LIMERICK Arts Encounter’s series of many shows by many providers has invigorated artists and the community. From Bottom Dog’s ‘Bridgie Cleary’ to Norma Lowney’s ‘The Boneyard Man’, the diverse venues and creative outpouring make for dynamic life after dark.
Beoure Company, comprised of Monica Spencer and Joan Sheehy had a hit in September with Kate O’Brien’s ‘Distinguised Villa’. They now take up with IMPAC winning Kevin Barry (who used to push a pen for Limerick Post), novelist and short story writer.
He has written a play that is “a dramatic gem, a world of banjaxed back boilers, fleas the size of wrens, floating duvets and dead lads callin’.”
The play is ‘Maybe the Night’ and Joan Sheehy will direct actors John Olohan and Pat Ryan (from Caherconlish) in The Blind Pig, bar and music venue in Thomas Street.
This “darkly humorous conversation between father and son” has just won a Silver medal for drama at the PPI Irish Radio Awards. “Barry’s genius is evident in the sharp dialogue which gives us a short, hilarious and poignant glimpse into the lives of Dad and Tom,” observes Monica Spencer.
“‘Maybe the Night’ was originally written as a piece of radio drama,” Kevin Barry tells Arts page. “The drama producer at RTE, Kevin Brew – another fine Limerick native – asked me to try something and I was completely up for having a go.
“‘Maybe the Night’ came for me in a mad rush one day when I was on the train from Boyle to Sligo. It’s only about half-hour of a journey so you can tell that I was working quickly.
“I suppose, at its heart, it’s a comedy but like a lot of my work, a very black or very dark comedy”.
With only 30 seats nightly, book at 69 O’Connell Street on 061-774774 until Saturday 26, 8pm.
Better still, tag around this October 24th for the next show in same venue, climbing the stairs to Dr John’s upstairs bar. Here the next two episodes, five and six in a series of eight, of ‘The Boneyard Man’ will stage.
It rattles along at break-neck rev, this costumed radio play with four accomplished actors: Kevin Kiely, Karen Fitzgibbon, Darren Maher and producer/ director/ actress Norma Lowney.
A tuxedo’d Kiely plays the vain society chump Lepage Cranbrook whose limpet girlfriend Margery Road (Fitzgibbon) proves to be the brain in cracking down on 1940s’ New York’s underbelly of criminals, zombies, what ever. ‘The Boneyard’ finalises on Thursday 31, restored to its 8pm slot. Gotta have it.
‘Maybe the Night’ and Lowney’s run are each backed by LAE.
