If you are out and about this May Bank holiday weekend, take note that Borrisoleigh Drama Group are presenting “The House Husband” in the Marion Hall, Borrisoleigh, Thurles, Co Tipperary, on this Friday 2nd, Saturday 3rd and Monday 5th May, beginning at 8.15pm sharp.
Monday night is designated a charity night, with funds being donated to two worthy charities, The Suir Haven Centre and Pieta House. Your support therefore will be greatly appreciated.
The House Husband.
Without giving too much of the plot away this three act comedy drama is written by Jimmy Keary, with the title being self explanatory. Paschal McHugh has given up his teaching job to become a ‘House Husband,’ much to the disgust of his wife Geraldine, a bank official. While Paschal is busy tending to all things domestic, Geraldine is busy arranging a house-warming party and is also falling for the charms of the new Assistant Bank Manager.
Added to this mix is Geraldine’s snooty mother Tess, her alcohol-loving father Harry, Paschal’s domineering mother Maggie, his man-mad aunt Minnie, Paschal’s devil-may-care friend Richie and a couple of other odd characters.
Throw in a baking competition, a set of false teeth, a robbery and the annual Agriculture Show and you are guaranteed much laughter and quite a few surprise twists in this memorable drama production.
62nd RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival.
Talking about drama, keep in mind also that the 62nd RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival got under-way yesterday in the Dean Crowe Theatre in Athlone and will runs until Friday May 9th. This nine-day festival will see only the top nine amateur acting groups nationally compete for the All-Ireland title together with a number of other major acting and technical awards.
Of the nine performing troops competing nationally, this year’s competition will see performances from not one, but two clubs from North Tipperary; namely the Nenagh Players with Bruce Graham’s “The Outgoing Tide” and our own Thurles Drama Group, latter performing Arthur Miller’s “A View from the Bridge”.
Gay Byrne, affectionately known as Uncle Gay, Gaybo or Uncle Gaybo is without any doubt one of the most loved television and radio personalities ever to take to the airwaves in Irish history. His most notable broadcasting role was as the first host of “The Late Late Show,” over a 37-year period spanning 1962 until 1999. From 1973 until 1998, Gaybo also presented “The Gay Byrne Hour,” later “The Gay Byrne Show,” when it expanded to a two hour show on RTÉ Radio 1, each weekday morning.
He comes to The Source Theatre, Thurles, on April 11th next.
Gay, came from a good stable, (to use one of my grandmother’s famous quotes). Born of son of Edward Byrne, who joined the Irish Volunteers in 1912, his father later joined the 19th Hussars, Infantry Division, at the commencement of World War I. He again later fought during the Irish War of Independence, including O’Connell Street, Dublin, before taking up employment in Author Guinness. Here he worked on the barges that operated on the river Liffey, transporting wooden casks from St. James’s Gate Brewery to ships anchored at the North Wall, Dublin. Edward Byrne had married Gay’s mother, Annie Carroll, latter a native of Bray, Co Wicklow, in Belfast, in 1917, while briefly home on leave from World War I.
Gay Byrne’s “The Late Late Show,” had much to do in shaping our modern Ireland that began emerging from the 1960s. Indeed it was famously stated by one politician, Mr Oliver J. Flanagan, that, “there was no sex in Ireland until Teilifís Éireann went on the air.” The then Bishop of Galway, Michael Browne once called Gay “a purveyor of filth,” following an interview where he had asked a woman what colour night attire she wore on her wedding night and to which the latter had replied stating that she believed she’d worn nothing. This was the same Bishop who in 1957, in response to a growing tension between Catholics and Protestants at Fethard-on-Sea, had stated; “Non-Catholics do not protest against the crime of conspiring to steal the children of a Catholic father, but they try to make political capital when a Catholic people make a peaceful and moderate protest,” and for which remark later he would be forced to publicly apologise.
Though Gay saw himself as a presenter of current debate and never a radical social reformer, he was indeed both, by his ability to open up & publicly discuss certain closed topics, which many of us growing up in the ‘Gaybo era,’ were perhaps reluctant to speak about openly, or if we were honest, too ignorant to understand that every story has two sides, both worthy of discussion.
Today the 78 year old still attracts the headlines, vigorously opposing Property Tax, which he opposed previously in the 1990s. In a statement recently to the Evening Herald, Gay states again publicly what the rest of us now accept in silence;
“I always thought the property tax was a bad idea and it is there solely to appease the Labour Party and the left-wing people in Government. That’s why it’s there, and the Troika in Europe who want it for the same reasons. This should be proof to us that we are no longer masters of our fate. We are being told what to do every single hour of every day by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels. They are doing the same in Cyprus.“
He said his opposition to the property tax, which he began on the Gay Byrne Hour, the weekday radio programme he presented for 27 years on RTE Radio, had infuriated the Labour Party. Gay stated;
“I know the Labour Party at the time detested me for my opposition to it. Because they saw the people being taxed as wealthy people living in big houses. But I had letters from old and retired people all over the country who were living in reasonably good houses which they had bought 40 or 50 years beforehand. These older people were certainly not earning the same money any more, and on a low pension, it seemed to be, and I said it out loud on the radio day after day, they were being taxed for just staying alive.”
Gay Byrne, will perform his show, “Gay Byrne Live,” as part of a short Irish tour at The Source Theatre, Thurles. Following sell-out shows last year, this is an exclusive chance to enjoy Gay at his very best, extolling some of the greatest show-biz stories, never told in an hilarious evening’s entertainment.
His show is one night only, on Thursday, April 11th and tickets, believe me are going to be “as scarce as hen’s teeth.”
For more booking details Click HERE or ring The Source Box Office on Tel: 0504 90204.
The much loved comedy actor Frank Thornton who died, aged 92, on March 16th last at his home in Barnes London, will possibly be best remembered as the impeccably tailored Captain Peacock, who played the store supervisor role, in the 12 year running BBC Television sitcom “Are You Being Served?,” which began in 1973.
Frank was born Frank Thornton Ball at Dulwich, South London, on January 15th 1921 and was educated at Alleyn’s Church of England School. He worked as an insurance clerk for a short time, before discovering his passion for comedy & all things theatre.
I wonder how many people living in Thurles today can remember back to 1940, when on leaving the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA,) Frank made his professional début, aged 19, in the still standing, old Confraternity Hall (Formally Thurles Jail,) here in Thurles, in Co Tipperary.
In the Thurles Confraternity Hall, back then, he took on the actor’s profile of the hearty, extravagant ‘Brian Curtis,’ in the dramatist, Terence Rattigan’s play “French Without Tears,” and later honed his craft, touring with this and other plays around the small towns and village halls in the then Irish “Fit-Up” tradition. The “Fit-Ups,” were the travelling shows that went from town to town around Ireland, and were so-called because the actors literally transformed or fitted up each town hall they visited, from the arranging of the seating to the organising of lighting and sometimes even building the stage.
Spring has finally sprung and with it the prospect of many exciting performances, films, workshops and exhibits at The Source Arts Centre. Eloise Loughnane has been taking a look & reports here.
Sowing the Seeds of Dance – Community Dance Project
The highly successful Sowing the Seeds of Dance Community Dance Project, with pubic dance classes for all ages and dance in education workshops, anyone can get involved so abandon your notions of dance and try a class. Over 200 participants have taken part so far, why don’t you? No experience necessary & tickets reasonable priced.
Crawford Art Gallery
Crawford Art Gallery, Cork comes to Thurles. Tipperary Bealtaine Festival presents “The Way Home,” featuring works by Daniel O’Neill, Gerard Dillon, Barrie Cooke and Norah McGuinness to name but a few. School outreach and a public lecture by Dr. Peter Jordan make this a very special show. Also in the gallery this season is local artist P.J O’Connell who will show work from the past 30 years and also create new work in situ in his gallery studio during June.
Gay Byrne, David McSavage, Gemma Hayes, Ballet Ireland
A host of stars are coming to Thurles, in the coming weeks with season highlights including:- Gay Byrne Live: A chance to hear Gaybo’s best stories from an outstanding career. David McSavage: Savage Eye star is coming to town – lock up your daughters! Gemma Hayes: Local girl Gemma brings an eclectic blend of folk, pop & electronics. Ballet Ireland’s ‘Cinderella – after the ball’: An alternative take on a classic fairytale. Silent: Award-winning and sensational show written and performed by Pat Kinevane – highly recommended. The Man in a Woman’s Shoes: A charming piece of Irish theatre for Bealtaine. Box of Frogs: Mary McEvoy, John Moynes & Dil Wickremasing, sharing stories of their personal experience with mental health & with a good dose of humour added in.
Children’s events
Upcoming Children’s events include: Tic Teac: Playful interactive show for 3-6 year olds, using simple Irish, English & Song. The Bockety World of Henry Bucket: Barnstorm return with stunning children’s theatre.
Wonderland Drama Workshop at Easter and Summer Workshops in theatre, art & design, singing and other activities for children from 4 years.
Information: For dates, bookings and more information on all events Click HEREor ring The Source Box Office on Tel: 0504 90204.
Opera d’Arte – With Special Guests Phoenix Productions.
Experience all the passions of Opera in one spectacular production.
Opera d’Arte comes to the Source Arts Centre Thurles for one night only, following standing ovations at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, UCH Limerick and Cork Opera House last year.
Opera d’Arte presents a diverse programme of musical masterpieces including selections from La Traviata, Carmen, Cosi Fan Tutte, Die Fledermaus, La bohème, Turandot and The Barber of Seville.
The Production Features A Stellar Line Up Of Some Of Ireland’s Favourite Singers:-
Sandra Oman, Soprano (Opera Ireland, Co-Opera, Opera Holland Park).
Deirdre Masterson, Mezzo-Soprano (Opera Ireland, Wexford Festival Opera, Lyric Opera), Eugene Ginty, Tenor, (Opera Ireland, ENO, Scottish Opera).
Owen Gilhooly, Baritone (Opera Ireland, OTC, Royal Opera House).
Musical Director, David Wray is well known to audiences here in Thurles through his work with Phoenix Productions. For this performance, members of Phoenix Productions will join the principal cast to sing some of the great opera choruses. This is the perfect evening out for both opera buff and opera novice alike!
Date: Saturday 9th March 8.00pm. Tickets: €24 / €22 Concession.
Why not make a night of it and come early to enjoy a meal or bar bites at The Source Café from 7.00pm? Ring Matt Tel: 0504-58858 for more details. The Source Bar will be open from 7.00pm.
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