Sligo Drama Circle Won at Ballyshannon Drama Festival

Sligo Drama Circle won the Festival Cup for their production of “God’s Gentry” at Ballyshannon Drama Festival and the Saimer Cup for Best Character Actor was awarded to Paddy Dooney, a member of the cast, for his performance as John Melody. In addition, three other members of the cast, Joe Mc Morrow, George O’ Donnell and Andy Higgins, who played the three Gardai, were given special awards by the adjudicator, Mr. Tomás Mac Anna.

“The Sligo Drama Circle are dear old friends of mine. I am glad to renew acquaintance with them in Ballyshannon, and I hasten to congratulate them on an excellent production”, said Mr. Tomás Mac Anna, adjudicator, after the presentation of “God’s Gentry by Donagh Mc Donagh, before a crowded audience on Wednesday night of last week. “This play in one way is pantomimic and in another sense commingles fantasy and delicate loneliness with deep feeling between Betsy Connors (Marie Mulvihill) and Larry (Brian Bohan). It has foolery and comedy and it is a very difficult thing for a producer to take a direct line on production from beginning to end. He is faced with a big problem. Very often he had the straight line, particularly when he had tinkers. The were the most uproarious, frowsy, vowsy tinkers I have ever seen. It was a stimulating production and didn’t flag from beginning to end. My criticism would be that the producer didn’t give the right level; he didn’t give full balance to the minor characters and did not dwell a lot on deep feeling and fantasy. He was good on the vowsy, flowsy tinker scenes, but could have contrasted it more right through. It is s difficult play to get a direct approach or line on. His groupings were fine, but once or twice I didn’t quite agree with him, for instance at the end the tinkers were all grouped on one side, with the Gardai and Melody on the other. I felt that his balance was not done well here.

“I would have used the audience more too. as the Guards did, by jumping down into the auditorium with little pamphlets in the election, though Balor (Michael O’ Rourke) did play to the audience a lot. There were some pauses, but they must be kept going from beginning to end in this type of play. It needs tremendous ingenuity and perhaps a revolving stage, which we haven’t got in Ballyshannon, to link the quietness with rollicking fun in the other. The producer, however, did excellently sometimes, but on other occasions didn’t quite get it. The business of stealing the watch from Melody in the first scene was a little far-fetched. He took too long to take it. Some of the business in the first act was a little bit laboured. However, I loved the setting. The wall at the back and the trees were fine. The producer could have mountains in the background and he handicapped himself by not having enough things on the stage, so that persons could jump up on barrels and other things at different levels.

“The costumes were magnificent. Where did you get them? I thought for a moment you had robbed the Abbey wardrobe after the fire. The make-up, which included the hands, legs, arms and face was very well done. Now acting. I have a lot of things to say about positioning, but I cannot detain you too long. The producer cut an act, and I will have a word with him about that. There was a scene which ended in a lovely line, and he cut it. The movements of the players were very well contrived, particularly in Act I. In Act II it was a bit static, and in Act III more static. The players should be kept moving. The point is, for instance, a little bit more could be done where people are singing. I know quite a bit about pantomimes in Dublin, and often in a song one doesn’t want to be static. In the song between Larry and Betsy Connors where she walks by him with her head in the air, an illustration was needed with movement.

“Nora Melody (Monica Toher), I thought played very well in a difficult part. Throughout she was rent in twain between her college education and the tinker way of seeing life. At the beginning she should not entice Larry as much as she did. At the beginning I felt she was inclined to go with him too readily. We didn’t quite get the contrast – one part pulling one way and another – the yielding. I got beautiful speaking and grand brightness with a tremendous enjoyment of the part. I would commend her very highly indeed. Marks Mongan (Eddie Fitzpatrick) did very well indeed. He spoke wonderfully well and maintained it throughout. He kept the tinker flavour in his speech from beginning to end except on one occasion when he was doing the Romeo act under the window. I heard the cultured voice then, but I accept him immediately, as he was very fine indeed. He must, however, get a little more reckless at the end.

“The last time I saw Paddy Dooney, who acted John Melody, he was in a terrible condition in his father’s house, raging at a portrait, and I don’t remember what I said about him, but tonight he was excellent. I am sure Mr. Dooney will agree with me when I say he had a lovely part, but his tremendous enthusiasm, his broadness of playing, and joy in it was grand. Mary Melody (Mary Mc Govern) had a thankless task, and I have every reason to commend her, because she was grand in the part. The point about Balor is that in the production in Dublin he looked like a certain man in Leinster House, and wore a light grey suit, Homburg hat and a light tie. I was not sure what kind of Balor we were going to get tonight, but as it happens, we didn’t get that. The only thing I would say to him in his well spoken part is his appearance at the beginning. He was tremendously still, but we didn’t get the tremendous voice from the grave. I would take him down from his tall perch and put him forward on the stage. It was a firm characterisation. I would ask the producer to dress him a little bit more. Overall he was brisk and clear and gave a most commendable performance.

“I would say at once that very rarely in the amateur theatre does one find a cast of such huge dimensions in which there was no-one weak from beginning to end. The three Guards (Joe Mc Morrow, George O’ Donnell and Andy Higgins) with their horrid utterances, were really marvellous. If I had a medal to give I would pin it on all three of them, because I could not award a medal to one of them alone. Some of their utterances were splendid and their characterisations were grand. The Sergeant was fine, and the wonderful, doleful ould Guard I imagined, was a man who had fourteen kids. The other fellow, the one who was learning his career, was splendid, as were all three. It was terrific, and I was really pleased.

“I have never in my life, and I hope I never will, come across such a flowsy, vowsy and horribly spoken character of humanity as the king of the tinkers (Eddie Mc Dermotroe). He sang wonderfully well, conducted operations and was truly a king. He was a grand personality and did nothing wrong. It was a grand performance in a night of grand performances. Now we come to Larry (Brian Bohan), who had very fine feeling, but I thought that in his important scene with Betty, at the end he confused his character. This is a fault of the play. Larry was in fact a tongue tied tinker, but he did very well, though not showing in this love scene that the fine poetry coming to him was a surprise.

“In a night of fine performances I must mention the crowd, as everyone contributed something. The singer of the songs (Maisie Mc Daniel) had a wonderful song written specially for her. She did it very well and I commend her very highly. Mick (Eric Koss) was another singer who stood out from the general crowd. They had that moment and used it. They were well trained and rehearsed. It was a very rambustious, enjoyable, stormy night. It was full of grand things and the work done was immense, and my highest possible congratulations go to the producer. I would ask the players, too, to give a round of applause for a very fine audience who helped them out. We got far away from the usual kitchen table tonight. I am not against the kitchen scene, but in choosing this play the players were very courageous. They did it so well, however, that they made a niche for themselves in the amateur theatre in Ireland. I thank you for gracing the Ballyshannon Festival. The producer was Timothy Mc Keogh. Other tinkers were Mary Gilmartin, Noreen Patton, Deirdre Carroll, and Mary Lu Rafferty, Harry Langan, Jimmy Gilmartin, John Scanlon, Andy Barry (accordionist), Joan Burnside and Celia O’ Donnell.

from The Sligo Champion, March 21st, 1959