THE sexual delicacies and lack of them of women of a certain age inform a contemporary hit play new in town. Cream was written by Welsh playwright Binda Singh and Ireland’s Orchard Theatre Company did so well in staging it that Cream was invited to open the new Sir Anthony Hopkins Theatre in Wales’ Port Talbot last month.
Singh is from Wales and his sharp, funny, sexy play suited Hopkins’ wish that his theatre foster new works and emerging writers.
A touring company, Orchard Theatre’s focus is on producing four or five plays annually that are new and shaped by social comment, worked by a small cast. Comedy is used to pack a punch and “helps us generate likeable believable characters”.
“Cream’s first outing was on July 7, 8 and 9 at Clonmel Junction Festival,” says director Simon Thompson, one of Cream’s founders. “It’s about two middle aged women at home on a sofa, looking back on their lives and loves”. Dealing with present dilemma as much as rueful retrospection, lovers, children, childbearing, adoption, insemination, marriage and its failure ‘ghost’ the piece.
Welsh station Radio Tircoed’s comment was: “Thoroughly entertaining…the nervous should stay away”.
You get the gist.
Thompson himself is a former Commedia, RSC and Garrick Theatre Company actor. With his cast of five, CentreSPACE at St Alphonsus Street is host venue on Thursday August 12 and Friday 13, 8pm for 80 minutes.
Interestingly, Orchard Theatre Company might well be a name to consider more often in theatre/ comedy talk. Established in 2005 and with an office in Mullinahone, Tipperary, a move to Annacotty is possible. Watch this space and CentreSPACE for more works anon.
Having launched the Sir Anthony Hopkins Theatre in Wales, book on www.centrespace.ie for Cream.
Amanda Kirwan, left, as Brid and Trisha Harte is Grace.
