Three full houses for MEM Players
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Back stage, Katie Hogan doing Cathy Dillon’s hair and Lisa Somers doing Vonnie O’Roarke’s make-up as they get ready to tread the boards as Mrs Markham and Linda Lodge respectively at Milltown Community Centre.Image 2 of 3
Brendan (Tosh) Kiernan playing the garrulous Alistair Spendlow in the MEM Players’ production of Move Over Mrs Markham.Image 3 of 3
Joe O’Hehir, on left, playing Philip Markham, and Michael Molloy as Henry Lodge, in Move Over Mrs Markham which attracted full houses and received standing ovations during its three night run at Milltown Community Centre.Three full houses and three standing ovations were testament to the popularity of the recent performance by MEM Players of Move Over Mrs Markham in Milltown Community Centre. Audience reaction throughout the two-act comedy was enthusiastic, the enthusiasm mounting as the action on stage intensified.
“I loved it from start to finish; it got funnier as it went on. I was in stitches. Well done to everyone, both on stage and backstage. It was a brilliant night out,” one member of the audience remarked. “It was great to have a good laugh,” another said. One lady said it was so good she was considering going again the next night. “A brilliant performance, so funny, well done!” summed up the general consensus.
Lorraine Rooney, co-producer of the play, said, from the group’s perspective, everyone enjoyed it and had great fun each night. “We were blown away by three full houses and three standing ovations,” she added.
She said it was especially encouraging to see so many younger crew members supporting both front and back of house. “They were so enthusiastic and helpful – the future of MEM Players is bright.”
This was the first production by MEM Players in five years, after the hiatus of Covid-19. The performances were the culmination of three months of activity including 37 rehearsals, costumes, make-up, and set creation, as cast, crew and director Paul Curley worked tirelessly to bring it to fruition.
The set was one of the stand out features of the performance and was cleverly designed and constructed by Tom Lynn, the mastermind behind many of the sets over the years. He was assisted by his creative design team of Shauna, Leanne and Rene Dillon, and Breda, Amy and Aoife Ballesty.