CARE to meet ‘The Boneyard Man’ at The Blind Pig, m’dear? This invitation could yet garner an ecstatic ‘yes’ if a novel new theatre series lives up to expectation. The odds are good: ‘The Boneyard Man’ detective farce has run for 100s of successful episodes in its town of origin, London, Ontario.
The connection to Limerick is by way of Impact Theatre Company and its 2006 staging of ‘The Problem Child’ in Styx snooker club.
Set designer and problem spouse to same show, Ms Norma Lowney, is back as producer, director and actress in Limerick’s own production of this frothy ’40s delight by Jayson McDonald. Having been off the scene for a Masters and motherhood, Lowney is back with bucks from Limerick Arts Encounter, her ‘Boneyard’ proposal accepted.
“Kevin Kiely plays the New York socialite Lepage Cranbrook, who with his sidekick Margery Road (Karen Fitzgibbon), dons his Boneyard Man guise at night to become an anonymous crime fighter,” she explains. “They sort of don’t have enough to do with themselves so they entertain themselves by this at night – Lepage is an egotistical vigilante. Margery does most of the work and he takes the credit.
“Myself and Darren Maher (Magic Roundabout) play all the other characters whom they encounter along the way. Each episode is different but some characters are recurring such as Chief of Police Fitzhenry and the paperboy but the baddies and villans are all different”.
The stories are told through the medium of a live radio play, ideal for the shadowy alcoves of The Blind Pig pub on Thomas Street.
Lowney is producing eight episodes with charming names such as ‘The Beguiling of Dr Hemna’ over four nights, beginning Friday 11, 8pm and running for October Thursdays thereafter at Thomas Street.
Book through 69 O’Connell Street, 12pm-5.30pm or at www.limetreetheatre.ie box office
