THE University of Limerick Drama Society reached its first significant landmark on a voyage of intense activity this week when it staged a play written by two of its members during a less than successful camping trip to the Aran Islands.
‘Cider and Sand’ is a pirate-inspired tale of the happenings aboard The Misty Mara where an English noblewoman is confronted by two pasts; that of her family and of the crew on the ship.
The play was written by Sarah and Kate Devaney and performed by a cast comprised of Irish and Erasmus students.
“I was so excited to see it staged. I think it adds something different because it’s not just acting; we have incorporated shanties that give to the atmosphere and gives a little more context to the time,” Sarah told the Limerick Post.
She said the idea came from a camping trip to the Aran Islands where everything that could go wrong did go wrong. They forgot tent poles. They ran out of food and, of course, they had no internet.
“With everything going pear-shaped, we managed to do one thing right. We took out a pen and paper and had the whole concept of the play thought of in one day. We left the island with something to be proud of”.
‘Cider and Sand’ was the opening act in what is shaping up to be a very challenging time for the UL Drama Society, with two full length shows being staged in one semester. They are also leading multiple side projects, such as collaborations for quizzes and their own ‘Voices of UL’ mental health awareness campaign.
Society President, Anna Parkes, said: “Our members have a chance to be involved in many different aspects of theatre and we have an energised member base because of this.
“We give them the opportunity to act, write and direct while weekly workshops give an insight into topics such as stage fright, improvisation and stage combat. The is also the added attraction of an end of semester trip to London to see Lés Misérables on the West End”.
by Kate Devaney
