‘ONE NIGHT in Bangkok’: Limerick Musical Society will transport you there on its ‘Chess’ board, production of choice this Spring. University Concert Hall is the venue, booking in advance for Thursday March 30 to Saturday April 1, 8pm at www.uch.ie
Gerry Ryan, treasurer and PRO for this AIMS-laden troupe, outlines the tension riven story set in Cold War era.
“‘Chess’ is written by Tim Rice and ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. It has one of the greatest musical theatre scores of all time. including ‘Pity The Child’, ‘Anthem’, ‘You And I’ and, of course, ‘I Know Him So Well’.
“The story is two of the world’s greatest chess masters battling it out at the world championships, but their greatest contest is really for the love of one woman.”
This Society’s cast has socks and chops. Nile St James, who was a contestant on ‘The Voice of Ireland’, plays Anatoly; newcomer Claire Heffernan is Florence (love object), James Malone is Freddie, Aidan O’Connell is Molokov.
They are joined by in these principal roles by Ciaran Collins as Arbiter and LMS chairperson/ talented singer Laura Henebry as Svetlana. Another interesting performer, Jason Ronan, is Walter.
“Their characters’ personalities are based loosely on those of Victor Korchnoi and Bobby Fischer,” Gerry says. “The oddity of the Merano championship in the musical is based on the similar oddities which occurred during the 1978 World Championship between Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov.”
Incisive mature story telling and a score(s) that will live in your mind.
