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Completing the Circle on Walter’s Acting CareerBy Maria Tracey, The Sligo Champion, June 14th, 2006
On arriving back in Sligo, Walter was introduced to Charlie and Maggie Hughes, the driving forces behind the Sligo Unknown Players and he took up his place within the local drama circuit. However, in 1956, a group of half a dozen members broke away and formed what has now become the Sligo Drama Circle, which led to Walter directing his first play. “And this was all discussed over a drink in the bar,” he added. There have been numerous successes since that debut performance, as Walter went on to distinguish himself as both an actor and director, his reputation enhanced by the annual production of Yeats' plays for the Summer School students for 20 years. Other defining moments included the SDC’s trip to St Louis USA for St Patrick’s Day in 1989 with “Juno and the Paycock”, while Walter added that winning the Ulster Cup in the Belfast Opera House in 1967 with "The Playboy of the Western World" was also a defining moment. And along with his amateur dramatics, Walter took his knowledge of the stage to the schools, teaching speech and drama to budding young actors.
He was also an active member in campaigning for a theatre for Sligo and revealed how the Hawk’s Well got its name. “It comes from the Yeats’ play, “The Hawk’s Well” where an old man is waiting for the well to bubble. “The hawk comes along and distracts the man with his sexy dance and the water comes up,” said Walter. With 45 years of loyal service to the SDC, Walter reminisced about the number of of productions he had graced before grinning at the random number of 60 plus that was pulled from the air. “I’m not that old,” he laughed. And when questioned on his most memorable production after having directed or acted in at least one play a year, coupled with his annual Yeats’ plays, Walter pauses before diplomatically adding that “there were a lot of performances and I enjoyed everyone”.
When Sligo's Best Captured All-Ireland Drama CrownBy Lionel Gallagher, The Sligo Champion, February 19th, 2003
But Liam, Tennessee Williams and the Drama Circle was to change all, utterly, and in Athlone's Dean Crowe Hall, we heard the adjudicator, Robert Armstrong, declare: "I waited all week for the Festival to take fire, and it did not happen until tonight when there was sudden combustion". The Esso trophy was at last on its way to Sligo. The celebrations had started and were to continue in Sligo, first with a Civic Reception by the Mayor, the late Ald. Seán Mc Manus, and onto the official presentation of the Cup and individual plaques by Mr. John O' Donovan, Chairman, Esso Petroleum (Ireland) Ltd. in Sligo's Jury's Hotel. The play, of course, was Tennessee Williams' 'A Streetcar Named Desire'. It was the start of a most prolific outburst of dramatic energy by Sligo Drama Circle who worked tirelessly through the seventies to raise funds for what we called "A Theatre For Sligo", presenting up to eight plays each year and eventually leading to the building of the Hawks Well.
And now a new generation of theatre-goers in Sligo have an opportunity to see the Drama Circle in "Streetcar". It is fitting that Joan Fitzparick provides a direct link with that famous victory. Joan played "Stella" that night, giving one of the outstanding performances of a distinguished career which won her so many acting awards over the years. This time Joan is in the director's seat, and while Liam's success with the play makes it a hard act to follow, Joan's track record at the helm leaves one with no qualms as to the quality of the new production. I was lucky enough to play the role of "the Young Man" in the All-Ireland win - that tells its own tale of how many years have passed! The parts of Blanche and Stanley, possibly Williams' greatest character creations, were brilliantly played by Dee O' Connor (Gallagher) and Shane Cleary. Cormac Sheridan was superb as "Mitch" and the other parts were all beautifully played by Eily Kilgannon (Eunice), Brian Bohan (Steve), Pauric Foran (Pablo), Maura Doherty (Negro Woman and Mexican Woman), Robert Folan (Doctor) and Irene Conlon (Nurse).
But we must not forget Liam Mc Kinney's courage in introducing a young talented group of actors from a local youth theatre company, "The Innisfree Players", to provide linking scenes throughout the play. They added greatly to the overall success and we number them in our song - Carol Kelly, Seán Gallagher, Carina Gilbride, Frank Brannigan, Mary Harrison, Seán Foley, Margaret Mc Nulty, Liam Rooney and Seán Scanlon. Lighting was by Aidan Sexton and Ray Caulfield, sound by Seán Tighe and Liam Canning and Marian Reidy was stage manager with Una Lappin as her assistant. Other names on my programme are Walter Mc Donagh, Mary Mc Donagh, Betty Keogh, Imelda Mulligan, Joe Burns and Liam Costello. The Hawks Well stages the Williams epic from Tuesday, March 11th to Saturday, March 15th, when we are sure the Temple Street venue will ignite with another 'Sudden Combustion'.
The Comeback Girl!An interview with Dee Gallagher by Jim Gray in The Sligo Champion, May 8th, 1997
"Initially, it was a bit of an effort to get out to rehearsals. I felt as if I'd just come out of the ark. A lot of the people in this play weren't even born when I first started. I really felt ancient. But they're a great crew, and that sense of camaraderie which is so important in any cast, has really taken off. I can genuinely feel the buzz coming back. The early trepidation has disappeared, and I find myself actually looking forward to rehearsals. It's a lovely feeling - almost like starting all over again".
Which is a good a cue as any to go back to the early days, when Dee, her sisters Kit and Joan, Frankie Brannigan, Liam Rooney, and Seán Gallagher, now her husband of twenty-five years, were collectively known as the Innisfree Players and, prompted and promoted in equal measure by two Ursuline nuns, Sr. David and Sr. Kieran, they put on a production of "The Playboy of the Western World" in he Gillooly Hall. "We were really raw. None of us had ever been on stage before, but we had a great interest in drama, and there was a great sense of excitement about the production", Dee recalls. Despite the rawness, she obviously made an impression as "Pegeen Mike", for not long afterwards Liam Mc Kinney invited her to play the lad role of "Blanche Du Bois" in Sligo Drama Circle's 1970 production of Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire".
Not unlike the mixed feelings with which she initially approached her current role, Dee remembers feeling "slightly daunted" by the challenge of such a demanding role at such a formative time in her acting career. "It was a massive challenge, because I had hardly any experience. But the established Drama Circle people were really brilliant - people like the late Eddie Fitzpatrick and his wife Joan; Cormac Sheridan and, of course, the wonderful Liam Mc Kinney, all made me feel very much at home. And, of course, almost all of my friends from the Innisfree Players had parts as well, which meant I wasn't totally isolated". It was to be an auspicious debut with the Drama Circle, as Streetcar went on to win the overall award at the All-Ireland Amateur Drama Festival finals in Athlone, the last Sligo group to do so.
Not surprisingly, Dee went on to play countless memorable roles with the Drama Circle in the following years, recalling her festival award-winning role as "Big Mama" in the 1975 production of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", and her role as Mary Magdalene in the 1980 production of "Triumph of Calvary" in the Holy Cross Friary, as particular highlights. Another major role was for Everyman in 1985, playing Elizabeth Proctor opposite Columb Mc Bride in the acclaimed production of "The Crucible" at the Hawk's Well. Reviewing the play in The Sligo Champion at the time, "Colbert" was ecstatic in his praise, favourable comparing the performances of Dee, Columb Mc Bride, and Marianne Fahy with professional productions he had seen in London and the Abbey in Dublin. "That was probably the most challenging role I've ever played. It was a very demanding play, but very rewarding. For whatever reason, we didn't take it on the festival circuit, but I have no hesitation in saying that production would have done exceptionally well at festivals", Dee maintains.
Her last venture on stage was in the highly successful "A Crucial Week in the Life of a Grocer's Assistant" in 1987. She cannot recall that she sat down and made a conscious decision to "retire" but with her daughter, Clodagh, who has Cerebral Palsy, reaching teenage years she didn't need the distraction of rehearsals. "Clodagh got a big thrill from seeing me on stage, and she's mad keen to see this new play, so there's no problem in that regard. But I just felt that she needed me more than I needed drama when she was younger, and I have no regrets at all about giving it up for the past ten years. Indeed had it not been for Seán's encouragement I probably wouldn't have stayed in drama as long as I did in the first place, so it's probably fitting that it was his encouragement which helped convince me that this was a good time to go back", she explains.
Looking back over the years, she nominates Tony Wehrly, Shane Cleary, Cormac Sheridan, Joan Fitzpatrick, Maria Mc Dermottroe, Meg Leahy, John Caheny, Columb Mc Bride and Gerry Ryan as the "finest bunch of actors you'd find anywhere in the country", and she has a special place for the late Liam Mc Kinney. "Liam was a pure genius, a man before his time. Certainly, anything I know about drama I learned from Liam, and there's no way I would have been involved at this level at all had it not been for him. I genuinely feel his work for drama in this town has never fully been appreciated", she says.
As a member of the cast which last brought the All-Ireland Drama title to Sligo, Dee id hoping that this coming week will see the gap bridged by the Silver Apples production of "No Comet Seen". "It would be a great boost for amateur drama in the town if they could bring home the big prize, and with such a strong Everyman influence in the persons of Gerry Ryan and Columb Mc Bride, I'm sure they're quite capable of doing it. We'll all be rooting for them", she says. In the meantime, she's got the small matter of her own comeback to occupy her. "I'm really looking forward to it. It's an hilarious play, a real crowd pleaser, and I can guarantee audiences will not be disappointed".
The Only Playboy: Eddie Mc DermottroeAn interview by Dympna Mc Namara in The Sligo Weekender, August 16th, 1996
In Sligo the name Mc Dermottroe is synonymous with superb acting. Eddie Mc Dermottroe Senior delighted and enthralled audiences for years with his many brilliant performances during his time with the Sligo Drama Circle. Maria, his daughter followed in her father's footsteps. First as an amateur and later as a polished professional. Young Conor is also making a name for himself in acting circles. But when you question Eddie Junior about his brilliant performance as Christy Mahon in The Playboy of the Western World, he modestly shrugs off his acting ability.
"My sister Maria and my brother Conor are professional actors because of the direct influence of our father Eddie Mc Dermottroe and the Sligo Drama Circle", Eddie explains. "I would certainly say that my father was the best actor on and off stage that I ever saw". However, when it came to choosing his life's career, Eddie Junior followed his lifelong passion for horses. "I was always interested in horses", Eddie said. "I worked around Billy Boyer's horses since I was a kid". Eddie then went on to tell us that he did Stud Farm Management at the Irish National Stud in Kildare. "I got a travel scholarship from the National Stud", Eddie continued. "I was very fortunate to secure a position at the Lindsay Park Racing Stables in Angaston, South Australia".
The Lindsay Park Racing Stables is probably the most prestigious and the best in the world. It certainly is the biggest. In Eddie's first year there, the Lindsay park Racing Stables trained three hundred winners. Included in that awesome number was Robert Sangster's Bel Dale Bull that won the Melbourne Cup. While in Australia, Eddie met and married his wife Allison, affectionately known as Ali. Ali is also a horse enthusiast. A proficient award winning expert. Ali specialises in three-day eventing. "Ali fell in love with Sligo the first time I brought her here" Eddie said. "We both knew that one day we'd settle here". In the meantime Eddie and Ali followed the pattern set by their idyllic open air wedding by having their daughter Daisy (4) christened by Aboriginies also in the open air.
"The ceremony was simple and beautiful", Eddie said. "She was dedicated a child of God, a child of the soil in a very moving ceremony". Eddie's account of his wonderful life in Australia and the shared passion for horses of himself and his wife Ali, was fascinating, but steering the conversation back to his return to Sligo and his involvement in acting. "Ali and I are establishing an Equine training facility at Hazelwood", Eddie explained. In connection with this business, based at Percymount in Hazelwood, I was going into the courthouse one day when Frankie Brannigan, producer of The Playboy casually asked me to give him a hand". So it was that Eddie Mc Dermottroe landed the lead in The Playboy that has attracted so much attention.
Then it was back to Eddie's love of horses. While riding professionally in Australia, Eddie had a very unfortunate accident. His mount had a heart attack and Eddie was seriously injured. Eddie now laughs at the incident. "I was in a coma", he said. "When the medical team wanted to know where I wished to be moved, I kept saying Sligo". So, in his own way, Eddie Mc Dermottroe has put Sligo on the map. Eddie Mc Dermottroe's equine achievements are outstanding, as are those of his wife Ali. In establishing an Equine centre in Sligo, both these talented people are putting the training and breeding of horses within easy reach of Sligo equine enthusiasts. In the meantime Eddie Mc Dermottroe (Jnr.) is carrying on the great tradition of acting that Eddie (Snr.) established in Sligo. The Playboy of the Western World runs at the Hawk's Well until tomorrow night Saturday 17th. Don't miss it.
"I Remember when the Audience Brought their own Hot Water Bottles"An interview with Kay Guinane by Jim Gray in The Sligo Champion, Showstopper Series, August 12th, 1994, reproduced as a tribute to he following her death
This was the heyday of amateur drama, the 1940's and '50s, and a leading light in the local drama movement was Kay Guinane, who starred in dozens of productions for all three drama groups of the time, and who is rightly regarded as one of "Sligo's finest". Actually, she's a Limerick woman, but since she's been almost fifty years in Sligo she's well entitled to the status of "local". She came to Sligo in 1944, when her late husband, Jim, took up a teaching appointment at Summerhill College. She had been acting since her school days, so her introduction to the Sligo drama movement was inevitable. "If the whisper got around that anyone new in town could do a bit of singing or acting they would be roped in", she recalls. "In my own case, I was introduced by a friend to the late Joe Mc Morrow, who invited me to join the Unknown Players. "I can tell you, that was a bit of an honour in itself, because the Unknown Players had a great reputation. I had heard of them long before I ever came to Sligo, so it was marvellous to get the chance to join"
Her first part was as the Reverend Mother in "The Righteous Are Bold", produced and directed by the company's mainstays, Margaret and Charlie Hughes, in the Gillooly Hall, and she must have impressed, for she was to become a permanent name in the cast lists thereafter. She recalls that plays in those days, which would normally be put on for four nights at a time, attracted massive audiences, despite the sparse facilities. "It was so cold in some of the halls that I remember people in the audience bringing in their own hot water bottles, and we would often be frozen up on the stage, but it was all great fun", says Kay. One funny incident stands out. "We brought a play to a festival in Enniskillen during the War years and it was the first time I had ever crossed the border. Being war-time, the people in Enniskillen had virtually nothing because of the food rationing, but a male member of our cast made that work to his advantage. He strapped two pounds of butter to each leg under his trousers, and when we got to the hall he patted the butter back into shape and auctioned it off. I couldn't believe this was happening, but there was yer man making a right few bob".
She recalls another occasion when a "love scene" - which actually constituted no more than a harmless peck on the cheek - had to be dropped from a play being performed to an audience of boarders at the Ursuline Convent - because it was Lent! Censorship of that nature was not at all unusual, apparently, as the use of the word "whore" in another production got the protagonists into all sorts of bother. "We were castigated in the Diocesan newspaper "The Angelus", and people were warned that they would be irresponsible to go and see the play, "Is the Priest at Home". One priest actually demanded the admission price of 3/6d back. As is the case even today, such publicity had the opposite effect to that intended, and we had a great box-office success", she recalls.
Another outstanding memory was her participation in the first television outside broadcast transmission from Sligo, in which Mrs. Gay Byrne, Kathleen Watkins, was top of the bill. The programme was "shot" at Lisadell House in 1963 and was presented by Ciarán Mac Mathúna. "Seamus Maguire, aged 12, played a backing on his violin to my rendition of "The Ballad of Moll Magee". There was lots of Irish music and dancing, and fierce excitement, Naturally, we were all very nervous, but Kathleen Watkins was a great help to us, and it went off very well", she recalls.She had been auditioned for the show by Joe Linnane, Pam Collins and Bill Skinner, and she must have impressed, for she was to appear in three other shows from the RTE studios at Montrose.
Although she won numerous awards on the festival circuit and for character sketches at the local Fesieanna, Kay never had a hankering to become a full-time actress. "It was never more than a hobby, although it took up a lot of time. But the idea of doing it full time was never really considered. It's a bit of a dodgy profession", she maintains. She's full of admiration for the present crop of local talent, but is naturally reluctant to offer comparisons between the current generation and her own. "I think production generally is a bit too technical these days. I think perhaps there was a bit more instinct and initiative in our day, but that's not to say that the talent today is any less obvious. I believe there is tremendous talent in Sligo, and long may it continue", she says.
However generous her appreciation of today's stage folk, there is a special sparkle in her voice when she recalls some of the people she worked with over the last half century. Names like Dan Mc Cormack, Walter Mc Donagh, Eddie Mc Dermottroe, Eddie Fitzpatrick, Tom and John Mullaney, Padraig Foran, Joe Mc Morrow, Gretta Dunleavy, Pearse Devins, Mary Watson, Tom Palmer, Joe Burns, Eithne Dolan, Paddy Dooney, Joan Fitzpatrick, Mary Mc Govern et al come tripping off the tongue. She also points out that Sligo has made an outstanding contribution to national and international theatre. Joan O' Hara, Aileen Harte, Pauline Flanagan, Paddy Dooney, Maria Mc Dermottroe and Brendan Cauldwell were all Sligo Unknown Players. She clearly regrets the passing of the Unknown Players. "I was sorry that the name had to go. The groups that came after were all very good, but I thought it was a shame to let the name die. The Unknown Players were synonymous with Sligo drama, and it would have been fitting to keep the name going".
Away from the stage, Kay had a brief flirtation with local politics, breaking the mould by being elected Sligo's first woman Alderman on Sligo Corporation in the mid-1970's. She stayed only one term. "It was an eye-opener in a lot of ways. Here I was believing I knew it all, but I was extremely green when it came to local politics, and I wasn't all that impressed by it. By the time the first term was up, I had seen enough", she says. She later played a leading role in revitalising the Sligo branch of the Widows' Association - she has been a widow now for many years. As Secretary of the branch, her brainchild was the Junior Tops of the Town competition, which ran for four years in the early 1980's, and raised thousands of pounds for local charities as well as introducing young children to the delights of drama.
"Schools from all over the country were required to put on half-hour variety shows, and we had a tremendous response. It was great for the kids, and it raised a few bob for local charities. My one big regret is that the competition was not continued. I firmly believe it would be a huge success if it was revived, and I would love to see that happening. It would take a lot of hard work, it could be done and I am convinced it would be a success", Kay explained.
Her last appearance on stage was in Sligo Drama Circle's production of john B. Keane's "Sive", three years ago - and that after a seventeen year break. Although she politely refuses to be drawn on the subject, another stage appearance cannot be ruled out. In the meantime, she's half thinking about a book on her life and times - it would be a worthy read.
Cormac's ClassicsAn interview by Jim Gray in The Sligo Champion, February 4th, 1994
"Walter and Kay were like parents to me. It's probably true to say I would never have become involved in drama in Sligo, but for my friendship with them. Once it became know that I had done a bit of acting in Dublin, there was no way I could avoid being involved here", Cormac recalls. At that time, the Sligo Drama Circle was at its peak, and there was a great "buzz" about the Festival circuit. Cormac was carried away with the passion of it all, and he recalls many happy hours spent in the company of men like Walter Mc Donagh, Paddy Dooney and Liam Mc Kinney. It's a source of pride that he played a prominent part in the Drama Circle's first All-Ireland winning production, "A Streetcar Named Desire", directed by Liam Mc Kinney. "The play was a bit controversial at the time, and there were those who felt we were foolish to go on the Festival circuit with it. Indeed, I recall we got a particularly good going-over from an adjudicator in Ballyshannon, but that only served to make us more determined. There was a great sense of satisfaction and justification when we eventually won the All-Ireland title. It was a great honour at the time, and the achievement has stood the test of time", Cormac maintains.
Indeed, Cormac believes that two subsequent Drama Circle productions, "Death of a Salesman" and "The Crucible", in which he played prominent roles, were at least as good as the All-Ireland winner, but they were overlooked for the ultimate prize. "I think there was probably a bit of politics at work, insofar as there would have been a reluctance to give the premier award to Sligo in consecutive years, but we all felt genuinely that we had produced a few really good plays. And, even without awards, there was a great satisfaction in knowing you were doing something well, and that audiences were getting value for money". Naturally, there was a lot of hard work invested in those productions - so much so that Cormac believes the present generation have things "soft" by comparison. "Don't get me wrong", he explains, "I'm full of praise for the work being done by people like the Fun Company, The Blue Raincoats and Everyman. My point is that we had such sparse facilities, and yet we turned out great work. Rehearsal facilities were primitive, and while the Town Hall was adequate, it was not very practical. For instance, just imagine hauling sets and props up those stairs in the Town Hall. We had to do that for every production. By those standards, the Hawks Well is the lap of luxury, and I often wonder do the present groups realise just how lucky they are".
It wasn't all hard work, of course. The meticulous preparation and the endless hours of travelling to festivals all over the country had its own appeal and the memories are obviously precious. One example: "I remember we got lost one night coming home from a festival in Co. Tyrone. Lionel Gallagher, Liam Mc Kinney and myself went off in search of a phone kiosk. We eventually found one, and Liam telephoned the local RUC station, to see if they could give us an idea of how to get back o the right track. 'Where are you now?' enquired the police officer. 'Jaysus, if I knew that I wouldn't be lost'. Gallagher and Sheridan dancing in convulsions on the street only added to the mayhem.
As one who has appeared in many of the classic Irish plays over the years, Cormac doesn't agree with the view expressed in this column in the recent past that some of the old classics are over-done on the local stage. "I don't think it's a legitimate criticism at all", he contends. "We're talking about classic works, and there will always be a demand for them. In England, for instance, the Royal Shakespeare Company was set up to perpetuate the work of Shakespeare and to bring it to different generations. We should not have to apologise for doing the same sort of thing for our own classic writers. The reason they are done so often is because there is always a demand for them. Take a film classic like Casablanca. Would anyone seriously suggest that it should not be shown again , simply on the basis that it has been seen so often already? Of course not. Because it's such a classic, people will always want to see it , and it's the same with plays by O' Casey, and Synge. We have to remember too that American visitors coming here don't want to see the Irish trying to produce French or American plays. They want to see the Irish classics, and people involved in drama production have a responsibility in that regard. From an actor's point of view, I have done all the classics over the years, but I still find them fresh and challenging. I don't believe there's any reason for us to feel uncomfortable about doing them so often".
Having worked with so many local groups - he has appeared in over fifty plays in the last quarter of a century - Cormac acknowledges the huge wealth of local theatrical talent (both on and off stage), but he would like to see more co-operation between the various groups. "A lot of the old barriers are gone, which is a good thing, but I think there's room for even more liaison between the various groups. Then if we were all to sit down together at the beginning of the year and plan a calendar in order to avoid clashes, that would be an advantage. But, generally, there seems to be a better mix than there used to be, and that's as it should be, he maintains. While full of admiration for local talent, he is not so complimentary when it comes to the general public's support of theatre in Sligo. "You get shows like 'Dancing at Lughnasa' and Dermot Morgan packing out the Hawks Well, but how many of these people go and support local shows. I find that a bit tough for the local companies. I'm not convinced that the public generally is as supportive of local theatre as it should be", Cormac says.
Now in the last week of hectic rehearsal for the Drama Circle's production of "Juno and the Paycock", which opens next week, Cormac is as infectiously enthusiastic as ever. A perfectionist, he says he would be hell to work with as a director, because he would be so demanding. "I'm not an easy person in rehearsal, because I have certain standards which I set for myself and which I like others to match. If you're charging people good money to come in and watch, and they are considerate enough to come and see you, then you owe it to them to give it your best shot. I don't think that's too much to ask of anyone". He has great time for the play's director, Frankie Brannigan, and others he mentions as heroes include Kathleen O' Hara, the late Paddy Dooney ("the best actor I have ever worked with"), Eddie Fitzpatrick and Liam Mc Kinney. "I don't think the drama community in any other town in the country could afford to lose men of that calibre and still survive. It is a great tribute to those who carry on the tradition that is as strong as ever and long may it continue", he says.
If the Cap FitzAn interview with Robert Fitzpatrick by Jim Gray in The Sligo Champion, Showstopper Series, November 19th, 1993
He's the second youngest of the children born to Eddie and Joan Fitzpatrick, and although his father died when he was just seven years old, he has grown up with drama. Too young to have any vivid memories of his father's career on the stage, he is nevertheless fully acquainted with it. Even complete strangers take time out to remind him how good his father was. He doesn't need to be told about his mother. Last week's splendid "Blithe Spirit", which she directed, bore ample testimony to her abiding talent. Robert is obviously quite proud of his heritage. The sadness of knowing that he can never work with his father - "one of my great regrets" - is offset by the prospect of one day playing a role under the direction of his mother. He's even got the play pencilled in his diary. It is Willie Russell's "Blood Brothers", and in his mind's eye, he sees himself playing the lead role with Joan Fitzpatrick as the Director. "I really want that to happen. It could take a few years, but I think we'll do it. I'm so serious about it that I've even got the casting worked out. It would be one of the greatest shows ever staged in Sligo", he enthuses.
Robert bears an uncanny physical resemblance to his late father. It's not uncommon for members of an audience to seek him out after a show and tell him this. It's as if his presence on stage has unlocked a memory bank for those who remember the late Eddie Fitzpatrick at his best. Robert finds the comparisons flattering rather than upsetting. "If anyone was ever to tell me I was as good an actor as my father it would be the ultimate compliment. I'm aware of the strong physical resemblance, and I think it struck a chord with older people who saw me as Christy Mahon in The Playboy last year, because that's one of the parts for which my father is particularly well remembered. I'm sure it will happen again that I play a part which he played all those years ago, and comparisons will invariably be made. But that doesn't worry me in the slightest. People will still judge me on my own merits", he says.
Given his background, it was inevitable that he would end up on the stage. He can't remember a time when life didn't revolve around the theatre. "Even as very young children, we were dragged to the Town Hall, where we would serve coffee in plastic cups to members of the cast and the audience. We were always brought along, and I have very vivid memories of the excitement of it all. From that very early age, it was something we all wanted to be involved in", he recalls. It was in the blood, of course, and the propensity for acting was nurtured in his mother's Speech and Drama classes. A regular winner at Feiseanna, and an automatic inclusion in school plays, Robert Fitzpatrick caught the bug very early. And his performances were not confined to formal surroundings. He recalls how, as a cheeky nine year old, he would set up an impromptu stage on the garden wall and entertain American tourists as they walked towards town from Jury's Hotel (now Sligo Park Hotel). Maybe it was when the amused and perhaps bemused visitors started to part with the dollars that he first realised the lure of professional acting!
However, as inevitably happens, teenage years brought other interests. "I suppose I was more interested in chatting up the girls than learning lines for a play, so I decided it was a bit cissyish and I just left it there", Robert explains. But he always knew it would be merely a temporary break. The return to entertainment came during a spell working as a barman in Ashford Castle eight years ago. When the "star turn" would take a break, Robert would be called upon to fill in with a joke or a song, or a bit of poetry reading. Before too long, his spot was more eagerly awaited than that of the billed act. He loved every minute of it. He even got a role as an "extra" in an episode of Pierce Brosnan's "Remington Steele" which was filmed at the Castle.
He later moved to London, where he joined the Irish Drama and Folk Dance Company, and was paid for a tour of Irish clubs throughout Britain. The experience was a great educator. He auditioned for drama college, and was accepted, but the fees proved prohibitive. So he continued to act part time, working on the craft and extracting maximum enjoyment from it. He eventually returned to Sligo last year, and had been home only three weeks when he was offered the part of Christ Mahon in the Half Door Company's musical production of "The Playboy", which ran for five successful weeks at the Hawk's Well. It was Robert's first singing part since a college opera in Summerhill, and his first time ever on the boards of the Hawk's Well. But he played a stormer. "It was the longest run of any play in the Hawk's Well up to that point, so it broke new ground and people might have been worried whether we would get tired or fed up with it. But you don't ever get tired on stage. Every night is a fresh challenge. Anyone who gets tired or bored by the stage shouldn't really be on it in the first place", he says.
He says his part in "The Playboy" was an announcement that he was back in circulation and available for any role any company wished to throw at him. He even got a few gigs as a stand-up comedian - which he thoroughly enjoys - at private parties. Coolera Dramatic Society took heed of the "announcement" giving him a role in their Christmas Panto, "Sinbad", last year. It was a memorable experience. "It was absolutely fantastic. Coolera is a fabulous group to work with, and Panto is every actor's dream because you have a licence to do virtually anything on stage, within reason. "It's a great medium for letting yourself go. And the ad-libbing is unbelievable. You never know, for instance, what Brian Devaney will come up with next. I'm sure if a person went to see that show in the first week and went back again in the final week they would have seen two completely different shows. That's the magic of Panto", Robert says.
His next work, "On the Outside", co-produced by Sligo Drama Circle and the Drama Society of the RTC, marked a personal milestone in that it was his first part with the Drama Circle, with whom his parents had made so many memorable performances over the years. But his greatest challenge was in John Kavanagh's "No Comet Seen" earlier this year. As he prepares for the short re-run of the play next week, Robert wonders if the play got the recognition it deserved locally. "As far as I'm concerned, this is a piece of theatrical history for Sligo, and the region should be proud of it. It's written by a Sligoman; it has a completely local cast; the technical people are all Sligo people, and its premier performance is in a local theatre. And on top of all that, it's a brilliant piece of work. I know that sounds presumptuous coming from a member of the cast, but I can honestly say that every single person involved in the project has done a first class job. Some day, I hope, the play will get the recognition it deserves", he says.
As well as "No Comet Seen" Robert is currently working in rehearsal for this year's Panto which opens next month, and in the early stages of preparation for Brian Friel's "Translations", which the Coolera group is staging in the new year. In the real world, he's a salesman with local computer company Compupac, and while he obviously loves the job - he tied up a neat bit of business even as we spoke - he makes no secret of his longing to be a professional actor. "If any amateur actor says he wouldn't love to do it for a living he is being less than honest with himself. What could be better than being paid for something which we all love to do for nothing. It would be something of a dream come true as far as I'm concerned", he concedes.
He hasn't forgotten those summer evenings on the garden wall when his one man show enthralled the American tourists, and now he's planning to repeat the performance in a more formal setting. "I'm hoping to get something together for local hotels next summer. What I have in mind is a small cabaret with a bit of storytelling, poetry, songs and maybe even a dance or two. I've spoken to a few hoteliers, and the reaction so far has been positive, so hopefully it will come off", he says. As we part, Robert remembers something he meant to tell me. "Oh by the way, I nearly forgot. I once posed for "Playboy" centre-spread. Great job!" I'm not sure whether he was serious. But I wouldn't put it past him. Not so much a chip off the old block, as a unique mould. Great crack.
Ann-Marie's Hectic ScheduleAn interview with Ann-Marie Byrne by Jim Gray in The Sligo Champion, Showstopper Series, November 12th, 1993
No wonder, the Donegal-born schoolteacher is contemplating a well-earned rest with some relish. "It will be nice to relax after Blithe Spirit finishes its run, but that's not to say that I intend to be inactive for very long. I would be reluctant to rush into so many different things as I have done in the past - I've sometimes been involved with three different projects at the one time - but, on the other hand, I couldn't imagine life without the drama at this stage. I'm not the sort of person who could sit down for very long anyway, and this is the perfect outlet for me. I'm totally hooked", she concedes.
Ann-Marie has vivid memories of her only childhood stage appearance as a "very ugly wooden soldier" in a play called "The Doll's Wedding" when she was about ten years old, and she didn't venture onto the boards again until her teenage years in a school production of "Joseph", which, ironically, was produced by none other than Joan Fitzpatrick, who renews her association with Ann-Marie as Director of "Blithe Spirit". Despite the lack of stage work, there was always music in her formative years. Her late father was a noted traditional musician, and Ann-Marie recalls that she was "always a bit of a singer", a permanent fixture in school and community choirs. At Carysfort College, during her teacher training years, she was a member of the Dublin Jazz Verse Choir.
Four years after coming to live in Sligo, she responded to an advertisement in the Social and Personal columns of The Sligo Champion for auditions for a Fun Company show. Her husband, local auctioneer, Declan Byrne, was heavily involved in triathlon sports, their two children, Andrea and Raymond, were at an age where "the stay up all night" phase had passed, and Ann-Marie saw the possibility of a hobby of her own. "When I saw the advert, it struck me that here's an outley which might be of interest, but I don't think I ever suspected it was to become such a major part of my life", she recalls. Although she had a small part in "Superstar", it was sufficient to get the adrenalin going. "I was truly amazed at the level of professionalism involved in the Fun Company. The singing part was easy for me, but I hadn't an earthly about the dancing, and nobody was more amazed than myself when I discovered that I could actually get up on the stage and sing and dance in that way. In that regard, all the credit is due to Mary Mc Donagh, whose own confidence radiates confidence in those who work with her", she recalls.
The other equally important aspect of her involvement in the drama movement was the path it provided to lasting friendships. "I have to admit that I found it difficult to make friends when I first came to Sligo, but since my involvement in the local drama scene I have met fantastic friends. That's one of the great values of local drama groups", she says. Her first big part was in the Fun Company's "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" in which she played the female lead. She was offered the part shortly before going on holidays, which meant she missed the early rehearsals, and had only twelve days with the rest of the cast before opening. "I took the script on holiday with me and read it every day. In those circumstances, I was very apprehensive about doing it, but to my own amazement, I got through it and it went very well". No sooner had "Seven Brides" finished its run when she was back in rehearsal for "Calamity Jane", and this was followed some months later by the Fun Company's Extension One production of "Tomfoolery".
Her first stab at straight acting, albeit in a musical context, was in the Half Door production of "Playboy of the Western World", in which she played the Widow Quinn. "This was something different to anything I had done before, and I had to work very hard at developing the character. It was my first taste of a really meaty role, and it was a great challenge. I enjoyed it so much that I decided I would like to do more of this type of work", Ann-Marie recalls. But it was back to the more familiar type-casting for one of her all-time favourite roles as Sandy in the Fun Company's "Grease" last year. "Physically, this was one of the most demanding of all the Fun Company shows, but we had a great time doing it. I had been a teenager in the 70's myself, and I remember the wild excitement that the Grease movie generated, and doing the show brought all that back for me. It was terrific fun, and we all got a great kick out of it".
Her first part in a production without music was in the Drama Circle's "On the Inside / On the Outside" by Tom Murphy, in which she played a "neurotic, spinster schoolteacher". This was acting with a capital A. "Although it was a relatively small part in terms of lines, it was integral to the story, and there was a continuous stage presence. Not only was it my first pure acting role, but the part was so different. This person was totally alien to my own personality, and I had to really work hard to find the character. All through rehearsal, I felt uncomfortable about it and there were many times when I wanted to forget about it. It wasn't until dress rehearsal that I finally began to feel the part, and thankfully, it worked well on stage".
This summer's Half Door production, "Inish", in which she played a middle-aged hotelier, further broadened the acting experience, and she's now back with the Drama Circle, busily putting the finishing touches to preparations for next week's opening of "Blithe Spirit". "It's an upper class English farce, in which I play a rather charming, mischievous spirit. It's a very funny play, and with Joan Fitzpatrick directing a cast which includes people such as John Gaffney, Denise Burns, John Legge, Maureen Barry and Ann Brady, it should be well worth seeing.
Class ActAn interview with Maria Mc Dermottroe by Jim Gray in The Sligo Champion, Showstopper Series, July 9th, 1993
She has vivid memories of early encouragement from her father. "I remember doing "Sight Unseen", directed by Gerry Westby. I was only six years old, but I can vividly recall my father constantly encouraging me, and trying to teach me how to play to an audience. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and although I couldn't have known it then, that's probably where the bug started", she said. The "bug" has carried her a long way - from the courageous decision to abandon a secure teaching career to wide acclaim as the central character in Brian Friel's award-winning "Dancing at Lughnasa". Lughnasa was a landmark in a career that is at last benefitting from years of solid hard work and dedication. It was a prestige part to land, a confidence builder in its own right, but it was also a massive challenge. The original cast had swept the boards on Broadway; it was always going to be a hard act to follow. But 241 performances later - including a five month, eight performance a week stint in Australia - Maria is satisfied that the challenge has been met.
"It was a daunting task to live up to the success of the original cast, and I suppose initially, we were all a bit conscious of that. But I have to say I think we did a pretty good job, and the reaction from audiences and from critics bears that out", she says. The hard work had its compensations, however, not the least of which was the opportunity to bring her children, Nora (12) and Gina (9) for a five month holiday in Australia. "It was a wonderful experience in itself. The kids went to school and got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience a lifestyle that would otherwise be totally foreign to them. That was a real bonus. I also discovered how well my brother, Conor, was doing out there. He's done a lot of movie work in Australia, and I became known as 'Conor Mc Dermottroe's sister', which was a bit of a change of roles, but nice all the same".
It was all a far cry from her early years on the stage, a period of her life which she recalls fondly. "I did loads of plays with the Drama Circle, with people like Walter Mc Donagh and Liam Mc Kinney, who were major influences. We toured the festival circuit and picked up awards here and there, and all the time I was itching to give it a real go", she recalls. She spent three years teaching in Summerhill College before that "itch" became unbearable. Poignantly, it was a tragic event which finally triggered her decision. "A close friend of mine died tragically at the age of 25 years, and that brought home to me that you only get one shot at this life. It's not a dress rehearsal, it's the real thing. So I plucked up the courage, took the bull by the horns, and said 'here goes'", she explains.
Her first step into the world of professionals was as a temporary Assistant Stage Manager at the Gate Theatre during the summer holidays. She returned to Summerhill at the start of the new school term in September, but shortly afterwards cam the break she had been hoping for when she was offered the A.S.M. job on a full-time basis. She didn't have to asked twice. But it was far from glamorous, and Maria quickly realised that she had a lot to learn. The job entailed sweeping the stage, walking the streets looking for suitable props for whatever production happened to be in need of same, and carrying out whatever other basic requirements were necessary. It was a massive change from teaching, and it was totally without security, but this was where she wanted to be. "It was like starting all over again, learning from scratch, and really, this profession is a constant learning process. I'm still learning. That's the way it should be. You never know enough", she maintains.
Although content that her job at the Gate was at least a start, Maria's unqualified ambition was to be an actress, and her big break came when she was cast by the renowned and revered Hilton Edwards, in his production of "The Merchant of Venice". "I could hardly believe this was happening. I was only a couple of months at the Gate and here I was with a good professional part and being directed by Hilton Edwards. It was literally a dream come true", Maria recalls. If that was fame of sorts, notoriety was just around the corner. She was offered a part in "Equus" which gave her the distinction of playing the first full nude scene on an Irish stage. It was obviously a very difficult decision. "I agonised long and hard over it", she confesses. "In the end, despite some insidious objections, I knew I had made the right decision. It was sensitively handled, and very tastefully done. I have no regrets about doing the show, and it turned out to be a great success".
Since then, Maria has rarely been out of work. Television and film work - including John Huston's "The Dead" - followed, as well as acclaimed stage work with Druid and the Abbey. But Maria knows there is never any guarantees about the future. "You're only as good as your last part", she declares. "There are no certainties in this game. But I've been very fortunate so far and, hopefully, that will continue". At present, Maria is playing to packed houses in J. B. Keane's "The Chastitute" at Dublin's Gaiety Theatre. "It's a light, funny play, ideal for summer audiences. It's completely different from my role in Lughnasa, but all the better for that. It's a barrel of laughs, and has been going down very well so far, thank God", she says.
There are a few options in the pipeline after "The Chastitute" but nothing definite. "That's part of the job, never knowing where the next one is coming from. It can be a problem, but I'm not complaining. You can take it that I have no plans to go back to the teaching", Maria laughs. As a product of the amateur drama movement in Sligo, Maria Mc Dermottroe is a credit to her tutors and to her native town.
Columb's ColumnsAn interview with Columb Mc Bride by Jim Gray in The Sligo Champion, Showstopper Series, July 2nd, 1993
The soft northern accent indicates that he's not a native Sligonian, though he has lived here now for nearly twenty years and is immersed in the community, not alone through drama but in other spheres as well. But that accent is slightly misleading because, in fact, Columb was born in Dublin. But that's not even half the story. His early childhood was spent in Elphin, Co. Roscommon, before the family moved to Ballycastle, Co. Antrim, and later to Belfast.
It was as a teenager in Belfast that he first contracted the drama bug. Former friends from the Ballycastle Youth Club came to Belfast to perform a play, and Columb's loyalty dictated that he should go along to lend support. He was, as they say, "bowled over", and to such an extent that he went back to his own youth club and demanded that they form a drama group. And so the Holy Family Youth Club made its dramatic debut with "Uncle Dan" in 1956. The programme is still in mint condition, and as he surveys the cast, Columb takes great pride in revealing that two of the players, Marcus Mulholland and Maureen Dow have gone on to become professional actors. Another member of the group, who did not win a part in that first production, was Oliver Maguire, who is now well known to television soap fans as the grumpy pub owner in RTE's "Fair City".
Columb continued acting for a few more years, but when he left Belfast to work in Dublin for nine years, the interest waned. A job, a wife, a young family and a mortgage provided enough real-life drama. It wasn't until he came to live in Sligo in the early seventies that the spark was re-kindled. He recalls being at a function in the Sligo Park Hotel and, for the sake of conversation amongst new people who happened to be members of the local drama circle, he casually remarked that he had done some acting as a young fella. Two days later, a man he had never met before marched into the bank where he worked and made him an offer he couldn't refuse. "I believe you do a bit of acting", was Liam Mc Kinney's introductory remark. It was the beginning of what was to become a close friendship, with Columb unswerving in his respect for a man he says was "Years ahead of his time". He goes further. There would not be a theatre in Sligo today but for Liam Mc Kinney - and that comes from a man who was closer to the coal-face of the Theatre for Sligo campaign which was eventually to pave the way for the establishment of the Hawk's Well.
Columb's first play with the Drama Circle was Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men", directed by Liam Mc Kinney, in 1973. And what a cast - Mickey Kilcoyne, Cormac Sheridan, Lionel Gallagher, Padraig Foran, Frank Brannigan, Manus Shields, John Caheny, Dee Gallagher, George Molloy. Interestingly, Messers Kilcoyne and Caheny were also making their inaugural appearance in that play. Columb still has the adjudicator's report from one leg of the festival circuit, in which his portrayal of "Slim" is described as a "beautifuly relaxed, sensitive performance". It is an accolade which could be applied to practically every role he has played since, for sensitivity and unflappable assurance are among his chief attributes as an actor. He needed to call on his entire range of ability in his next play for the Drama Circle in 1974, "Men Without Shadows", which was so realistically brutal that its success was gauged by the number of people who walked out during performance, unable to take any more.
"It was a French play about members of the Resistance being interrogated by the Nazis, and we did it in an Irish context. It was very realistic, very brutal and every night there would be people walking out. It got to the stage where we were judging how good we were by the numbers who left before the finish", Columb recalls. Again, there was a top class line-up, with Tony Wehrly making a rare but memorable appearance, and Maria Mc Dermottroe and Robert Burnside joining the regulars. It swept the boards on the festival circuit, winning awards and critical acclaim in equal measure.
It was about this time that the Theatre for Sligo campaign began, the main fund-raising being undertaken in summer theatre which fully stretched the energy and imagination of the Drama Circle. For instance, in a four months spell in 1976, the Drama Circle produced no fewer than eight plays. Not only does such an output underline the massive contribution which the group made to the theatre campaign, but it also testifies to the healthy state of amateur drama in the area in the 1970s. In any event, Sligo eventually got its theatre, perhaps not in the way the early pioneers originally envisaged, but Columb is happy that the work of those people, particularly Liam Mc Kinney, has been acknowledged.
As well as his long list of work with the Drama Circle, Columb has also played with Everyman, the Sligo Musical Society and the Fun Company, adding singing parts to his repertoire along the way. "I'm no great singer", he confesses,. "Even now, I can see the rest of the cast waiting nervously to see if I'm going to hit the right note". Each show has been memorable in its own right, so its unfair to ask him to nominate a favourite - he has clearly loved and enjoyed them all. But certain shows do stand out He recalls the Drama Circle's "A Man for All Seasons", performed outdoors on a specially constructed stage in the Retreat House grounds. Meticulous in his planning, Liam Mc Kinney had consulted the Met Office and had been sufficiently re-assured to press ahead with the show at the end of May. It rained the proverbial cats and dogs, and the set was blown down in a gale one night. Nonetheless, it proved extremely popular with the punters, so a re-run was organised. No chances were taken this time, however. An indoor arena was found at Summerhill College. Guess what? The sun split the stones for the entire run.
Other favourite roles include the Drama Circle's "Antigone", the last play they toured with; Everyman's "Translations" and "A Crucial Week in the Life of a Grocer's Assistant", which toured London. And there's a special place in the memory book for the Fun Company's "Annie", in which he played the lovable "Daddy Warbucks", in both the 1985 and 1992 productions. In all, a total audience of nearly 10,000 have seen him in that role. He's currectly appearing in the Half Door Production Company's summer offering "Inish" at the Hawk's Well and, true to for, is loving every minute of it. "It's a first class show for tourists and locals alike", he says. "It's light, bouncy entertainment with some really catchy tunes which people will be whistling leaving the theatre".
In the real world, Columb works as the supervisor on a FÁS scheme at the Hawk's Well. For a man devoted to theatre, this must surely constitute a glimpse of paradise. And nobody deserves it more.
Walter's WorldAn interview by Jim Gray in The Sligo Champion, Showstopper Series, June 11th, 1993
Walter was born and grew up in Strokestown. Although there was no family connection with drama, he started acting at a very young age "because there as nothing else to do". With a group of friends, he formed the "Saint Asicus Players", which he reckons lasted for no more than a year. One of their achievements, however, was to present a play at the Western Drama Festival in Tubbercurry in only its second year. He also recalls playing Judas in a Passion Play for the adult dramatic society in Strokestown, a role he was to repeat with the Bernadette Players in Sligo some years later. Although Walter doubts if that young Strokestown group was any good, it must have had some merit because a couple of its members went on to act professionally, and one of them is now a television producer in Canada. Walter's road to Sligo, meanwhile was rather circuitous. He went to Dublin's Clarence Hotel to train as a chef, but found it impossible to shake off that acting bug, and his spare time was spent attending courses at the Brendan Smith Acting Academy. During a hotel strike, he accepted an invitation to work with the CIE catering department for a short time. He was subsequently sent to Sligo for a month, and he's been here since.
A short time after arriving here, he was introduced to Charlie and Maggie Hughes, he Driving forces behind he Sligo Unknown Players. He recalls people such as Kay Guinane, Mary Mc Govern, John and Tom Mullaney, Gerry Westby and Eddie Mc Dermottroe being very active in the drama movement in those days. Their common interest in drama drew them together, and they have all been great friends ever since. "There's no doubt that an interest or involvement in drama is a great way of meeting people. One of the greatest advantages for anyone coming into a new town is to have been a member of a drama group or association. It breaks down barriers immediately, and its a great introduction to such a wide cross-section of people. It certainly helped me to settle in Sligo, and I'm sure the same could be said of many more people before me and since", he maintains.
The early involvement with the Unknown Players was also a great honour for the young actor, as he had heard of the fine reputation long before arriving in Sligo. As he took his place amongst the elite of the local drama movement, he could scarcely have imagined that he was to become such a major influence in his own right. The days of the Unknown Players were numbered, however. There was a split in the ranks over whether they should take plays on the festival circuit, and in 1956 a breakaway group formed what was to become the Sligo Drama Circle. Almost without knowing what was happening, Walter found himself directing the first production by the new group, "Thy Dear father". "I must have given them the impression that I knew what I was doing, but I couldn't believe they were asking me to direct their first play. It was new to me, and I found it very demanding. There was a bit of trial and error involved, but we must have got it nearly right because we got second place in the All-Ireland", Walter recalls. There have been numerous successes since that debut performance, as Walter went on to distinguish himself as both an actor and director, his reputation enhanced by the annual production of Yeats' plays for the Summer School students.
He says he likes acting and directing in equal measure, but he clearly enjoys the luxury of being directed by someone else. "Provided you get on well with the director, there's no problem. There may be times when I feel I would not have done a particular scene in a particular way, but you talk about it and you work it out. As a director you've got to learn every part in the play, so in effect you could be playing twelve different parts, and you've got to get them all right. As an actor, on the other hand, you can concentrate exclusively on your own role, and that makes it much easier", he says. While he enjoys reminiscing about the "good old days", he would not necessarily agree that things were any better then. It was easier to get people involved then, but the overall production wasn't as good, he believes. "You could get away with virtually anything in those days, whereas the theatre-going public today is much more perceptive and demanding. A good example of this is the fact that prompters were an integral part of a production in the early days, whereas nowadays the people on stage are expected not to make mistakes or have a blank. "Another big difference is the great difficulty these days in getting commitment from people. There are so many other attractions, and so many other things for people to do in their spare time. I wouldn't go as far as to say there is a danger that amateur drama could disappear - it will always be with us - but it is definitely more difficult than ever to get the necessary commitment from people".
One of his greatest pleasures these days is teaching youngsters the basic rudiments of the trade. "I'm a firm believer that drama can be a great confidence booster for youngsters, and it's more important than ever now, because communication is everything. I never look upon it in the sense of building a career for the kids, because trying to make stars out of children is a load of rubbish. The real importance is giving them that bit of self-confidence. If they can't speak up for themselves and express themselves, they are at an immediate disadvantage", he says. Walter's last stage appearance was in last year's Half Door Company's production of "The Playboy", directed by his daughter Mary. He declined an offer to appear in this year's summer show, and he has no definite plans for another stage appearance. Nonetheless, it would be inaccurate to say he's retired. The foot may be off the accelerator, but there's plenty of mileage left yet.
Deep Thinking from the "Tin ManAn interview by Jim Gray in The Sligo Champion, Showstopper Series, April 30th, 1993
The unique link between the college's Drama Society and the Sligo Drama Circle is being orchestrated by John Gaffney, a lecturer in the college who has so many strings to his bow that one wonders where he found the time. But we should be extremely grateful that he has, because the fusion of fresh talent uncovered on the college campus with the existing wealth of established ability in the town at large is one of the most exciting developments in local drama for many years. And John Gaffney, it would appear, was destined to be the man to make it possible. A native of Middleton, Co. Cork, he is already an award-winning playwright; a founder member of Sligo's first professional company, Sevenwoods; an actor of no mean repute; and a poet whose topical verse has won him a wide readership in "The Sligo Champion". John lectures in psychology, and unlike many whose involvement in drama offers a "switch-off from the real world, it appears that his association with theatre is an extension of his day-time job.
"I am attracted by the psychology of it all", he concedes. "It's a fascinating study in itself, to watch people become somebody else, to convince people to be somebody else. It's a dynamic process". Such analysis illustrates that John Gaffney is a "deep thinker" on the subject - no mere scratching on the surface here. And yet, it wasn't until he came to live in Sligo in 1979 that he began to take drama seriously. In fact, he had caught the drama bug early in life, but it had been dormant for many years before being re-awakened by the cultural vibes which inhabit Sligo and which have inspired many a great man and woman through generations. As a youngster growing up in Middleton he was a regular performer in variety shows organised by his uncle to entertain those who had given up everything else for the Holy Season of Lent.
"We had a variety troupe which would put on all sorts of shows, and I would play guitar and banjo and sing a few songs. I graduated from there to pop groups and rock 'n roll, whatever happened to be 'in' at the time. I was fascinated by it even hen", he recalls. Strangely, though, the fascination waned during his days at UCC, where he blissfully ignored the campus drama society and all things associated with it. Six years working in Dublin did nothing to spark the creative flame. "I'm not a city person, so I was never really happy in Dublin. My wife, Joy and I, came to Sligo in search of the sense of close community that we had grown up with, and, by and large, we have found it", he explains. That sense of community encourages artistic expression moreso than the anonymity of a big city, and for the first time since his teens John was able to explore his talent as a performer.
He was still very raw when he won a part in Sligo Drama Circle's production of a Seán O' Casey play. He was asked if he would like to 'read' for the part, and he admits that he didn't understand the term. Nonetheless, he took to it like the proverbial duck to water, and he hasn't looked back since. "The old flame was suddenly re-discovered. It was thrilling to find how much I enjoyed it, and it has a hold on me since", he says. The early singing experience came in handy when he played "The Tin Man" in Sligo Fun Company's production of "The Wiz" - he even learned to dance - and he went on to do more plays with the Drama Circle, finding the whole process an education in itself. He made it onto the silver screen as a solicitor in Liam Mc Kinney's highly acclaimed film "Vandals" as part of the RTE Community Access Television series.
He joined Frank Conway, John O' Dea and others in setting up Sligo's first professional theatre company, Sevenwoods, and appeared in its first production, "Blood Wedding". Although Sevenwoods has not survived, John feels passionately that Sligo needs its own professional company. "Sevenwoods didn't work out mainly because the financial constraints were burdensome. It cost us £15,000 to mount a show and trying to find that sort of money without any significant help from the Arts Council, was a major problem for us. We lacked management experience". Despite that experience, he believes Sligo could support a professional company, provided it was adequately supported by the Arts Council and attached to the Hawk's Well. "It's a pity that a company wasn't set up in conjunction with the Hawk's Well from the beginning. The Druid company is a perfect example of how successful such an arrangement can be, and it has also happened in such places like Waterford, Limerick and most recently, Kilkenny. There is a huge commitment to drama in Sligo and, therefore, I'm convinced a professional company could survive".
Drawing on his experience with the Sevenwoods project, John rejuvenated the Drama Society in the Regional College, taking it "by the scruff of the neck", and breathing life into it. There was a willing response from the student body, particularly from the females who are much more demonstrative and less inhibited than their male counterparts, according to John. Success wasn't long coming. The society scooped a bagful of awards at festivals throughout the country, and won three major awards in the NWR Radio Play competition, including "Best Playwright" award for John for his play "Loss", which dealt with the traumatic subject of a child's death. "Thankfully, I have not gone through that experience in my own family, but I know a couple who have, and I tapped into their story. I think it's a nightmare which haunts all parents", he says.
In any event, encouraged by the blossoming talent of the RTC students, John approached the Drama Circle with his idea of a joint project, and the response was totally positive. He heaps praise on the college's Dramatic Society chairperson, Yvonne Kennedy, for the trojan work she has done in bringing the dream to reality. The results of all the endeavour are on public view at the Hawk's Well this week with twelve students from the college joining with names such as Columb Mc Bride, Nora Ryan, Ursula Smullen, Ann Marie Byrne and Siobhán Dooney in John's production of "On the Outside, On the Inside". It's a big test for the students, but it's a big challenge for John Gaffney, too, in his first major role as producer. "I have found it tense, because I would have very different views on how it should be done and I'm working with a lot of people who have done it all before. But we're all striving for perfection, and I'm quite satisfied that we have come up with a very entertaining show", he says.
The story has a "Ballroom of Romance" type setting in Ireland, 1958, a period which marked the end of an era in the development of the nation. The swinging sixties were just around the corner, and things have never been the same since. "The play itself is a very good education for the students, because it makes very strong statements about the Ireland of that time. But, generally, their involvement in drama is a great educator for them, particularly since the RTC would have a profile of being a very hard, technical sort of place. These students are proving that the college has a contribution to make to the cultural life of Sligo as well, and I think that's important", John declares.
Love of Drama a Family AffairAn interview by Paul Deering in The Sligo Champion, Showstopper Series, April 9th, 1993
Lionel says that with such talent it was no surprise to see the play sweep the boards in all the regional festivals that followed but cruelly, because of illness, the Drama Circle could not compete in the All-Ireland Drama Festival in Athlone that year. If he missed out on Athlone in those early days, Lionel certainly made up for it a few years later. In 1970 he played the newsboy in "A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams which captured the coveted Esso Trophy. The play was directed by Liam Mc Kinney. In 1962 Lionel himself directed "My Three Angels" which won several regional awards and which came second in the All-Ireland final, losing by just one mark to Newry's "Our Town", a play incidentally which was directed by the SDLP's Seamus Mallon. There was some consolation for the Sligo group in that the Best Actor Award was shared between Paddy Dooney, Eddie Fitzpatrick and Brian Bohan which was unique at the time and hasn't happened since.
Lionel has directed and acted in many plays since, though he doesn't hesitate when asked to choose between the two. "I prefer acting now. Directing is a much more demanding activity because you are totally responsible for everything, from the first rehearsal to the final curtain", he says. Lionel doesn't need to be asked twice to recall other highlights from his distinguished career, and a trip to the US in 1989 stands out in particular. It was his first acting trip to America and was in a production of O' Casey's "Juno and the Paycock" which was directed by Walter Mc Donagh. Lionel played Joxer and the two performances they gave in St. Louis, Missouri went down a treat. A review in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch described Lionel's performance as rich and superior. "Gallagher is just wonderful", wrote the reviewer. "It was a fantastic experience. We even had what they call over there an "After-Glow Party" in which members of the public paid $10 each just to have a drink with the cast", he says.
Every actor gets the acting bug somewhere and for Lionel he caught it in Carrick-on-Shannon where there's a strong tradition with the Breffni Players. He carried it with him when he went to University College Cork where his love of the stage was enhanced by the many plays and operas he saw there. Even during the summer vacations, Lionel was never far from a theatre. "I remember one summer working as a deckchair man in Blackpool and I got to see almost every show free because I used to let the chorus girls and actors sit without charge in the seats during the day", he laughs. He also made trips to London.
Lionel, who is now Vice-Principal of the Grammar School in Sligo, took his first teaching job in Sandymount High School, Dublin and became good friends with a theatre critic working for one of the nationals. He says he often wrote reviews for the critic whom he won't name, and says the experience gave him a different perspective on theatre. He says that if he was starting out all over again, he might consider having a go at being a professional in the business. He doesn't regret staying amateur, however, and the fact that so many of his own family are now involved professionally in the acting world makes up for any tinges of regret no matter how small they are at this stage. One of Lionel's two daughters, Fionnuala, is a director and actress with the Blue Raincoat Company based at the Factory and his other daughter, Darina, is studying at Trinity College and is currently on an external year at University in Berlin. His wife, Joan, is never far away from a stage either, with Lionel describing her as being great with costumes.
Lionel's two sons are also involved. Conor is a graphic designer and produced posters for many local and professional groups wile Fergal does some acting wile attending Queen's University, Belfast. The only member of the family to give the business a skip in later life was Cliodna, who is currently in London. At one stage Lionel and his daughter Darina acted in the same play. Darina played the name part in "Sive" while he played the role of Seán Dota. They also performed together in the Fun Company's production of "Annie". He says it was a nice experience and that strong family connections are one of the good things about the theatre in Sligo. He lists the Mc Kinneys, Mc Donaghs, Dooneys, Mc Dermottroes as examples. "Once the parents get hooked on the stage, I think the kids are attracted and though they might reject it for a while, they nearly always come back to it", he says.
Before moving on to discuss theatre in Sligo, he recalls a funny experience in the good old days in the Town Hall when anything was likely to happen and often did. On one occasion he had just arrived back in Sligo from a holiday in Denmark. It was a Thursday night so he made his way to the Town Hall. On Tuesdays and Thursdays during the summer there would always be some play on. As he made his way up the steps he met Walter Mc Donagh who told him that an actor had left at short notice and that he'd have to play the part. "You're the right size to fit the costume", he was told, being pointed backstage. To his horror the only costume backstage was a dress. "Yes, that's it, we're doing the 'Magic Glasses' and we're using males to play the parts of the two aunts", he was told.
"So out went Lionel in a dress, which was bad enough, but he didn't even know the play, let alone what lines he had to utter. It was the ultimate acting nightmare. Jeff Rose was playing the other aunt and he told him to follow what he said and repeat some of it and that they would get through all right. "Thank God it was only a one-act play and I don't think anyone noticed too much. But by the following Tuesday I had the part off by heart and had the clothes adjusted to fit me", he says. In those days he found it easier to learn his lines. "I'm finding it a bit more difficult as I get older. If you can get the rhythm of the lines and listen for the cue you can make it a lot easier", he says.
Lionel feels that the opening of the Hawk's Well has had a marvellous revolutionising effect on the acting scene in Sligo. He says it sets off the town like no other in the locality and says perhaps Sligo people don't sufficiently realise how valuable an asset it is. Lionel, who is on the Board of Directors, emphasises that the Hawk's Well is a fully professional theatre that provides live entertainment all year round. He feels that the theatre gives an outlet to the talent being fostered locally by the drama schools and in the Feis. He praises the Fun Company for giving young people a chance to express themselves. Lionel believes that the theatre has also led to the growth of professional theatre in the region with groups like the Blue Raincoats and Seven Woods. It's also a home for other groups like Coolera, Everyman and the Drama Circle. He states that the mix of professional and local groups at the Hawk's Well is a positive one. The standard has to be very good from local groups because of the comparisons with the professional groups who visit. The professionals though might have done one hundred shows by the time they get here and everything is ready and polished on opening night, whereas the local groups might be on for just a week and that puts them under a lot of pressure, but they are meeting that challenge pretty well", he says.
He lists Brian Friel and Seán O Casey as his favourite playwrights. He adds that it is very rewarding to direct a Friel play if the timing and balance of the characters is got right. It's been a long time since 1959 and Lionel has certainly got the timing and balance of many a character right in the meantime.
Recalling Drama Days - Award Winner on Sligo GloryBy Mary Gaffney, The Sligo Weekender, February 8th, 1991
"The first play I did in Sligo was "The Righteous Are Bold" with the late Charlie and Margaret Hughes", Kay said. "In the cast were Paddy Thornton, who had the most beautiful baritone voice I ever heard, Dan Mc Cormack, Mary Mc Govern, Padraig Foran and Jill Noone. We took the play to drama festivals in Enniskillen, Cavan and Galway. Charlie and Margaret Hughes kept the flag flying for amateur theatre in Sligo in the toughest of times and I feel there should be some little recognition of the work they did for drama. I loved the Unknown Players. They did beautiful plays like 'The Barretts of Wimpole Street' and 'Pygmalion' which we would rehearse in freezing cold in the Town and Gillooly Halls. We did a lot of concerts across the border travelling on the bus train to Enniskillen. My husband was before his time because he took care of the children for me when I took part in plays and feiseanna. I won the Perpetual Dramatic Cup six times at Feis Shligigh and Feis Ceoil with different sketches."
Other Sligo people with whom Kay acted were Aileen Harte, Alfie Rochford - his Shylock was fantastic - Walter Mc Donagh who produced the Colleen Bawn in 1961 as a tribute to Charlie and Margaret Hughes, Brian Bohan, Eddie Mc Dermottroe, Joan Fitzpatrick, Doreen Tracey, Michael Feeney, Vivian Francis, Dan Molloy, Catherine Lappin, Ronald Perry, Maria Mc Dermottroe, Lottie Burke and Mary Owens. "I hope I will be forgiven if I omitted any of my actor friends", Kay pleaded. "But I must mention Jim Wynne, producer and founder member of the Unknowns - I wish some group had kept on the name. There was also Fr. Kerrigan in Summerhill College who produced marvellous Shakespearean plays - John and Tom Mullaney were the best Shakespearean actors I have ever seen on stage". Kay later joined the Bernadette Players formed by Gerry Westby who produced such plays as 'Rebecca' and 'Jane Eyre'. He also produced 'Sight Unseen', the story of Lourdes, at the Holy Well, in 1958. "It was magic", Kay recalled. "The lighting, the work of Kevin Murray, was beautiful, and the natural slope of the Holy Well was ideal for the play. People came in bus loads and we did ten performances and matinees during which the rain poured down. But we kept on. I also joined the Passing Players and the Sligo Drama Circle. With the Players we won an All-Ireland and a one-act play 'The Passing' and every festival on the circuit with that play and 'The Pot of Broth'".
Kay has made many television appearances and was an Alderman of Sligo Corporation for one term in 1973. "I could not afford to go forward again", she said. In the early '80s, through the Widows Association, Kay raised up to £6,000 for various charities. "When I was hospitalised it all fell through, but it is one of the achievements of which I am very proud". Kay has four children. "They are a wonderful family but sadly their father, who died in his early fifties, did not live to see them married". Before finishing her reminiscences Kay made special mention of the Burns and Palmer productions formed by Joe Burns and the late Tom Palmer, Jenny Ballantyne-Koss and Seamus Maguire who accompanied her on the violin while she recited 'The Ballad of Moll Magee' in Lisadell House during RTE's first outside broadcast. "That night, with Kathleen Watkins heading the bill in the presence of the late Lady Gore Booth, was the most exciting of my dramatic career", Kay said.
Dramatic MemoriesBy Kay Guinane, The Sligo Champion, July 24th, 1987
I have unearthed some old programmes and find myself amazed at the variety and quality of the plays we tackled, keeping in mind the limitations of the Gilhooly Hall and the Town Hall and our inability to afford a place for rehearsals. I am sure there are many in Sligo who will recall "Pygmalion", "She Stoops To Conquer", "The Rugged Path", "The Barretts of Wimpole Street", "The Far-Off Hills", "The Money Doesn't Matter" "Arsenic and Old Lace", "Pride and Prejudice", "Charlie's Aunt", "Crabbed Youth and Age", "The Righteous Are Bold", "Professor Tim", "The White-Headed Boy", "Shadow and Substance", "Is the Priest At Home?" - to name but a few. It was the custom in those days to have a "curtain-raiser" before the main show. This could be a one act play or a thirty minute variety concert. Very often the same personnel appeared in both! The whole idea was to give value for money. After all, the front of house seats cost all of three and sixpence, bookable at Brodericks, which was then situated at the opposite side of O' Connell Street.
The Bernadette Players were formed by the late Gerry Westby, some time in the late forties I think. He asked me to do the part of "Grace Poole" in his production of "Jane Eyre" which was staged in February 1951. I also played Mrs. Bramson in "Night Must Fall" and "Mrs. Danvers" in "Rebecca". Gerry favoured costume plays and was a stickler for authenticity in costumes and sets. His other productions included "The Blind Wolf", "Ladies in Retirement", "Ill Met By Moonlight", "See How They Run" and "Blythe Spirit" etc. His most spectacular production was that of his own play "Sight Unseen", which was performed in the moth of May, 1958 at the Holy Well, Sligo. Tom Palmer and Joe Burns were the co-producers of this mammoth undertaking for which a huge amphitheatre was constructed, elaborate lighting and amplification installed, seating and sanitation etc. Special bus loads came from all surrounding counties and from as far away as Galway and Athlone. It was the most ambitious show ever undertaken in my time and it was truly memorable. Sligo String Orchestra and Sligo Oratorio Society were involved in this lovely show. 1958 was the centenary of the Lourdes apparitions and "Sight Unseen" told that story all over again, under the stars, and sometime the rain at Tobernault. If my memory serves me right, we did about ten performances including matinees. I should know, wasn't I the "Mother Superior".
There was a third very active group in Sligo around this time. I cannot remember its name but it was run by George O' Donnell and his wife Celia. Fr. Kerrigan in Summerhill College put on some splendid Shakespearian plays almost annually. We had the legendary B. & P. Productions, produced and scripted by Tom Palmer and Joe Burns, always staged around the Christmas period. They were slick colourful extravaganzas which appealed to every age group and packed the Gaiety Cinema twice nightly. No season was complete without an opera treat from Jenny Ballantine-Koss. Most of the drama people were involved in her shows which always carried that professional stamp even on opening night. Jenny is one of the hardest workers in the business. She is a perfectionist and it shows.
Which brings me to the Drama Circle. I am happy to say they evolved from The Unknowns. They are a splendid group with a long list of outstanding successes. They have an adventurous spirit which I admire. For instance, production was very much a closed book in the old days. There was one producer per group, full stop. Be he or she good or bad, the status of producer was a jealously guarded "rank", and dare any upstart try to usurp that office! Now the Drama Circle has a plethora of producers and I notice some of them are very young people. I think this is great. What better way is there to attract more young people to what must be the most rewarding and fascinating hobby of all. My appearance with the D.C. include "Philadelphia, Here I Come", "Juno and the Paycock", "J.B.", "the Colleen Bawn", "The Magic Glasses", "The Piedish", "The Pot of Broth", "Sive", "The Man Born To Be King". Unfortunately time and space does not permit me to dwell on our many excursions to festivals and feiseanna, the joys and heartaches of competition, the lengthy discussions, celebrations and postmortems that went on "ad nauseum" until dawn. This trip down memory lane is not without its sadness. Let me just say, there is an abundance of Sligo talent in heaven .........
Names from my collection of programmes: Jill Noone, Dam Mc Cormack, Mary Mc Govern, Eithne Dolan, Paddy Foran, Ronald Perry, Brendan Cauldwell, Eddie and Mary Watson, Joan O' Hara, Dominic Rooney, Aileen Harte, Tom Palmer, Joe Burns, Gretta Dunleavy, Ray Cawley, Paddy Thornton, Eric Koss, Eddie and Marie Mc Dermottroe, Lottie Burke, Betty, John and Tom Mullaney, Monica Hughes, Pearse Devins, Jos Power, Vivian Francis, Bernie Kennedy, Willie Neary, Paddy Mc Morrow, Vera Francis, Joe Mc Donagh, Ann Tolan, Brian Bohan, Joe Mc Morrow, Bernie Mc Caffrey, Frank Mc Cann, Doreen Tracy, Eily Kilgannon, Michael Feeney, Kitsy Dowling, Michael Gunning, Seán O' Neill, George Bowes, Padraic Mc Sharry, Eithne Tracey, Mairéad Jennings, Dick Gleeson, Joe O' Connell, Enda Horan, Eileen O' Boyle, Jo Lappin, Jerry Gray, Ivor Kell, Vera Beagley, Cait O' Boyle, Breege Gorevan, Willie Higgins, Ann Kelly, Phil Byrne, BernieFarrell, Ann Wehrly, Paddy O' Toole, Joseph Fry, Paddy Higgins, Brian Mullen, Maurice Flanagan, Phil Mc Sharry, Joan Gallagher, Paddy Dooney, Marie Mulvihill, Seán O' Reilly, Liam Canning, Walter Mc Donagh, Don Molloy, Irene Healy, Joe Meehan, Joan and Eddie Fitzpatrick, Cormac Sheridan, Ann Mc Dermott, Lionel Gallagher, Ray Cawley, John Caheny, Rory Callagy, Ann Laffey, Imelda Mulligan, Dolores Corr, Liam Mc Kinney, Janette Gillmore, Marion Reidy, Maura Doherty, David Johnston, David Henry, Shane Cleary, Mary Mc Donagh, Sheila Horan, Ruth Crampton, not forgetting Charlie and Margaret and Charlie Hughes.
Sligo Actor Lands Major Role At Dublin Festivalfrom The Sligo Champion, by Michael Moran, October 1st, 1982
Artistic Director of Druid, a Galway-based company, Garry Hynes, asked Paddy to take on the role in the play. "I did not hesitate to accept this role. I looked forward to it but the request from Druid cam as a great shock to me. At this stage of my career it came as a great honour to be asked", he explained. Paddy will play the part of Michael James in the play, the sort of production which he claims, suits him. "I have always loved this sort of drama. This play is set in the west coast of Ireland and I think that will make it something special for me. But no matter what the play was, I think I would have jumped at the chance to appear in Dublin with Druid and I am also very delighted that the play will then come to Sligo for the first provincial performance", Paddy explained.
The play began its run in the Olympia on the 24th of this month and then Sligo audiences will get the first opportunity to see it. As he contemplated his appearance in Dublin, Paddy recalled the many famous names and places with which he has been associated in his long and successful career in the theatre. It is the local people who bring back the fondest memories for Paddy. People such as Charlie and Maggie Hughes, the Fitzpatricks, Gene Molloy and Eddie Mc Dermottroe. "These people put an awful lot of hard and dedicated work into Sligo theatre. We did not then have a modern theatre such as the Hawk's Well. Success was made out of hard work, hours of practice and I suppose good luck. Without that you can't succeed in theatre".
"There were times when things were disappointing for us but the good times outweigh the bad and everyone enjoyed it", he said. Paddy played a prominent part in the forming of the Sligo Drama Circle. "We had problems in the early days but things developed and the great thing now is that we have seen the Hawk's Well Theatre development. This should prove a great boost for the theatre in Sligo and possibly encourage more people to take it up", he added.
From the age of twelve Paddy has been involved with drama. During his career he has played with the Utopians in England and other groups. He was associated with the Sligo Unknowns when he returned to Sligo and the seeds were then sown for the birth of the Sligo Drama Circle. "People like Walter Mc Donagh, Charlie and Maggie Hughes and others were determined to get this off the ground and that is how it all began. It's grown from there and there remain a group of very dedicated people", Paddy explains. Names such as Godfrey Quigley, Jim Finn and others were associated with Sligo drama in the early days. "There were some fine people involved and that tradition has been continuing since", said Paddy.
Now, however, he is more concerned with his role in the Theatre Festival and he admits - "I never expected this but I am enjoying it although it is hard work". Paddy has come a long way since the age of twelve when he first took the stage in "Under the Red Robe" with the late Anew Mc Master.
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As the Sligo Drama
Circle celebrates its 50th anniversary next week, all talk will
once again revert back to the group’s first performance in 1956.
Directed by Walter McDonagh, the cast of “Thy Dear Father” tread
the boards half a century ago in the Town Hall and according to
Walter was the talk of the town for “at least a week”
afterwards. One of the original founding members of the SDC,
Walter was born in Strokestown and began acting at a young age.
With a group of friends he later formed the “Saint Asicus
Players”, although it lasted no longer than a year. “I just
loved it up on the stage and unfortunately it’s just like a
disease; very hard to get rid of it,” smiled Walter. Many
thought that the acting bug had been squashed when Walter
swapped the stage for the kitchen, training as a chef in
Dublin’s Clarence Hotel. However, in his spare time, he attended
Brendan Smith Academy and following an hotel strike, he began
working with CIE catering before returning to Sligo.
It was 1970. The sixties had ended, and to
listen to modern commentators, a dull decade was about to begin.
But not in the Sligo theatre world. To us in the Drama Circle,
the best was yet to come. Founded in 1956, the Circle had sought
for years to win the blue ribband of non-paid Irish drama - the
Esso trophy for All-Ireland glory in Athlone. Many great
performances, much regional success, near misses such as 'God's
Gentry' in '59, 'Montserrat' in '60, 'My Three Angels', which I
directed in 1962 and which lost by one mark on a re-check,
Walter Mc Donagh's wonderfully orchestrated 'Playboy' which won
the Ulster title in Belfast's Opera House in the mid-sixties,
and Liam Mc Kinney's first love affair with Tennessee Williams
in 1969 with 'The Glass Menagerie'. 
It took a bit of
gentle arm-twisting, maybe even the persuasive "go on, go on, go
on" tactic for which Mrs. Doyle has become so famous, but
ultimately it was the quality of the script and the part which
lured Dee Gallagher from her self-imposed theatrical exile.
Having turned dow numerous offers of parts over the past ten
years, Dee was eventually won over by Mary Halpin's hilarious
script. "I have to admit I was a bit lukewarm about it when Meg
Leahy first asked me, but I agreed to read the script, and,
really, it was too good to turn down. It's a terrific play, and
a lovely part, and it's great to be back", she says. After such
a long absence, the return to the rigours of rehearsal was
naturally a bit daunting initially.
Hard to imagine a tie without television and very little radio. No pub culture, no nightclubs, no custom-built theatre. What did folk do for a bit of diversion? Apparently, very many of them queued for seats in the makeshift theatres of the Town Hall or Gillooly Hall whenever there was a play on offer, which was never more than a handful of
times each year, and there they would be royally entertained by such as the Sligo Unknown Players, the Bernadette Players, and, laterally, the Sligo Drama Circle.
Twenty seven years an actor with practically
every local drama group that has come and gone in that time, and
a former Chairman and Treasurer of Sligo Drama Circle, Cormac
Sheridan is one of the great characters of the local drama
scene. A Dubliner by birth, but by now a naturalised Sligoman
and proud of it, Cormac's involvement in drama started as a
hobby but very quickly became a way of life, and he candidly
concedes, "If you were to take drama out of my life, then a very
large slice of my life would be gone". Not, mind you that he was
stuck for something to while away the hours. A keen sportsman,
he played in goal for Shelbourne in the League of Ireland,
played senior rugby for Clontarf and found time to work on his
golf handicap as well. But it was the drama bug which cut
deepest. His first encounter with the stage was with the ESB
Musical and Dramatic Society, shortly after he began work as an
accountant. As well as doing a few shows with the society,
Cormac also made a couple of television adverts for domestic
appliances, for which he was handsomely paid, but his TV career
was cut short when Equity learned of his "double jobbing". Fate
took a hand when, on being transferred to Sligo, Cormac spent
three months in lodgings at the Bonne Chere, owned and run by
Walter and Kay Mc Donagh.
For the first time in the series, we've encountered an amateur actor who has no qualms about admitting, straight up and no ifs or buts, that yes, he'd love to do it for a living. And at 27 years of age with no marriage or mortgage to worry about, Robert Fitzpatrick has circumstances on his side. He's also got that
other vital quality - talent. But the, as he's been told time out of number, why wouldn't he have talent, and he coming from a family brimming with the stuff. Carrying a name synonymous with the local drama movement could be a burden, but Robert's proven ability in a wide range of performances in recent years has established his own credentials.
A relatively late starter in the drama game, Ann-Marie Byrnes has crammed an enormous amount of stage work into the last five years. Initially prominent in a number of striking lead roles in Fun Company musicals, she has found a deeper niche as a straight actress in more recent times, and takes another giant step on that particular route when she opens in Sligo Drama Circle's production of Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit" at the Hawk's Well on
Tuesday next. This will be her ninth major show since she first took to the boards in the Fun Company's "Jesus Christ Superstar" in 1988, and during that time she has also been actively involved behind the scenes with the Fun Company, both on shows and as a member of the committee; and she has been a prominent member of the Sligo Madrigal Singers under the direction of Kathleen O'Hara.
Maria Mc Dermottroe made her stage debut at the age of six in an unique production in an indoor arena at The Holy Well. She played a little girl who had been miraculously cured in "Sight Unseen", the story of the Lourdes apparitions. Since then she has become a sight to behold, blossoming from an enthusiastic, determined young actress in the local amateur ranks into one of the country's finest professional actresses. She could
scarcely have escaped the acting bug. Her father, Eddie, was a founder member of the Sligo Drama Circle and one of its leading players for many years, and her brother, Conor, has also become a professional actor.
The squirrel-like
vigilance with which Columb Mc Bride has collected the
memorabilia of nearly forty years' involvement in amateur drama
has at last achieved usefulness. The bulging scrap book of
programmes, paper cuttings, and photographs is now utilised as a
guide map on a journey through a remarkable career. It is a
fascinating treasure trove of memories, and it graphically
illustrates Columb's passion for drama. Each turn of a page
unlocks a fresh story - a favourite play, a long lost friend, a
party in London, a calamity in Cavan. It's all between two black
covers, as close as one could wish to get a record of one man's
life; as close, indeed, to a history of drama in Sligo.
It would be wrong to call him a recluse, for
apart altogether from his standing as one of the greatest
personalities in local theatre over the past half century,
Walter Mc Donagh also happens to be one of nature's true
gentlemen. But when it comes to talking about himself and his
career in directing and acting, he is extremely reticent. Like
the superb actor he is, every line is delivered with precision;
every question is considered with caution normally reserved for
script-reading. It is no that he is being deliberately evasive;
just that, despite his years on the stage, there remains a
streak of shyness and engaging modesty. "I have never realise
that actors could be shy people", I venture. "That probably
explains why I'm no good at it", he responds. Thus, Walter Mc
Donagh, actor, director, throws down the biggest challenge we
have yet encountered in this series.
The benefits of a
third level education institution to a town like Sligo cannot be
overstated. The influence of the 2,000 young students who attend
Sligo Regional Technical College is normally measured in
economic terms, which is legitimate given the spending power
they generate throughout the town. But can you imagine the
impact that 2,000 fresh, imaginative, searching minds could have
on the cultural environment of the town? Until recently, this
was an aspect of the college's potential which remained
relatively untapped. This week, at the Hawk's Well, the bottle
is about to be unscrewed as students from the college combine
their talents with some of the most accomplished performers in
local amateur drama in a production of Tom Murphy's "On the
Outside / On the Inside".
The first ever role
acted by Lionel Gallagher was as "Bashful" in a production of
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs while attending the Presentation
Brothers, Carrick-on-Shannon. He recalls how he had to blush to
order as it were, which naturally enough he found difficult.
Such have been Lionel's achievements in the meantime, both as an
actor and director, that few would begrudge him a blush or two
when praise comes his way. One of the mainstays of local amateur
drama since 1959, Lionel says he made a great start being
surrounded by so many of the masters in a Drama Circle
production of Montserrat in which he played Ricardo, a year
later in 1960. The venue, of course, in those days was the Town
Hall. The play was directed by Jim Fitzgerald, one of the top
pro directors at the time, and the cast included Walter Mc
Donagh, Paddy Dooney, Eddie Mc Dermottroe. For a budding actor
one couldn't have chosen better company from which to learn.
Next week is a
nostalgic on in the life of Kay Guinane, Circular Road, mother
of four, playwright, award winning actress and national prize
winning cake-maker. For when the Sligo Drama Circle's production
of "Night Must Fall" opens in the Hawks Well Theatre on Tuesday
for a five night run, Kay Guinane will be remembering 1956.
Then, as a member of the local Bernadette Players, she took part
in the play's first presentation in Sligo directed by the late
Gerry Westby. Other members of the cast were Mary Watson, Eithne
Dolan, Pearse Devins and the late Tom Palmer and Ena Horan. "We
later took the play to he Cavan Drama Festival where Joseph
Tomelty awarded us 99 marks out of 100. We were pipped for
second place in the All-Ireland final", Kay said this week. Kay
Guinane and her late husband Jim, a teacher in Summerhill
College for almost twenty years, came from Limerick to
Charlestown in 1941. In 1944 they moved to Sligo and it was then
that Kay joined the Unknown Players as she had been involved in
concerts and plays all her life with her mother, a national
school teacher, and her six sisters in Rathkeale, Co. Limerick.
A Sligo man is playing a major role in the Dublin Theatre Festival which opened in the
capital this week. Paddy Dooney, a founding member of the Sligo Drama Circle and a well known actor, is appearing in the Druid Company's professional production of "The Playboy of the Western World". Paddy, who has for many years now been closely involved with the drama scene in Sligo, will return home with the company when they take the production straight from the festival to the Hawk's Well Theatre on Tuesday next, October 5th as part of an exciting festival of drama at the Temple Street venue.