Dungarvan Observer | Friday, 18 September, 2015
NEWSREEL … Anxious or Depressed?
COME to our Support Group Meeting in Dungarvan. Venue: Deise Day Care, Dungarvan, Community Centre, Mitchel Street. Date: Every Tuesday at 8.00 p.m. Helpline: 1890 303 302. You are not alone! (ind.)
Charity Vintage Tea Rooms ST. Mary's Church of Ireland, Dungarvan, Old fashioned afternoon teas and cake stall in aid of The Jack & Jill Foundation on Saturday, 20th September, 2–5 p.m. Find us on Facebook and Twitter: Charity Vintage Tea Rooms.
Poetry & Rock Music Culture Night, Downey’s Bar CULTURE Night takes place this Friday, 18th September, with hundreds of events taking place around the country and overseas, and here in Downeys we have a mixture of Poetry and Rock Music. Local Poet Clodagh Beresford Dunne (b 1975) who will be reading in Downeys on Friday night is the recipient of a number of literature awards for her poetry, from Waterford City and County Council Arts Office, most recently a 2015 Artlinks Award. She holds degrees in English and in Law, is a qualified solicitor, freelance journalist and teaches Creative Writing and Public Speaking. Her poetry has been described as Unique and impressive, of huge scale and breadth that is at once attentive to the local and the global. Her poems, encompassing subjects as diverse as emigration, technology, politics and motherhood, have been published in Ireland and in the UK, in journals including The Stinging Fly,The Moth, Southword and Poetry 24, and are currently under consideration for publication in the USA. She is in the process of compiling her first collection. Her public readings have been described as warm, brilliantly articulate, inclusive and engaging, breaking down the barriers between the often inaccessible arena of poetry and its listener. Following Clodagh will be local band ROCK PAPER SCISSORS, comprising of Gareth Higgins, Patrick Kiely, John Longon and Christopher Sullivan who will bring their own style of music to the venue. So why not come along to Downeys on Friday night for a unique mixture of Poetry and Rock Music.
Movie Season at Lismore Heritage Centre LISMORE has had a long running attraction to some interesting characters in history, none of whom are as recognisable as Fred Astaire. Fred Astaire was a frequent visitor to Lismore until his sister, Adele’s death in 1981. Adele Astaire married Lord Charles Cavendish, the second son of the 9th Duke of Devonshire and was gifted Lismore Castle as a wedding present. Fred and Adele had a 27 year partnership on stage and screen and their contribution to the Golden Age of Hollywood has been timeless. Lismore Heritage Centre is delighted to announce that every Tuesday and Thursday from September the 10th, we will be holding a screening of one of Fred Astaire’s iconic movies. Step back in time to the era of black and white and enjoy the show. Following the movie, we will be serving Afternoon Cream Tea including tea, coffee and scones. Enjoy the movie and the Cream tea for €5 per person. Screenings will be at 1.30 pm with a short introduction to the Astaire’s by Lismore Heritage Centre staff and Tea will be served following the movie at 3pm. Movie Season continues this week. Booking is essential for more information please contact Alice on 058-54975
COUNTY NEWS
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The Irish Premiere of The Graduate draws near! WITH less than four weeks to go, Dungarvan is getting ready to host Curtain Call Productions’ Irish Premiere of The Graduate. Opening Night is Monday, 28th September, and the play runs for six nights until Saturday, 3rd October. The buzz around town is building and many tickets have already been sold for this iconic play. Dungarvan will be hosting the very first Irish production of this challenging play. Where other Directors have been put off by the many tricky demands required for staging this play, Fidelma Meaney, the Director, has seen only opportunities for trying new techniques and for bringing something different and exciting to Dungarvan audiences. This week we focus on four of the key players in this production:
HUGH O’DONNELL MR. ROBINSON From an early age, Hugh had an interest in music and musicals. He has played in several bands such as Ivory Sound and Rough Cut down through the years, and has always been a fan of the music of the sixties, especially Roy Orbison and Elvis. No stranger to the stage, Hugh was in several pantomimes during his teen years and was also involved in Tops of the Deise variety shows.
More recently, Hugh played the part of Jim Haller in Dungarvan & West Waterford Theatre Productions’ All Shook Up last year. Becoming involved in drama had always been an ambition for Hugh, but he just never seemed to get the chance. So he was really delighted to get involved in Curtain Call Productions’ One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, playing the part of Dale Harding. Now in The Graduate, Hugh is tackling the role of Mr. Robinson - husband of the iconic Mrs. Robinson. Poor Hugh, this is second time he is playing a man with a (shall we say), “difficult”, wife!
MARY NAGLE MRS. BRADDOCK Born in Dungarvan, Mary Nagle has been intrigued by drama since she first took to the stage in a school production of Sleeping Beauty when she was just 7. Now a qualified drama teacher, having studied theatre studies and drama in Colaiste an Chraoibhin in Fermoy and achieved a Diploma in Acting and Teaching through LAMDA and London College of Music where she is an associate, Mary set up Take A Bow in 2014 and loves imparting her knowledge and love of drama to all the kids and teens in her weekly classes. In April 2014, Mary starred as Silvia in All Shook Up. Next she
OLDER than Ireland features thirty Irish men and women aged 100 years and over, who share with us their life’s memories, in this charming, funny and poignant film. Directed by award winning filmmaker Alex Fegan (The Irish Pub), the film explores each centenarian’s journey, from their birth at the dawn of Irish independence to their life as a Centenarian in modern day Ireland. OLDER THAN IRELAND’S observational style offers a rare insight into the personal lives of these remarkable individuals. Reflecting on such key events as the day they got their first pair of shoes, the thrill of their first kiss, from the magic of their wedding day to the tragic loss of their loved ones, these Centenarians have lived through it all. Having witnessed a century of immense social, political and technological change each Centenarian has a unique perspective on life and its true meaning. From the oldest Irish person ever on record, 113-year-old Kathleen Snavely to Ireland’s oldest man, 108-year-old Luke Dolan, we meet a colourful cast of characters from all walks of life whose extraordinary stories are our living history. Featuring local Waterford native Jimmy Barry, OLDER THAN IRELAND will screen in The Old Market House Dungarvan, Waterford on Friday, October 9th and in selected cinemas from Friday September 25th. www.olderthanireland.ie
played the part of Genie in the 2014 Dungarvan Christmas panto, Aladdin. Mary really enjoyed playing the part of cranky Ouiser Boudreaux in Steel Magnolias earlier this year where audiences were impressed by her great ability to bring out both sides of the fabulously cantankerous character with her fine acting talents. Audiences can look forward to Mary bringing more of the same with her interpretation of Mrs. Braddock, mother of the infamous Benjamin Braddock - but more on him next week!
AARON COWMING MR. BRADDOCK Born in Dungarvan, Aaron now works as a personal assistant with the Irish Wheelchair Association in Cork. When the opportunity came up to play one of the catatonics in Curtain Call Productions One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, he jumped at it, mainly after being inspired by his brother Kris, who was playing the lead character, Randle McMurphy. The Graduate will be his second production with Curtain Call and his fourth production in under a year - so he has been very busy treading the boards from musicals to drama. Playing a lead role in Plaza Suite (Dungarvan Dramatic Club) gave Aaron the confidence to go out and audition for parts. The Cowming brothers co-starred
again in Sister Act earlier this year and now, for the third time (third time’s a charm!), Aaron is very excited at the prospect of starring in The Graduate together with his brother! This time Aaron will be playing his own brother’s father complicated, but Curtain Call Productions like to keep it “all in the family”!
CLAIRE O’HALLORAN ELAINE ROBINSON Claire is a native of Abbeyside, Dungarvan. Outside of her role in primary teaching she has always had an avid interest in drama but never took the plunge to try for a big role. She was honored to win the role of Elaine, the infamous Mrs. Robinson’s daughter in Curtain Call Productions’ upcoming play. Previously Claire performed dancing roles in Aladdin and Sister Act (Encore Stage Academy). Playing Elaine will be Claire’s first speaking role and the development she has gained as an actress every week, and the satisfaction from rehearsals, have been very rewarding. She looks forward to all her family, friends and the people of Waterford coming to see a historical production of The Graduate on stage. Tickets for The Graduate are selling fast in The Wine Buff, Grattan Square and Kelly’s Pharmacy in Abbeyside - so don’t delay to avoid disappointment.
Older Than Ireland