News

Last Update: Tuesday, March 16, 2010.

Jon Kenny plays Skibbereen Town Hall Friday 4 December 2009 Jon Kenny   Jon Kenny, best known as one half of d'Unbelievables is back on the road with a new solo show, which he will be performing at Skibbereen Town Hall on Friday, December 4 next. As the Celtic Tiger seems to have slunk into a corner, curled into a ball and gone to sleep, God only knows where-has anyone seen him- and our newspapers are full of stories of doom and gloom and bad weather, an evening of hilarious comedy with the inimitable Jon Kenny is just what the doctor ordered. We could all do with a good dose of that! "I'm not says I … I'm Fine" heralds a return for Jon to the type of work that made his reputation as one of the most talented comedians in Ireland. Jon uses the changing face of contemporary Ireland as the scaffold on which to build his hilarious observations and characters. Running through such contrasting experiences as supporting Munster rugby to visiting a health spa, Kenny takes no prisoners and delights in emphasising the humour in everyday life. This is a thrilling experience for lovers of comedy everywhere. So turn off your televisions and radios – they're only making you sick – and come out for an evening of craic. Tickets may be booked in advance through Thornhill Bros. Electrical, Skibbereen, telephone 028-22557. What the critics say: "He has an uncanny eye for the most absurd elements of life as we know it while at the same time lampooning the idiocies spawned by recently discovered (and just as quickly lost) affluence" (Hot Press – March 11, 2009). "Jon Kenny drips country. If you hung him out to dry what you'd find if you looked in the puddle below would be a reflection of rural Ireland over the past few decades, warts and all" (Donegal News).

"On The Black Hill" comes to the Town Hall October 13th On Tuesday, October 13, ajtc theatre company from the UK will make their first visit to Skibbereen Town Hall, where they will present their acclaimed production of 'On The Black Hill.' ‘For forty- two years, Lewis and Benjamin Jones slept side by side, in their parents' bed, at their farm which was known as 'The Vision'.’ So begins Bruce Chatwin's award winning tale of twinship, love and belonging, set on the border of England and Wales. Charles Way's beautiful new adaptation captures the harsh realities and humour of farming life and the unique struggle of the twins, who have one identity but two realities. Their remarkable lives span almost the whole of the last century and throw an extraordinary light on the values of our changing times through war and peace. Bound together an yet driven apart by nature they struggle to find meaning and purpose in their existence which, finally, is dominated by one question. Who will inherit their farm, their 'Vision?' 'On The Black Hill' gets under way at 8pm on Tuesday 13th and tickets (€15) may be booked in advance through Thornhill Electrical, Skibbereen, on 028-22557.

Shirley Valentine returns to Skibbereen July 25th Nicola Hollinshead returns to Skibbereen Town Hall as Shirley Valentine on July 25th     Skibbereen Town Hall is the venue on Saturday, July 25, for the return visit of New Theatre's production of the Willy Russsell comedy "Shirley Valentine," starring Nicola Hollinshead in the title role. The show is presented by Skibbereen Theatre Society, in conjunction with the Skibbereen Arts Festival and curtain is at 8pm. Tickets cost just €15 and are available through Thornhill Electrical on 028-22316 or from the festival box office. The story is about Shirley, who is a middle-aged Liverpool housewife, stuck in a rut. But when her best friend wins an all-expenses paid trip for two to Greece, she begins to see the world, and herself, in a very different light. Brimming with forthright comedy and pithy observations, Willy Russell's landmark play about a woman reclaiming her identity and self-confidence reflects many of the challenges of modern life in Ireland today. Native Liverpudlian, Nicola Hollinshead started her professional career at Liverpool Everyman Theatre. She has worked on the award-winning series"Boys from the Black Stuff" and with Jimmy Mc Govern in "City Echoes" Television credits include "Brookside" and she was recently seen alongside Julie Walters in the BBC2 drama "Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story." Tickets for the Skibbereen staging of "Shirley Valentine" on the 25th are available in advance through Advance booking is strongly advised for this show.

Skibbereen theatre productions, part of National Famine Commemoration events programme AS part of the extensive programme of events leading up to the inaugural National Famine Commemoration Day in Skibbereen on Sunday, May 17, Skibbereen Theatre Society is presenting two productions – a play and a pageant – which deal with various aspects of the Great Famine of the 1840s. The most ambitious production, which has been in rehearsal for over two months, under the direction of Fachtna O’Driscoll and Catherine Field, is Nenagh schoolteacher Jim Minogue’s award-winning play Flight to Grosse Ile about an Irish family forced to emigrate to Canada at the height of the Great Famine. There are 43 characters, with some of the cast of 30 – including actors, musicians, singers and dancers – doubling up in various parts. The cast of Skibbereen Theatre Society's production of Flight to Grosse Ile by Jim Minogue Trying to rehearse and direct that many people and then pull the whole show together with its extensive costuming, complex lighting plot and sound effects is potentially a logistical nightmare, but it seems to be coming together well as opening night approaches on Wednesday next, May 13, at Skibbereen Town Hall, with that night’s proceeds going to Third World charities who are still tackling famine and injustice in many poor countries today, especially in Africa. There will be two further performances of Flight to Grosse Ile – which was a particularly apt choice of play by Skibbereen Theatre Society, because there is a commemoration ceremony in Grosse Ile, an island close to Quebec, this Sunday, 10th – to get the week of events leading up to the first National Famine Commemoration Day here under way. These shows will take place at the Town Hall on Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17, with curtain at 8pm nightly. Before the Saturday night show, there will be a brief illustrated talk about Grosse Ile Quarantine Station and its significance during the Irish Famine period by Professor Mark McGowan of Toronto University in Canada. Tickets for the three performances of Flight to Grosse Ile are available in advance from Thornhill Electrical, Skibbereen, tel. 028-22316. The play, set in 1847, focuses on the separate journeys to Canada of a young girl, Catherine Kennedy, and her boyfriend, Eoin Mac Aogáin, and tells their tragic love story, with plenty of music, song and dance, as they flee the Famine here, optimistically looking forward to a better life abroad. PAGEANT Skibbereen Theatre Society’s other production during the events leading up to National Famine Commemoration Day is their acclaimed pageant The Boldest Fenian Man, which was devised and is directed and narrated by Con Downing of The Southern Star, who is also chairman of the local drama group. This 25-minute piece was commissioned by Skibbereen Comhaltas for the opening of the Munster Fleadh Cheoil in 2003 and has been performed a number of times each year since at various arts, heritage, historical and festival events, as well as for secondary school students. With Frank McCarthy reprising his role as Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa, the pageant charts how his singleminded radicalism stemmed from the horrors and degradations he witnessed as a young boy during the famine years in his native West Cork and led to the founding of the Phoenix Society in 1856 and, subsequently, provided inspiration for the leaders of the 1916 Easter rising. Brendan McCarthy is the balladeer in the production and Frank, Con and Brendan are also playing parts in Flight to Grosse Ile. There is no admission charge to The Boldest Fenian Man, which will be performed in the courtyard of Skibbereen Heritage Centre (weather permitting; otherwise indoors) at 7pm on both Monday 11th and Thursday, May 14. Skibbereen Theatre Society's Frank McCarthy as Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa in "The Boldest Fenian Man"

Opera Theatre Company brings Xerxes to Skibbereen this February

One of Handel’s most popular operas, Xerxes is a witty comedy bristling with passion and is famous for its opening aria sung to a tree. When King Xerxes attempts to woo a beauty in love with his brother, a tangled web of thwarted lovers get caught in the romantic crossfire. Sung in English, Opera Theatre Company’s ensemble performs the captivating score with Musical Direction by Andrew Synnott.

Always welcome visitors to Skibbereen, Opera Theatre Company is the national touring company of Ireland, and has a leading reputation in the field of Handel opera. Xerxes is coming to Skibb as part of a national tour,

The cast of XERXES includes Irish mezzo-soprano Imelda Drumm, Natasha Jouhl, Rebekah Coffey and Cork native, Brendan Collins. Xerxes is directed by Michael Moxham with Music Direction by Andrew Synnott. Design is by Sarah Bacon and lighting design by Irish Times Theatre Awards 2009 nominee Kevin Treacy.

XERXES is at the Skibbereen Town Hall for one night only on Saturday, 28th February, at 8pm. Tickets are available through West Cork Music on 027 52788 or Lo Call 1850 788 789
www.westcorkmusic.ie

Revised Spring 2009 schedule for Skibbereen Town Hall

Sunday, 3rd May, Play - The Tailor of Inverness

Tickets for all these shows will be on sale in advance from Thornhill Electrical, Skibbereen, 028-22557

Autumn 2008 Season at Skibbereen Town Hall

WAITING FOR GODOT
By Samuel Beckett

SKIBBEREEN Town Hall has pulled off quite a coup, having been chosen as the only Cork county venue for the Gate Theatre’s acclaimed production of ‘Waiting for Godot’ on an all-Ireland autumn tour, featuring its original cast of Stephen Brennan, Barry McGovern, Johnny Murphy and Alan Stanford.

Already sold out in advance, this is the opening show of the Autumn season at Skibbereen Town Hall, which is undergoing ongoing refurbishment and will be featuring some of the top touring productions in theatre, comedy and music during the coming months.

Hailed by the international press as “the definitive Godot,” this production has toured all over the world, including China, Melbourne and Toronto, receiving unprecedented critical acclaim. It was also a central part of the Gate’s Beckett Festivals in Dublin (1991 and 2006), New York (1996) and London (1999 and 2006).

Tickets €25 – SOLD OUT

 

OCTOBER 2008
Sunday 5th, 8pm

ST. NICHOLAS
By Conor McPherson

DIRECTED by Richard James, Conor McPherson’s tale of sex, vampires and theatre critics, ‘St. Nicholas,’ sees Peter Dineen reprising his acclaimed performance as the Dublin critic, which has received universal critical acclaim.

In this funny, chilling and supernatural solo tale, a jaded theatre critic steps beyond the pale and falls for a beautiful young actress in one of the show's he is reviewing. There follows a story of seduction, entrapment and blood, which subsequently finds him caught up in a coven of modern day vampires all living in south London.

Peter Dineen is one of the UK's leading Irish actors well known for his television appearances in the hit comedy ‘Father Ted.’ He is a seasoned McPherson actor, appearing in ‘The Weir’ both in London and throughout the UK.

Coup for Skibbereen as "Waiting for Godot" to play in Town Hall

Waiting For Godot

At the launch in the Royal College of Physicians, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Martin Cullen, announced full details of the 40 venues for this unique 32-county tour.

These include the Everyman Palace Theatre in Cork City on Monday, September 15, and Skibbereen Town Hall on Tuesday 16th. Tickets for these shows are already on sale at the usual outlets and demand is expected to be huge for them.

In September and October of this year, the Gate Theatre will embark on its first ever all-Ireland tour, as part of the theatre’s 80th anniversary celebrations, with ‘Waiting for Godot’ touring to 40 venues across the 32 counties of Ireland, playing for one night only in each venue.

This first-of-its-kind tour will take a hub-and-spoke format, i.e. on a nightly basis the company will travel to the different venues from a base or central location, where they will stay for one week at a time. Beginning in Enniscorthy and ending in Enniskillen, from the source of the formation of the Gate Theatre (where MacLíammóir and Edwards conceived the Gate Theatre) to the source of Beckett’s genius (where he attended Portora School from 1920 to 1923), the tour, which will also mark the 20th anniversary of this now legendary production, will star the original cast members.

The Gate Theatre is extremely grateful to its partners Ulster Bank, the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and the Arts Council for their generous support, without which this tour would not be possible.

Michael Colgan, director of the Gate, added: “I am delighted that these respected institutions, who have all played such a significant role in supporting, not only the Gate, but the arts in general, have agreed to come on board and help with such an exciting and unique event”.

Cormac McCarthy, chief executive of the Ulster Bank Group, said: “We are very proud to support the Gate Theatre's national tour, taking this much-acclaimed production to communities across the island. This announcement marks a new era for our relationship with the Gate Theatre, of which we have been proud sponsors for more than ten years.”

In 1987, Samuel Beckett suggested that Michael Colgan would produce ‘Waiting for Godot’ at the Gate and requested that Walter Asmus - his assistant director on the famous Schiller Theatre production - direct.

Hailed by the international press as “the definitive Godot,” this production has since toured all over the world, including China, Melbourne and Toronto, receiving unprecedented critical acclaim. It was also a central part of the Gate’s Beckett Festivals in Dublin (1991 and 2006), New York (1996) and London (1999 and 2006).

Tickets for ‘Waiting for Godot’ are on sale nationwide and are available at all host venues across the country, with the outlet for the Skibbereen Town Hall show being Thornhill Electrical, telephone 028-22557. This will be the opening show in an extensive autumn season that is currently being booked for the venue, which will be undergoing further refurbishment works during the summer months.

For more details see www.godotontour.ie

Representatives of the 40 venues from the 32 counties on the stage of The Gate Theatre with Michael Colgan, director, to mark the launch of the Gate Theatre national tour of ‘Waiting For Godot,’ which will take in 40 venues in the 32 counties in eight weeks, each for one night only, next autumn. Rachel Field is representing Skibbereen, where the classic Samuel Beckett play will be performed at the Town Hall on Tuesday, September 16, and tickets are on sale at Thornhill Electrical, tel. 028-22557. (Photo: Anthony Woods)

Declan Hassett's Survivors

Conor Dwayne in Declan Hassett's "Survivors", playing at Skibbereen Town Hall April 14-15.

Set against the backdrop of one of the most turbulent and exciting periods in Irish history, from the sinking of the ‘Titanic’ to the Civil War in Ireland, Declan Hassett's powerful new play ‘Survivors’, traces the fortunes of a West Cork family, who battle against cruel fate as a nation staggers to freedom and independence.

Fresh from the success of a critically-acclaimed run in New York of his play ‘Sisters’ starring Anna Manahan (nominated for a prestigeous Drama Desk award), Declan teams up with renowned director Michael Twomey and Skylight Productions to bring this enthralling piece of theatre to Skibbereen in mid-April and Macroom later in the month.

Directed by Michael Twomey, nearly one hundred years on, the play has resonance for modern Ireland and its challenges. The cast includes Ronnie O'Shaughnessy, Conor Dwane, Lorraine Manley, Fiona O’ Leary, Kevin O'Meara, Linda Kent, Don Morrissey, Dave Hackett, Charlie Nolan and Luke Carey Murphy

Tickets are available from Thornhill Electrical, Skibbereen, 028-22557.

Also playing at Skibbereen Town Hall in April

"Canaries" back by popular demand, Thur/Fri 27-28 December

Directed by Catherine Field, it has a cast of twelve people and is about a group of Irish people holidaying in the Canaries. As the action unfolds, it emerges that many of the characters are not all they seem to be, with hilarious consequences.

Tickets will be available in advance through the usual outlet, Thornhill Electrical, Skibbereen, telephone 028-22557.

The director and cast of Skibbereen Theatre Society's production of the comedy "Canaries" by Bernard Farrell, which they will be staging for three nights only on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday next, December 2, 3 and 4, at Skibbereen Town Hall – front, from left – Catherine Field (director), Siúin Hurley, Imelda O’Regan, Peter Warburton, Áine and Breda Herlihy and Frank McCarthy. Back: Con Downing, Hilda Hegarty, Declan McCarthy, Brenda O’Driscoll, Sean Ronan and Donagh Long.

"Surviving Santa Ponsa" at Skibbereen Town Hall

This Friday, November 2, the audience at Skibbereen Town Hall will have a chance to see the uproariously-funny sequel to last year's smash hit "Santa Ponsa or Bust"

Written by Frank Twomey and Pakie O'Callaghan the play began life as a radio soap on 96 FM and immediately grabbed the attention of Cork audiences. The stage version of "Surviving Santa Ponsa" became one of the most successful home-grown comedies in the Everyman Palace Theatre's history.

"Surviving Santa Ponsa" charts the adventures of two hapless Cork couples. With their husbands locked up in a Spanish jail, the two "auld dolls" have acquired two million euro by rather dubious means!

Suddenly frolicking in Brown Thomas, luring TV celebs into their homes and all the while under the close scrutiny of ruthless villain Hans Von Snicht. Will spendthrift Noreen and nymphomaniac Carmel have spent the dosh and done the dirt before Finbarr and John get out of the slammer?

The excesses of Celtic Tiger Ireland are put under the spotlight and mercilessly lampooned in this wildly funny show.

"Surviving Santa Ponsa" is directed by Michael Twomey, with set design by Lisa Zagone, lighting design is by Paul McCarthy and sound design by Barbara Szecsenyi.

Tickets for the Skibbereen show are available in advance from Thornhill Electrical, telephone 028-22557, or at the Town Hall box office from 7.30pm this Friday evening.

Plenty of fun in Autumn 2007 Skibbereen Town Hall schedule!

Nicola Hollinshead as Shirley Valentine, performing at Skibbereen Town Hall on Wednesday October 18th.

She is directed by Ronan Wilmot, who starred in "The Tailor and Ansty" at the Town Hall this time last year and in Gougane Barra the two previous summers.

The story is about Shirley, who is a middle-aged Liverpool housewife, stuck in a rut. But when her best friend wins an all-expenses paid trip for two to Greece, she begins to see the world, and herself, in a very different light. Brimming with forthright comedy and pithy observations, Willy Russell's landmark play about a woman reclaiming her identity and self-confidence reflects many of the challenges of modern life in Ireland today.

Native Liverpudlian, Nicola Hollinshead started her professional career at Liverpool Everyman Theatre. She has worked on the award-winning series"Boys from the Black Stuff" and with Jimmy Mc Govern in "City Echoes" Television credits include "Brookside" and she will next be seen alongside Julie Walters in BBC2's new drama "Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story," to be screened later this year.

Tickets for the Skibbereen staging of "Shirley Valentine" on the 18th are available in advance through Thornhill Electrical on 028-22557 and curtain up will be at 8pm. Advance booking is strongly advised for this.

COMING IN NOVEMBER

Pakie O'Callaghan and Frank Twomey in their brand new SANTA PONSA show.

Skibbereen Theatre Society presents the Bernard Farrell comedy CANARIES.

SHIRLEY VALENTINE reviews

Nicola Hollinshead, directed by Ronan Wilmot, gives the performance of any actor's life, seducing the audience from the start with a highly individual blend of character, comic observation and self-analysis.
The Irish Times 6/8/07

Ronan Wilmot establishes a confessional mood- fitting given the anecdotal style of the narrative- and Hollinshead is compelling.... She has a sure grip on Shirley's feisty, self-deprecating persona, and convincingly segues between coarse humour and touching pathos, giving voice to Russell's poetry of the vernacular.
Sunday Times 29/8/07

You will rarely see a better solo performance than Nicola Hollinshead gives in this very funny, beautifully observed and occasionally moving one-woman play.
Irish Mail on Sunday. 29/8/07

The accomplished performance of Nicola Hollinshead as Shirley will have your memory of Pauline Collins fading as quickly as your memory of last year's sun-drenched package holiday.
Metro 1/8/07

Othello for Skibbereen, October 9-11th

Othello will tour to Briery Gap, Macroom; Fermoy Community Centre; Skibbereen Town Hall, and also play in both the Cork Opera House mainstage and the Half Moon Theatre. Performances begin on 12 September in Macroom and will continue around the County through October.

Shakespeare's great tragedy tells the story of one man's relentless pursuit by another. In this production, the masks will enhance the grotesque and deeply symbolic nature of Othello, and enable the actors to access the deep emotional undercurrent of the play, and expose the uncomfortable emotions that inform it.

Underscored with an original soundtrack, the production invites us to observe what motivates our actions and to examine their consequences.

Director Belinda Wild formed Janus Theatre Company in 1997 to present innovative new work devised by the company, as well as imaginative interpretations of the classics. Based in Enniskeane, Co. Cork, the company aims to provide exciting professional theatre at a local level, and employment for actors and theatre workers based in Co. Cork.

Ms. Wild has created numerous dynamic productions for and with Cork Opera House, including the national tour of Lifeboat (2006/07); King Lear (2005);Hamlet (2004); The Merchant of Venice (2003), The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2002), and Romeo and Juliet (2001).

Support from Cork County Council has made the county tour possible.

Directed by Belinda Wild
Designed by Lisa O'Mullane
Lighting by Paul Denby
Starring: Ciaran Bermingham; Martin Conden; Andrew Holden; Gavin McEntee; Kate McSwiney O'Rourke; Aiden Wylde; Stephen Wyley.

All tickets €20 (internet & telephone bookings subject to booking fee of €2.50 per ticket)
Book on line: www.corkoperahouse.ie
Book by phone: 021 427 0022

BRIERY GAP, MACROOM: Wed 12 - Fri 14 Sep at 10:30am and Thu 13 Sep at 8pm
CORK OPERA HOUSE, seating limited to 300: Tue 18 - Fri 21 Sep at 11am; Wed 19 Sep at 8pm; Mon 24 Sep at 11am
FERMOY COMMUNITY CENTRE: Thu 27 & Fri 28 at Sep at 11am; Thu 27 Sep at 8pm
HALF MOON THEATRE IN CORK OPERA HOUSE: Mon 1 - Fri 5 Oct at 11am; Wed 3 Oct at 7:30pm
SKIBBEREEEN TOWN HALL: Tue 9 - Thu 11 Oct at 11am; Wed 10 Oct at 8pm