Sligo Drama Circle Won At Roscommon

“This quite fascinating play was extremely well put over”, said Seamus Breathnach when he adjudicated on Sligo Drama Circle’s production of “The Curious Savage” by John Patrick at Roscommon Drama Festival on Sunday night. It was the closing night of the festival and the Festival Cup was won by the Sligo group. Mr. Breathnach said the production was very well cast and a very good choice for the group. Some of the players rushed their lines, particularly in the opening scenecs, but that might be due to nerves. There was a tendency to cut in on each other. In the effort to play for laughs, they ignored the fact that there were laughs in the script.

The play was set in America, Mr. Breathnach said, but it would be all wrong to play it with an American accent. Movements were well planned but there was a tendenct towards masking. He thought that the people in the private nursing home were rather too sane. Ann Bourke, as Florence, was beautifully cast but she should have put on a little more of that happy smile. She should have been eternally smiling. That could apply to all the people in the home. Let the others who thought they were sane keep a straight face.

from The Sligo Champion, January 19th, 1963