O’Casey Classic Puts A Spring into Sligo Drama Circle’s Step

Sligo Drama Circle take to the Hawk’s Well stage this Spring, turning the spotlight on Sean O Casey’s much loved “The Plough and the Stars”.

Directed by Ursula Smullen, the cast includes Averyl Dooher, Barry Deignan, Gerry Ryan, Siobhán Dooney, Máire Hynes, Ultan Burke, Murieann Tobin, Róisín Kilcoyne, Vinnie Holland, Kevin Boyle and welcomes young actors Dermot Ryan and Elaine Burke to the stage in their first Drama Circle show.

Set in the Dublin tenements of 1916, the plays lives and breathes the lives of its residents, contrasting the events in the house with the events of Easter week 1916 and the Rising outside the door.

The action centres on a young married couple called Jack and Nora Clitheroe. While Jack’s mind is pre-occupied with thoughts of the Citizen Army, of which is a member; his young wife Nora’s ambitions revolve more around how she can better their lives and prevent Jack from involving himself further in politics. But despite Nora’s best efforts to fashion a comfortable life for herself and her husband, against a backdrop of grinding poverty, her world falls in when she fails to stop him joining the rebel forces ranged against the British army on Easter Monday.

The play is full of some of O’ Casey’s most memorable characters and moments. There’s the loveable shamelessness of Fluther Good, the testy Bessie Burgess, the nosey Mrs Gogan and the often hilarious duo of Uncle Pether and Young Covey.

The Plough and the Stars shows the whole futility of violence and its devastating effect on people. Jack is killed in the rising, Bessie Burgess, who espouses the cause of the British, is ironically shot by British soldiers as Nora goes slowly mad having lost Jack and their baby son.

First performed in 1926, its unsympathic treatment of the participants in the Easter Rebellion, started a riot in the theatre and after this event O’Casey left Ireland for England, never to return.

Co-incidentally, the opening night, April 24th, is the 91st anniversary of the Easter 1916 Rising. Opening night is a Fundraising Gala Night organised by the Rotary Club in association with the Inner Wheel Club of Sligo. All proceeds of this evening will go to secure much needed specialised equipment for St. Cecilia’s Special School, Cregg House, a school for children with moderate, severe and profound learning difficulties. Tickets for the Gala Opening Night cost €15 and this includes a wine and soft drinks reception on arrival at 7pm.

Having successfully staged “The Memory of Water” and “The Sunshine Boys” during the last year, the Sligo Drama Circle continue their 50th birthday celebrations with their latest production. The Plough and the Stars plays five nights only at the Hawk’s Well Theatre from Tuesday 24th – Saturday 28th April, nightly at 8pm. Tickets €15/€13 are now on sale at the box office or by telephoning 071 91 61526/91 61518.

Further information can be found on www.sligodramacircle.ie