Local drama groups welcome thespian friends from Finland
Photo shows - The cast, director and stage manager for the Mullingar play, (from left) Clara Molloy, Paula Mullen, Charlie Donoghue, Mary Hughes, Paul Curley and Anne Reynolds.
Spot On! MCVG and PIC Players Clara transnational Drama project
Mullingar Charity Variety Group (MCVG) and PIC Players Clara welcome their Finnish thespian counterparts to Westmeath and Offaly respectively for part two of their transnational drama project to Ireland later this month.
Part one of the project involved Mullingar Charity Variety Group and PIC Players travelling to Finland in November 2019 with their respective one-act productions to take part in a drama festival in the town of Ylivieska in north west of the country.
Knee deep in snow, the groups, together with local actors, took part in workshops, visited indoor and outdoor theatres and experienced first hand how drama is a hugely community based activity in Finland.
The highlight of the trip for both groups was their participation in a Ylivieska festival, and despite the language barrier, they were warmly received and highly acclaimed for both performances.
On Friday February 28 Mullingar Charity Variety Group will welcome YTY-teatteri from Ylivieska to Mullingar and they will both present their one-act plays.
YTY-teatteri is exploring English language plays as part of the Spot On! project with MCVG and PIC Clara Players.
Their presentation, ‘Nobody Famous’, written by the American two-time Emmy Award winner DM Larson is a short one-act play.
Larson is known for plays especially written for children and youngsters. In this work he deals the chance to become famous – and whether it turns out in the way the person concerned had hoped.
That is the issue actress Brenda – who is at a fortune teller with her friend Heather – has to face when Mystic Madame Mooch tells her she will be famous.
Brenda takes the chance... but soon some weird things happen and Brenda has to recognise that fame has a price.
Credits
Cast of Nobody Famous: Heather, Emma Heikkilä; Brenda, Rita Kovacs; Jo, Johanna Bister; Madame Mooch, Piia Mikkola; Gina, Virve Sorvoja; Bonnie, Leena Pinola.
Production team: director, Matti Juntunen; costume design, Maarit Varis, Virve Sorvoja and Matti Juntunen; set, Matti Juntunen, Pekka Myllykangas and Jorma Anttila; make-up, Maarit Varis; sound, Matti Juntunen; music, Kevin McLeod; lights, Kirsi Myllykangas and Venla Knuutila; poster and pictures, Kirsi Myllykangas.
‘Last Tango in Mullingar’
Mullingar Charity Variety Group will present ‘Last Tango in Mullingar’ by David Tristram.
The play is about a struggling drama group and how they are going to survive, to pay the rent and get audiences in.
Gordon, the chairman, argues that, ‘there’s only one thing that sells tickets these days... sex!’
Thus begins the chaotic and hilarious build-up to an evening of extraordinary home group drama.
The cast includes Clara Molloy, Paula Mullen, Paul Curley and Anne Reynolds. The play is directed by Mary Hughes and the stage manager is Charlie Donoghue.
Supporters
The event is supported by Westmeath Community Development and Offaly Local Development Company, and was funded by Offaly and Westmeath Local Community Development Committees, the Dept of Rural and Community Development, the EAFRD and the LEADER Programme 2014-2020.
• The groups perform in Forest Park, Mullingar Business Park on Friday February 28 at 8pm.