BOTTOM Dog Theatre Company celebrates an immensely productive decade with the event of its lifespan at Belltable on Saturday September 15. The anniversary bash will open seven-ish with a wine reception and live music, prelude to the staging of theatre and music from this company’s canon of work.
Limerick’s professional actors and singers are lining out to take part in extracts from the many. Each performance will be connected by a video vignette of ripe comment from supporters and sponsors.
Showtime doesn’t end there as the packed house will swerve to The Savoy to be entertained by Liam O’Brien and the Million Dollar Swing Band. Complementary canapés will be served to the five star VIP party.
It’s a genius of a fundraiser to mark 10 challenging years of outstanding work from Bottom Dog.
Book on venue manager www.limetreetheatre.ie for remaining tickets at €50 each. More than half had sold three weeks in advance when this interview took place with founding member Liam O’Brien.
“The night will be a celebration of everything we have done in our ten years, the 14 productions, 10 rehearsed readings, the seven tours,” he tells Limerick Post. “We have worked with at least 125 actors and crew over the year and will represent that depth of talent we’ve had on and off stage.”
Today the company members are Liam, Myles Breen, Mike Burke and John Murphy.
“The structure of the show will be scenes from the majority of shows we have done, some with the original cast, some with other performers and showing all our strengths, comedy, drama, music.”
Zeb Moore, Gene Rooney, Jeanne O’Connor, Frances Healy, Aidan Crowe, Dave Griffin, Deirdre Monaghan are down for sketches with several others.
What about the political activism? “That speaks for itself in what we produced. ‘What Happened Bridge Cleary’ is about misogynism. ‘Language Unbecoming a Lady’ is about civil rights. ‘Drinking in America’ is as much about today’s global politics. There was Michael Frayn’s ‘Democracy’.”
On to the enviable collection of collaborators for Saturday 15 such as Stephen Ryan of Windings, Jean Wallace and Ciara Meade coming together for ‘Killer Cabaret’ accompanied by Michael Young on piano.
“We’re looking at three and four minute sketches, monologues, dialogues. It will be fluid. It’s a lot of work and connected by video clips linking each piece.”
A director/ actor/ singer/ producer himself, Liam O’Brien’s own stand-out piece over the largely unfunded decade was ‘Language Unbecoming a Lady’ for which he directed Myles Breen, the playwright and performer. It typified Bottom Dog’s ethos. Originated by them, “it was funded and done with passion and ideas.”
“Created for Pride 2009, it got to tour all over the country, garnered critical success, and in New York 2014 it won the Origins Best Actor award. It was created out of absolute belief and not anything else.”
Book on www.limetreetheatre.ie for what’s left.
