann, Doreen Tracy, Eily Kilgannon, Michael Feeney, Kitsy Dowling, Michael Gunning, Seán O’ Neill, George Bowes, Padraic Mc Sharry, Eithne Tracey, Mairéad Jennings, Dick Gleeson, Joe O’ Connell, Enda Horan, Eileen O’ Boyle, Jo Lappin, Jerry Gray, Ivor Kell, Vera Beagley, Cait O’ Boyle, Breege Gorevan, Willie Higgins, Ann Kelly, Phil Byrne, BernieFarrell, Ann Wehrly, Paddy O’ Toole, Joseph Fry, Paddy Higgins, Brian Mullen, Maurice Flanagan, Phil Mc Sharry, Joan Gallagher, Paddy Dooney, Marie Mulvihill, Seán O’ Reilly, Liam Canning, Walter Mc Donagh, Don Molloy, Irene Healy, Joe Meehan, Joan and Eddie Fitzpatrick, Cormac Sheridan, Ann Mc Dermott, Lionel Gallagher, Ray Cawley, John Caheny, Rory Callagy, Ann Laffey, Imelda Mulligan, Dolores Corr, Liam Mc Kinney, Janette Gillmore, Marion Reidy, Maura Doherty, David Johnston, David Henry, Shane Cleary, Mary Mc Donagh, Sheila Horan, Ruth Crampton, not forgetting Charlie and Margaret and Charlie Hughes.

By Kay Guinane, The Sligo Champion, July 24th, 1987