From www.castlebar.ie Leisure There's no business like sword business Its that that time of year again!! The turkey is all gone, the trees are taken down and everyone is back into their normal daily routine. But not the Pantomime!!! Its all go up in the Traveller's Friend Theatre where the final preparations are taking place for this year's production - King Arthur. So why not treat the family and cheer yourselves up on the cold January nights and take them along to see the show! This year's show is looking like it could be the best ever!! Mainly due to our fabulous production team: Sharon Lavelle (producer), Tony Varley (director), John Flatley (musical director) and Jason Guthrie (choreographer). The four have been working tirelessly to ensure the liveliest, most spectacular show yet. Never have four individuals seem to have worked so well together. Sharon's great ideas and organisational skills, Tony's vast experience of the stage, John's individualism and laid back calm attitude and Jason's creativity, talent and experience have all combined to make one unbeatable force!! Nothing is impossible for this team!!! They will tell you, however, that their hardest decision making came months ago at the audition stages. The talent was unbelievable!! Popstars had nothing on our eager hopefuls. It was extremely close in the end for both juniors and principals. But we picked the best for your viewing delight. We know you will give them all the encouragement and appreciation they deserve. Among the cast of familiar faces are a few newcomers, namely Mossie McLoughlin. Last year Mossie helped out backstage, but this year he is centre stage in the role of Lancelot!! Also, we have Sally Lavin. An extremely talented lady with a beautiful singing voice for your listening pleasure who plays the role of Sally in the show!! Some other faces have returned from an absence, namely John Gavin. John is taking on the role of Guinevere, and has portrayed her like you've never seen her before!!! Definitely not to be missed!! Of course the old reliables are back again. Michael Rice takes up the lead as King Arthur, Micheal Tolan as Squirt, Sinead O'Donnell is Olivia, (you may remember her as the lead in Aladdin last year), Donna Carter as Morgana (hiss) and Denise Roddy as Mordred (hiss, hiss). Of course where would King Arthur be without his magician Merlin, and this year Karen Conway takes on the role. No pantomime would be complete without the singing and dance routines and this year is no exception. The music this year is good lively toe tapping stuff!! The dance routines are very energetic and the costumes should be a big hit!! Both senior and junior choruses are an extremely happy bunch and the commitment and effort they put in is 110 per cent!! Good luck to them all and as they say in show business "break a leg". The curtain rises on Saturday 12th January for the first Matinee, (there are 3 matinees Sat 12th, Sun 13th and Sat 19th). Evening shows start at 8.0pm from Monday 14th until Saturday 19th. So come on, come along to the Traveller's Friend Theatre and enjoy one of Castlebar's best loved traditions. Treat yourself, let yourselves be entertained for a while, for only €6.35!!! Where else would you get it!! (Tickets on sale at Downtown Records. Some availability on the door.)
The Story of King Arthur Once upon a long ago when men wore metal and liked nothing better than fiddling with swords, there lived in the land of Camelot a king named Arthur and his beautiful young bride Guinevere. Well, maybe not so beautiful. And, on second thoughts, not so young either when our story catches up with them. But what of it. They were happy, mostly, and wanted for nothing. And when King Arthur fancied a night out with the lads he only had to call on his knights in shining armour and they could while away a few hours playing poker at their lovely big circular table. Ah … those nights at the round table, they were a lot of fun. But one day the arrival of two horrible visitors cast a pall over Camelot and everyone wondered what would become of their idyllic hideaway. Arthur's long-lost cousin Morgana and her son Mordred seemed quite determined to change things quite dramatically. You see Arthur was the handy young fella who had managed to pull the sword known as Excalibur out of a huge slab of stone. Everyone else for miles had burst blood vessels and strained muscles trying to do the same but only Arthur managed it, securing himself the throne in the process. And even though it had all happened many, many years previously, Morgana reckoned she had been swindled because women weren't allowed take part. So now, with the help of her son, Morgana is back to challenge King Arthur to a jousting tournament. Her son is to take on the king's best champion - Sir Lancelot - and if Mordred wins, Morgana becomes Queen of Camelot. What happens next? Well, you'll just have to wait and see, won't you? (Oh yes, you will.) And you'll meet some interesting characters along the way, including Squirt, and Sally, and Smoulder the baby dragon. Oh, and the magical Merlin, wizard supreme. So sit back, make yourself comfortable and enjoy the show …… Cast List
SENIOR CHORUS Breada Donaghue, Marian Deasey, Rowena Gillespie, Caroline Guthrie, Martina Tolan, Charlotte Rippingale, Pascale Willard, Anita Donaghue, Emma Kilkelly, Valerie Murray, Annette Brosnihan, Jason Guthrie, Mary McLoughlin, Sinead Finnegan, Ann Sweeney, Rosemary O'Malley, Cathy Healy, Noleen Crowe, Tanya McGarvey, Lar Davis, Kathleen O'Hora, Wendy Cotter, May Flaherty, Antoinette Dugdale, Deirdre Rice, Padraic Heneghan. JUNIOR CHORUS June Healy, Karen Bourke, Shauna Roberts, Ciara McGowan, Brian O'Mahony, Brenda O'Donovan, Maria McMahon, Lyndsey Brown, Stephanie Forde, Edel Horan, Cormac McGowan, Ciaran Chalk, Niamh McDonald, Nessa McGarrigle, Sarah Maloney, Mairead McManamin, Tracy Hall, Emma Prendergast, John Tighe, Sara Jennings, Jason Joyce, Tara Corbett, Eva Donohue, Orla O'Hara, Catherine McManamin, Tara Gavin, Trina Gannon, Sally Rooney.
MUSICIANS John Flatley, Garry Wynne, Tom Lyons, Sean Burke The Crew
MAIN SPONSORS OF THE SHOW: APC Legendary Reliability, Breaffy Rd., Castlebar. Sponsors of Shows: Sat. 12th Matinee McGreevy's Newsagents (Westport) Ltd Sun. 13th Matinee Gerry Starken Paving Products, Galway Mon. 14th Evening Coadys Friendly Tavern Tues. 15th Evening Caseys Garage Wed. 16th Evening Welcome Inn Hotel Thurs. 17th Evening Castlebar Credit Union Fri. 18thEvening Terry Fine Foods Sat. 19th Matinee McDermotts Toymaster Sat. 19th Evening Toghers Tyres Other Sponsors Penneys- Joe Reilly Ltd- Breaffy House. Patrons Gerry Tolster - John O'Donnell - Tommy Robinson - Fahy's Hardware Shop - John Donegan - Marie Beirne - Castle Travel - Maureen & Sean McDonnell - Order of Malta c/o John Cunningham - Padraig Flynn - Paddy McGuinness - Castlebar Florists - Beauty by Joan (Joan McHale) - Stephen Burns - Willie Ralph Taxi - Frank Durcan - Flannelly Auctioneers - Egan & Daughters Solicitors - Tony Hiney - Beverely Cooper Flynn - Enda Kenny - Eoin Garavan - Sen Paddy Bourke - Fr Des Fahy - Bertie Dowling - Johnny Mee - Tom Shiels - Pat Tierney.
Finally on behalf of the committee a very special thank you to: See the Cast of this years Panto © Copyright 2003 by www.castlebar.ie and the author |