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Unknown Players Rememberedby Pádraig Foran, November 14th, 2006
Pádraig Foran, Drama Circle member and former member of the Sligo Unknown Players, details some of the history of "The Unknowns", as they were more commonly called. Sligo Unknown Players were the forerunner of the Sligo Drama Circle and they experienced a lot of success in the local amateur drama movement. This article also recalls a personal involvement in the local drama movement over the past fifty years.
Sligo Unknown Players were founded in 1929. They succeeded the Premier Players. Tom Palmer, Writing in The Sligo Champion on the occasion of the retirement of Charlie and Margaret Hughes from the group, remembered his first part. He had just joined the Champion as a cub reporter. The producer at the time was Jim Wynne. He was casting Blind Man’s Buff by the German playwright Ernest Toller. In order to add authenticity to the court scene he cast the young reporter as a court stenographer. Among those taking part in that production was Joe Burns (not the musician) whose reputation survived long after his death. He is commemorated by the Joe Burns Cup for character sketches in Feis Shligigh. Another member of that cast was Ronald Perry who had been a professional actor.
Among the wide variety of plays presented by the Unknowns in the early days were George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man, Professor Tim by George Shiels, Night Must Fall by Emlyn Williams and The Passing Day. But the play which made their name and for which they were remembered for long afterwards was T. C. Murray’s Autumn Fire. Autumn Fire tells the story of Owen Keegan, an elderly widowed farmer who marries a girl half his age. He is crippled while trying to impress his young wife by showing off his strength and vigour. Owen has a son and the inevitable happens – he falls in love with his young stepmother and she with him. The climax of the play comes when Owen, who has gone to bed, appears at the turn of the stairs and finds the young couple kissing in the kitchen. Badly handled, the scene has all the elements of farce.
The part of Owen in the Unknown’s production was played by Alfie Rochford, a Tubbercurry solicitor who in later years became a District Justice. He was a very accomplished actor with a powerful presence and when he appeared at the turn of the stairs you could hear a pin drop in the hall. His performance in Autumn Fire was talked about for many years. Tom Palmer, looking back on the night the Unknowns competed at the Father Matthew Feis, wrote: ”My job was prompter and assistant stage manager and even now I am not ashamed to admit that in that last scene where the broken-hearted Owen slowly fingered his rosary in front of the fading firelight, I lost touch with my prompter’s script for tears filled my eyes”.
Owen’s shrewish sister, Ellen, was played by Margaret Hughes (nee Cahill). Margaret was a great character actress and for many years she was a mainstay of the Unknowns. Tom Palmer again recalled: “Who can ever forget Margaret Hughes as Ellen – a performance that must surely rank among the greats of amateur drama in Ireland”. The young wife was played by Jill Noone. Jill was a teacher in the Ursuline Convent and she was responsible for many productions of Yeats’ plays in Feis Shligigh. Tom Palmer remembered her performance as the Faery Child in The Land of Heart’s desire.
By the time that I became involved with the Unknown Players in 1950, Jim Wynne had retired and Charlie Hughes was the regular producer. Charlie was a Newry man and he was married to Margaret Cahill. Margaret was a teacher and for many years the proceeds of the annual production went to the school where she taught, St. Edward’s National School, Forthill. There was a certain irony in the fact that the proceeds of one night’s performance of the play which marked the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Sligo Drama Circle went to the same school.
The Drama Circle came into being as a result of what in political circles would be known as a ‘heave’ against Charlie. ‘Heaves’ and ‘splits’ have been part of amateur drama for as long as I can remember. Among the groups that grew, either directly or indirectly, from the Unknowns were the Bernadette Players, the Drama Circle, Everyman Theatre and Profile Theatre.
My first part with the Unknowns was in Louis Dalton’s comedy “They Got What They Wanted”. The cast consisted of Brendan Cauldwell, Dan Mc Cormack, Gerry Mc Morrow, Eddie Fitzpatrick, Tom Mullaney Eithne Dolan, Margaret Gallagher, Monica Hughes and myself. The produced was Brendan Cauldwell. At this time Brendan was in his early twenties but even then he was an accomplished actor. He played the part of Owen Tubridy, an elderly gombeen man and I remember watching him from the wings. His make-up was so good that he looked sixty and I remember the way he spoke in a whining voice and how he wrung his hands.
In 1950 someone had the idea of forming a sort of federation of the different drama groups in Sligo. At the time, besides the Unknowns, there were at least three other groups – the Bernadette Players, the C.I.E. Players and the Lough Gill Players. The Bernadette Players were run by Gerry Westby, an accountant with the ESB. He wrote and produced a number of plays and I remember a production of Blithe Spirit which they did. In 1954, to mark the centenary of the apparitions at Lourdes, Gerry wrote and produced a play on the subject. The play was performed over a number of nights at the Holy Well and amongst the cast was a very young Maria Mc Dermottroe in the company of her father Eddie. The CIE Players were made up largely of people who worked in CIE and their friends. Their produced was Joe Fry. George O’ Donnell was producer of the Lough Gill Players who were, I think, associated with the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union.
The new grouping was rather grandly named Sligo Little Theatre Group. Fr. Tom Hanley, the priest in charge of the Gillooly Hall, was chairman and I was secretary. We had our own headed notepaper printed and we were in business. The plan was that each group would remain autonomous but that they would co-operate in order to try to improve the Gillooly Hall as a venue for drama. Provided they were not cast with their own group, players could take part in another group’s production. (This happened anyway – no-one turned down a good part out of loyalty to his/her own group.) Finally, it was planned that all the groups would combine each year for one production.
The first venture of the Sligo Little Theatre Group involved an outside group. The London Irish Players got in touch with us looking for help in staging two plays in Sligo. We agreed to help with publicity and with props but we made sure that we would get some credit for our work and so the publicity announced that, “The Sligo Little Theatre Group present the London Irish Players in The Chiltern Hundreds.”
The Chiltern Hundreds was staged in the Gillooly Hall on a Sunday Night. I remember spending most of that day searching for some sort of car horn. At that time a man named Holmes who lived in St. Edward’s Terrace used to sell ice-cream from a container which he had fitted on the front of a bicycle. He had one of the old car horns which consisted of a rubber bulb attached to a metal horn. When he squeezed the horn it sounded and let the children know that he was coming. I thought that I could find him and that I could borrow the horn. I didn’t find him, partly because I knew he owned an Alsatian dog which I was not anxious to encounter. However, the lack of a car horn was not the greatest problem that we had. The production had to compete for attention with the consecration of Bishop Vincent Hanley. The London Irish Players seemed to enjoy their stay in Sligo in spite of rather poor audiences. Their producer was G.A. Timoney and he had Sligo connections.
The Little Theatre Group did succeed in mounting one combined production. A photograph which appeared in the Irish Press of March 3rd 1951 shows Brendan Cauldwell, Lottie Bourke, Philomena Beirne and Monica Hughes, in a scene from Jane Eyre. All the local groups came together in 1962 to mark the retirement of Charlie and Margaret Hughes. Walter Mc Donagh produced The Colleen Bawn. The villain, Danny Mann, was played by Michael Feeney. In 1973, the groups again combined, again under the direction of Walter Mc Donagh, to perform a passion play, The Man Born to be King. This was to mark the demolition of the old Dominican church. Tom Mullaney played Christ while Mary Watson was Mary.
The next choice of play spelled disaster for the Little Theatre project. In the 1940’s and 1950’s, one of the biggest objects of devotion was the Dominican Brother, Martin de Porres. He had recently been beatified and each year thousands flocked to Holy Cross church for the annual novena in his honour. A Dominican priest had written a play about Blessed Martin and it was understood that a member of the Holy Cross community intended to organise a production of the play. When a number of months had passed without any news of the production, we began to think that the Dominicans were not interested. We made some enquiries – not enough, unfortunately – and we understood that it would be alright for us to do the play.
We started to prepare for the production when out of the blue we were let know, in no uncertain terms, that the Dominicans felt that it was their play. Some of the committee members were in favour of carrying on but the majority felt that, in the interests of peace, we should withdraw. The Dominicans had a very successful run with the play. John Mullaney played Martin de Porres and Dan Mc Cormack was, as usual, a magnificent archbishop. A few weeks later I got a very caustic letter from Fr. Hilary O’ Neill, Prior of Holy Cross, reminding me that I was a young man and that I had a lot to learn.
The proceeds of most of the plays were given to charity. Sometimes, instead of doing a full-length play we did a one-act. This could be combined with a variety concert to provide a night’s entertainment. For instance, on November 5th, 1950 we performed The Workhouse Ward in the Harrison Hall, Roscommon in aid of the Sisters of Mercy, Roscommon, Chapel Restoration Fund. The concert items were provided by Pearse Gaynor, Jim Gannon, Kay Guinane, Danny Parker, Brendan Cauldwell, Gerry Clynes and Martin Pilkington. The cast of The Workhouse Ward was Brendan Cauldwell, Kay Guinane and myself. Hugh Conway was the accompanist and Vera Sheppard was the violinist while Charlie Hughes was the Master of Ceremonies. On November 15th the same cast performed The Workhouse Ward in the Gillooly Hall in aid of St. Edward’s School Fuel Fund. This time concert items were supplied by The Male Choristers, Kay Guinane, Charles Cunningham, Hugh Conway, Patrick Thornton, Brendan Cauldwell, Val Mc Murray, Jim Gannon, Vera Sheppard, Gerry Clynes and John Mullaney. Hugh Conway was again the accompanist. I often wonder how some of those ‘charity’ events mad any money. Almost invariably, especially if we travelled, we were given a meal by the organisers. Very often a whiskey bottle made its appearance.
Stage sets were generally solid structures and as many of the plays required two or even three changes, the intervals were often long and the audience had to endure a considerable amount of hammering and backstage noise. Lighting was supplied by a row of footlights along the front of the stage and a batten overhead. Sometimes there were one or two spotlights. The lighting was controlled by a dimmer board with four or five dimmers. Care had to be taken that the dimmers didn’t overheat. The lighting was generally fairly simply although I do remember what to me seemed sophisticated lighting effects in one or two plays. Dermot Murphy was usually in charge of lighting while Loman Gallagher acted as stage manager.
Looking back, it’s difficult to compare performances then with performances now. The Drama Festival movement was in its infancy. The ADL summer workshops in places like Gormanstown had not yet begun. There was a drama section in Feis Shligigh but it could only accommodate one-act plays and character sketches. On the other hand, anyone interested had the opportunity of seeing more professional theatre in Sligo than is available today. The great touring companies of Lord Longford and Anew Mc Master were regular visitors to the town while there was sometimes a season of plays in Bundoran. The main emphasis in a production was on the acting rather than on the technical aspects of the staging. Direction was mainly concerned with grouping and making sure that everyone could be seen and heard. The actor was generally left to give his/her own interpretation of the part.
Because all the different companies drew their members from the same pool, it’s not easy to remember who played with whom or, indeed, what plays the different groups did, but there were a number of very good actors available. By the time I came on the scene, Tom Palmer had deserted straight acting and was producing and playing in a very successful annual pantomime with Joe Burns. Aileen Harte and Pauline Flanagan had become professionals and went on to have very successful careers. Paddy Thornton and Eric Koss were better known nationally as singers who broadcast regularly from Raidió Éireann but they were fine actors as was another singer, Pearse Gaynor. I remember Pearse in Boyd’s Shop in the early 1940’s. Eric was an excellent Henry Higgins in Pygmalion. Tom and John Mullaney had done a good deal of acting in Summerhill College under the direction of Fr. Jack Kerrigan. Eddie Fitzpatrick was very enthusiastic but he really came into his own after he returned from Australia and joined the Drama Circle.
In addition to the women I have mentioned, there were several others who come to mind. Kay Guinane was a very versatile actress as was her friend Vera Beazley. Eithne Dolan appeared regularly but I remember her especially as Saint Joan in an extract from Shaw’s play. Mary Mc Govern had the great ability to invent ‘business’ and to make it look entirely natural. Others were Greta Dunleavy, Doreen Tracy, Kitsy Dowling, Kay Raftery, Margaret Gallagher, Noreen Murphy, Thelma and Jacqueline Jinks and Vera Francis.
There were, I am sure, many whose names I have missed. Some of them were before my time, others I have forgotten. They deserve to be remembered because they and their successors made an important contribution to life in Sligo during most of the twentieth century and they are continuing to do so. They provided entertainment to many people and gave them access to a wide variety of theatre which otherwise they would not have experienced. The drama groups gave many young people a means of developing their self-confidence and of displaying their talents. For my own part, I am glad to have been part of the Unknowns and of the other groups and I am grateful to people like Charlie and Margaret Hughes for providing the opportunity. I am also grateful to the many people whose friendship I enjoyed through being involved in drama and music and who have enriched my life over more than half a century.
An Unknown Player Looks Backfrom The Sligo Champion, by T.P., January 27th, 1962 When stage people in Sligo presented "The Colleen Bawn" shortly before Christmas as a tribute to Charlie and Maggie Hughes it gives one the opportunity of reminiscing on the Sligo Unknown Players to which the Hughes partnership were so much attached over a period of many years. It was just after Christmas in 1935 that I first became associated with this amateur drama group whose fame spread far and wide long before the present day Drama Festivals existed. Only a few months before, I had joined the staff of "The Sligo Champion" as a very cub reporter. And then Jim Wynne, - Producer of the Players at the time - was staging "Blind Man's Buff", a translation from the German original by Ernest Toller.
To add realism to the court scene Jim wanted a stenographer. Why he picked on me I shall never know. But that was my introduction to the amateur stage in Sligo. I can recall some of the cast of that play which was staged in the Town Hall. There was Sheila Cosgrove (nee Foley) who played one of the leads. Harry Thompson, then a member of the staff of the Hibernian Bank in Sligo, who later joined the Defence Forces during the emergency period, appeared too. There was the late and always lamented Joe Burns - not the Joe with whom I teamed up later - but the Joe of the P. J. Gaynor play "The Young Fellow". I shall always remember his appearance in the witness box of the court scene in "Blind Man's Buff being ruthlessly cross-examined by Ronald Perry for whom at that time we very amateur actors had more than the greatest respect, for, after all, had not Ronald been then a professional turned amateur under the persuasion of Jim Wynne.
I think, too, that the cast of "Blind Man's Buff" had, amongst its members, Jack Condy, then a member of staff of Messrs. Henry Lyons and Co. Ltd., now working in Cheltenham, England, and still retaining more than a passing interest in the amateur stage if I can judge by the few remarks he made to me when I met him in Wine Street a few summers ago when Jack was home on a very welcome return visit to his native Sligo. I know I could turn back the files of "The Sligo Champion" and have my memory refreshed, but I prefer to reminisce from my mind in this little story of my first associations on the stage with those wonderful people, Charlie and Margaret Hughes.
Because in the next play Jim Wynne decided upon, I was cast as Margaret's husband. Vividly I can recall my experience as Major Petkov in "Arms and the Man", the George Bernard Shaw play which the redoubtable Jim decided would be his show for the year following his successful "Blind Man's Buff". The Shavian piece had Jill Noone cast in the leading role with Harry Hallowes - who incidentally was one of the last night ld-timers to pay tribute to Charlie and Margaret in "The Colleeen Bawn" - appearing as "The Chocolate Soldier". Rita O' Beirne (nee Mc Lynn) was also in the cast, while in a most obsequious man-servant was Herbert Hughes, then a Sergeant in the Guards in Sligo.
Jim, the Producer, always had his eye on publicity. How could it be otherwise, for "Rex" was in those days a newspaper man himself, and I recall one with a biting tongue and a penetrating pen - or was it a typewriter? He decided to send an invitation to the "Irish Independent" asking them to send their drama critic to review "Arms and the Man". And of course he came. None other than David Sears, who will be remembered for writing "Juggernaut". David arrived to see the Monday night show - the play opened the previous night with what is for most shows hereabouts an opening night that is a dress rehearsal.
Walrus moustached and pillow stomached, my Major Petkov did not greatly impress David. I still recall that the following Tuesday morning's "Irish Independent" reported me as playing the role of the Major as "rather a stock character, which was not too complimentary to Shaw". But I learned as I went on. And for that I must say thanks to my "Arms and the Man" wife - Margaret Hughes. There was heartening encouragement too that I received second-hand from Alfie Rochford, who was sitting beside my real wife for my Major performance and who whispered - "he has something but he's got a lot to learn". That, coming from Alfie Rochford, was praise indeed.
Which of course brings me in these meandering musings to "Autumn Fire" - the T. C. Murray masterpiece which made the name and the fame of the Unknown Players. Here, I gladly link Tubbercurry and Sligo. For it was these two towns which provided the artistes for this wonderful show. Alfie's "Owen Keegan" was a portrayal that must surely live in the memory of all those people who saw it just as it does in mine. Who can ever forget Margaret Hughes as "Ellen" - a performance that must surely rank among the truly greats of amateur acting in Ireland. This was a wonderful show. There was Jill Noone as Owen's young wife. And there was the moving sincerity of Tubbercurry's Bill Gallagher as Owen's brother "Morgan".
I well remember the night we played in he Father Matthew Hall, Dublin - it was, of course, at the Father Matthew Feis, long before the Amateur Drama Council, with its spate of provincial festivals was ever heard of. That night the Unknown Players gave one of their greatest ever performances of "Autumn Fire". My job was prompter and Assistant Stage Manager, and even now I am not ashamed to admit hat in that last scene where the broken-hearted Owen slowly fingered his rosary in front of the fading firelight, I lost touch with my prompter's script, for tears filled my eyes. When Alfie's artistry so affected me I've often thought what the reaction of the audience must have been on that night which was to end in yet another triumph for those gifted people who in those days brought renown to Sligo and its Unknown Players.
From melodrama and mere tragedy, my thoughts turn to the comedy, the laughter and the fun of "Professor Tim". Here again we had Rochford at his best. But, just as in "Autumn Fire", it was no one-man show. For again we had Margaret, Jill Noone and Bill Gallagher, the henpecked husband, who was best described as "only a scarecrow on his own farm". Sad it is, that in recalling this show of laughs I remember the vivacity of Hannah Wynne, whose death so saddened all us old Unknowns, particularly Alf Rochford and Ronald Perry, to whom she played so often as the second voice from the wings. No better prompter could any company have ever had. Another show well worth recalling was Emlyn William's "Night Must Fall". As the wheel-chaired "Mrs. Bramson" Margaret Hughes was brilliant. "Danny", needless to say, was played by Alf Rochford - one of the meatiest parts written for many years. Jill Noone was "Olivia" and Elma Lambert (nee Jinks) was the saucy "Dora".
In those days dramatic competitions were one of the highlights of Feis Shligigh. Indeed midnight matinees were quite the usual thing, and so it was that one May Eve the Unknowns staged the Yeats one-act "Land of Heart's Desire". The play is set in Kilmacowen - the time happens to be May Eve, and as I made-up that night to ply the role of the Monk I assured the cast we couldn't miss - even though the adjudicator was the lean, lanky and late lamented Lennox Robinson. I was right, of course - we won, and in that production Jill Noone gave one of her loveliest performances as the Faery Child.
Back again to the three actors. This time "The Passing Day". Big Joe Burns had a tremendous part as "Fibbs", the shop keeper, whose conscience caught up with him while his wife, played by Margaret, went off for a holiday. This was a ply with a difference as far as stage technique in Sligo was concerned. For those who saw it will recall there was a dream sequence for which producer Jim decided we must use a gauze curtain. And how we stage hands cum actors cursed the blasted thing each night during the run in the Town Hall.
The years pass and the Unknown Players compete with films in a big way. How it comes about is that we staged St. John Irvine's "Boyd's Shop" in the Savoy Cinema I was cast as Andrew Boyd, and one of my best recollections of the play is the lovely performance of Maureen Hughes, formerly of Adelaide Street, now in foreign parts, and who, though I am not too sure, was possibly my stage daughter. Then we had the stupendous Shiels success. "The Rugged Path" . Charlie, of course, was producing now, having taken over from Jim. "The Rugged Path" was a fabulous show. Dan Mc Cormick - ex Church Street, now Galway, played "Marcy" while Mark Thornton's "Hugh Dolls" was yet another memorable performance.
I know I have not mentioned all those who are proud to be old Unknowns. There was, for instance, Peter Carroll of Grattan Street, and Brian Mc Donagh was a useful back-stage boy in those days, a quarter of a century ago. As time went by I fear I lost my interest in the "legit". But still I enjoyed the Unknowns, with new people in "Arsenic and Old Lace", "Charley's Aunt" and "Anastasia". And all the while Charlie and Margaret Hughes were the backbone of the Unknown Players. Now they have retired. What is to become of a company whose name must always be linked with the Amateur Drama Movement in Ireland long before the Festival craze arose? For us old Unknowns it becomes really tragic if the company with which we had so many pleasant associations must now fade into oblivion just because the curtain has fallen for the last time on two whose names must always be remembered in Sligo whenever a play is staged - Charlie and Margaret Hughes.
"The Colleen Bawn" was Unqualified Successfrom The Sligo Champion, February 17th, 1962 Mrs. Eileen Lambert, Hon. Secretary, reporting to the final meeting of the committee which was established in Sligo to aid the Sligo United Players in staging "The Colleen Bawn" to mark the retirement from the amateur stage of Charlie and Margaret Hughes, founder members of the Sligo Unknown Players, had this to say:
"it gives me great pleasure to report to this committee that the production of "The Colleen Bawn" was an unqualified success, both from the entertainment and the financial aspect. As you know, this production was organised to mark the occasion of the retirement of Charlie and Margaret Hughes from dramatic activities in Sligo and I think you will all agree it was a fitting tribute and that Mr. and Mrs. Hughes are deeply appreciative of the efforts of this committee.
Personally, I am very proud to be associated with people who showed such whole-hearted enthusiasm and who worked so hard to make a success of the project and it is gratifying to proclaim the tribute came up to our expectations. When it was mooted as far back as July of last year I never visualised such wonderful co-operation and help. At that first meeting Mr. Walter Mc Donagh stated that only a first class production would be a worthy tribute to Mr. and Mrs. Hughes and he certainly spared no effort towards the attainment of this.
We owe a debt of gratitude, too, to the cast who gave of their best in all five performances, to Miss Breedge Butler, Mr. Patrick Thornton and Mr. George Allsop; to Mrs. Toher, Miss Mulvihill and Mr. Joe Burns who were responsible for the make-up of the cast; to the Costume Committee, particularly Mrs. Friel and Miss Doreen Treacy and to Miss Gabriel Gore-Booth; to our Rev. Chairman, Rev K. Mc Dermott, who not only acted as Chairman at our meetings but gave tangible help in the distribution of tickets and posters' to Rev Bro. Columban and Miss Kitty Hennessy for the artistic posters; to all the ticket and raffle sellers; to all those who provided transport, in particular Mr. E. Mc Dermottroe and to those who provided transport to Ballymote; to Miss Moohan of Messrs. Brodericks, who was responsible for the Gillooly Hall bookings and the sale of tickets to the value of £103; to the members of the Gillooly Hall Committee who acted as ushers; to Mr. Seán Kilfeather and Mr. Peter Kenny who so ably dispatched the circulars; to those people behind the scenes responsible for stage management whose obscure, vital and thankless work nightly bears so much weight in every show and I would especially like to mention Mr. Tom Palmer, Mr. Joe Burns and Mrs. Kay Guinane.
We are also extremely grateful to all the subscribers including the committee of Feis Shligigh, to the Sligo Champion publications for publicity and coverage, also to the management of Ballymote Cinema and to Mr. Jim Mc Garry for his work in negotiating arrangements for a performance there. Last but not least thanks go to the Gillooly Hall Committee for their generosity in placing the Gillooly Hall at our disposal for the rehearsals and four performances; this gesture was certainly an incentive towards the success of our efforts. I would also like to thank our very able Hon. Treasurer whom you will see from his report worked very hard.
I should like to quote from "A Historical Survey of British Drama" regarding the author of "The Colleen Bawn" - "He was a sentimentalist, his dialogue often sounds stilted and artificial, but he had a true sense of the theatre. His early works are by no means to be despised, and his later efforts (which include "The Colleen Bawn") in which his genuine sense of humour is ably allied to his appreciation of the theatric thrill were quite justifiably esteemed in his own time".
I think Sligo audiences were fortunate to have an opportunity of seeing this 19th century play, it was an interesting study in the evolution of the drama and I think you will agree that the producer and the cast of the 1961 production deserve more than the ordinary appreciation for their dramatic technique in giving us such an entertaining interpretation of a play published in 1859."
The Colleen Bawn Was Brilliant Tribute to Noted Stage Couplefrom The Sligo Champion, December 16th 1961 The production this week of The Colleen Bawn as a tribute to Margaret and Charlie Hughes in the Gillooly Hall, Sligo, was certainly well timed. Sligo theatre-goers, starved of their favourite pastime for so long, were eager to see another Sligo production and the fact that it was designed as a compliment to two people whose names are honoured in Sligo made the occasion all the more enjoyable. In these circumstances it was not surprising that very big houses saw this colourful and light-hearted production and went away recalling the older days.
The play, as far as style and construction is concerned is now regarded as old-fashioned and rightly so. The plot is so weak and contrived that if written into a play nowadays it would be immediately condemned. The comic aspect depends entirely on the "stage Irishman" type of joke and what little drama is in the play itself depends on a situation which could never be described as realistic. For all its faults it found its way into the hearts of theatre audiences half a century ago and has remained in the hearts of some ever since.
As a link then, between the past and the present it was clearly appropriate that this was the play to present on this occasion and those people who decided to tackle it must forever have the admiration of those who saw it. Any producer who will take on the task of doing a play with twelve changes of scene is brave indeed and it is to the producer, Walter Mc Donagh in this case, that the greatest share of credit must go.
Walter Mc Donagh has tucked many a success on the stage under his belt by this time, but he can feel on this occasion that he has surpassed any previous triumph. To the burden of his scenery may be added a cast of seventeen, a musical score and a tradition which will never lose its place in the hearts of the people of Sligo.
The traditions of the Unknowns is something which is almost tangible. Anywhere Sligo actors and actresses gather you will eventually hear the name mentioned and with it will surely be coupled the names of Charlie and Margaret Hughes. A producer then who faces these problems deserves credit and the man who overcomes them deserves all the laurels which were heaped upon him by the various people who spoke after the show. The cast as a whole must also take their bow. Words were put into their mouths by the author which no-one in his sane senses could ever utter, nowadays at least, but despite having to cope with stage whispers, asides, extravagant gestures, and unbelievable situations they covered themselves with glory and made an enjoyable night's entertainment possible for over two thousand people. The idea of introducing some well-loved songs into the play was a winner from the start, but were it not for the absolutely brilliant singing of the cast, this might not have added anything to the show.
In particular, it is only right that mention should be made of Kay Guinane's lament as her son lay dying, and it was not surprising to see handkerchiefs making their appearance at this stage. Paddy Thornton made his brief appearance a very enjoyable one by the fine clarity of his voice and the rendering by Eddie Mc Dermottroe of Botheration was not any less than we have come to expect from this fine singer. Brian Bohan's plaintive song had a similar effect as that of Kay Guinane, but Joan Fitzpatrick really surpassed herself with both her singing and acting. This was as fine a performance as we have seen on the Sligo stage for a long time.
Brian Bohan is an actor whose stock has soared in Sligo as a result of a number of well-judged performances, but his portrayal of the hunchback, Danny Mann, in this show has been his most outstanding triumph to date. He was admirable in all that he did and it is a tribute to him that he makes one look forward to his next performance. Eddie Mc Dermottroe really enjoyed himself in the part of Myles na Goppaleen . His rollicking and nicely shaded performance was what the audience wanted, and they after all are the real critics.
Joan Burnside has seldom been seen to better effect in a part and she looked and suggested the right choice for the role all through. It is unusual to get a performer who shows such competence in both acting and singing and her performance and that of the others who sang as well as acted made one wonder why it is that Sligo has not seen a light opera, apart from school productions, for so many years. Lack of talent is certainly not he reason. Kay Guinane is another versatile performer and she got the exact feeling of the aged mother protecting her young when required and at the same time showed herself a very able dealer with as sharp a tongue as Corrigan.
As well as these people, there were some familiar faces in the rest of the cast. Michael Feeney was, perhaps, the only member of the cast who was in the real old tradition of melodrama. Cringing voice, hang-dog look, quick "takes" and wild waving of arms were all in the best "Demon Barber" tradition. Vivian Francis has also become something of an old timer and his portrayal of the star-crossed lover was just right. Kitsy Dowling gave a very neat performance in the part of Anne Chute, a lady who seemed to be interested in matrimony and nothing else and as her contriving mother, Mary Mc Govern, gave us the same polished performance which she always gives.
Pádraig Foran as the Sagart Aroon was calm and a little out of the world at times, while at others he showed himself to be much more down to earth. The actor got the proper feeling into this part and gave a very convincing performance. One can but wonder how the author contrived to have him at hand at the most unusual times and again how he got rid of him when his usefulness to the plot was exhausted. As one of the suitors for Anne Chute's hand, Michael Gunning was properly proper and he looked suitably out of place whenever the "wild Irish" were about. Seán O' Neill being righteous where Michael Feeney was villainous gave a nicely rounded performance. One could not but admire the beauty of feature and dress of the beautiful ladies who attended the ball accompanied by their gallant beaux. Doreen Tracey, Mairéad Jennings and Eithne Tracey were the charming ladies and Dick Gleeson and Jim Mc Morrow their escorts. George Bowes and Pádraig Mc Sharry represented the ancient enemy in the form of Redcoats.
From what could be seen from the hall, Tom Palmer was a most capable Stage Manager and must have had a well-drilled army of assistants. Lighting was in the hands of Dermot Murphy; make-up artists were Marie Mulvihill, Monica Toher and Joe Burns; accompanist was Breedge Butler who also was co-Director of Music with Paddy Thornton. Costumes were supplied by Messrs. Bourke of Dublin. Sets were constructed by Paddy Boles from Walter Mc Donagh's designs and special posters were executed by Kitty Hennessy and Bro. Columban.
After each show Charlie and Margaret Hughes were introduced to the audience and Margaret was presented with a bouquet. Charlie thanked the audience and all concerned with the production and said that Margaret and he would always cherish the wonderful tribute paid to them by those people who had associated themselves with the tribute by reason of their attendance at the play or their work in the production.
"The Colleen Bawn" in Sligofrom The Sligo Champion, December 9th, 1961 For those people who remember with affection the old days of the theatre and for the younger people who would like to see for themselves what those days were like, there will be a very important engagement in the Gillooly Hall, Sligo, on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next. Those are the days fixed for the performance of "The Colleen Bawn", the famous melodrama by Dion Boucicault. The play is being presented as a tribute to Margaret and Charlie Hughes, of the Sligo Unknown Players, who are retiring from the amateur stage after giving wonderful service over a period of many years.
Work on the production has been going on for a number of weeks and under the direction of Walter Mc Donagh, it is certain that the very best presentation of this play will be seen. Music, of course, will be a very important consideration for the production and Paddy Thornton with Breege Butler is in charge of this side of the show. Others taking part in the production will be Joan Fitzpatrick, Kay Guinane, Kitsy Dowling, Doreen Tracey, Mary Mc Govern, Vivian Francis, Michael Gunning, Brian Bohan, Sean O' Neill, Eddie Mc Dermottroe, Paddy Foran and Michael Feeney. It is hoped that the people of Sligo and surrounding districts who owe so much to the Sligo Unknown Players in general and Margaret and Charlie Hughes in particular, will support the production and in doing so pay a lasting tribute to two of the people who have made the name of Sligo famous in the world of amateur drama.
Seats for the show, which are bookable at 3/6 in Brodericks, O'Connell St., Sligo, have been selling at a very fast rate and early booking is advisable. Other seats will be available at 2/6. Curtain up each night will be at 8.15. The people of Ballymote will also have an opportunity of seeing this fine production when the company travel to the Abbey Cinema for one performance on December 10th.
Sligo Unknown Players in "Aftermath"from The Sligo Champion, by Frank Calder, April 2nd, 1960 "Aftermath", which was performed by the Sligo Unknown Players in aid of the Forthill School Fuel Fund, is not T. C. Murray's best play, but it is a very good play indeed. This being so, the producer and his cast had much to do to meet the demands of their author, for, while good acting, and clever production, can sometimes get a poor play across, a good play requires sustained effort and an almost inspired touch, if it is not to be an artistic failure - its intrinsic merit, which is apparent, only shows up the weaknesses, if any, of the presentation. The production presented by the Unknown Players was, on the whole, satisfying and successful in spite of some lapses. The directing of one of the actresses was almost unforgivable and the last moments of the play were practically thrown away. The finality of that closed door at the very end of the play demanded a poignancy that was missing. Still, the overall impression was one of sincerity and feeling.
There are two schools - two major schools - of thought concerning the importance of the set. In previous productions and again in this one, the Unknown's producer inclines to the school which believes that the play, and not the set, is important. The almost Spartan discomfort of the sitting room in Act 2 was amazing. This room, occupied by a young woman interested in literature, was presented without as much as a shelf, to say nothing of a table, where books could be placed. The flowers on the piano, and in the corner, near the entrance from the hall, only accentuated the poverty of the set. Perhaps in a play such as this, the producer tends to make his point by a certain amount of starkness but what he shows his audience should at least be acceptable, if not entirely credible.
The acting was in general quite good and it was obvious that the cast had studied the characters they portrayed with care and attention. It is more than strange, however, that in a play, which has only seven characters, the same actress played two very divergent roles. This was a great mistake. Surely the group is not so poor in members that an actress to play the less taxing of the two roles, could not be found. Kitsy Dowling, as Grace Sheridan, gave a remarkably good performance. She acted thoughtfully and impressively, and in Act II, where she is on the stage nearly all the time, conveyed by voice and movement the varied emotions besetting her. As Mrs. O' Regan, Gretta Dunleavy portrayed skilfully, and with great economy of gesture, the mother, who put pride and land hunger before her son's happiness. This part calls for restrained, but intense, playing, and on the whole, Gretta Dunleavy made an admirable job of the part.
The part of Myles O' Regan, one of Murray's great parts, was just a little to much for Seamus Lee. His performance was competent and it was clear that his playing was sincere. This part demands, however, acting of the highest quality and a projection of feeling that should grip and electrify the audience; this was missing in the part as played. The producer must take the blame for turning the part of Mrs. Mc Carthy into a caricature, and allowing the actress who played it, to tear in and prance about the stage, providing a source of embarrassment to the audience which had seen her capable and intelligently decorous performance in Act I. This piece of directing was a spanner in the working of a good production.
It was good to see Charlie Hughes in a part again. He gave an effective, if stagey, portrayal of Dr. Manning. The choice of Vera Parke to play Mary Hogan was a good one. She was a complete contrast to the actress who played Grace Sheridan and brought out the contrast in her acting. The somewhat unrewarding roles of Mrs. Dillon and Hannah Geary were well played by Doreen Tracey and Rita Sweeney.
Sligo Unknown Players Stage "Aftermath"from The Sligo Champion, March 26th, 1960 The age-old adage that love will find a way and the unsavoury practice of matchmaking could scarcely go hand in hand. The latter is a succinct introduction to marriage and the asymmetrical harmony of life thereafter all to frequently makes for bitter tragedy. The exigency of this morbid practice was fully brought home to Sligo audiences this week when the Sligo Unknown Players presented "Aftermath", a P. C. Murray play, in the Town Hall. But, happy to relate, this play was far removed from the ordinary run of the country kitchen drama in which stage Irishism inevitably seems to form an integral part. Although the final curtain brought tragedy, the play itself was for the most part light and humorous. Nevertheless, it was a study of characters - everyday characters - and the frivolous situations seldom cloaked the significant importance of the idea behind the play.
Indeed, the choice of play was excellent and would probably please greater numbers than either of the presentations staged already this season by other companies. Undoubtedly it was a difficult play, especially for such a young cast, but this did not deter the players from giving an honest and pleasing interpretation of the various parts. Production was by Mr. Charlie Hughes, who once again scored a deserved success. He must be complimented, especially on the selection of such a ply, as it pleased the general audiences, and tribute must be paid to him for his perseverance in guiding young actors and actresses through difficult parts. A word of praise, too, for excellent settings. Three distinct rooms had to be prepared, and the various changes were handled with great care. The lighting and make-up were both expertly executed.
The play tells the story of a young school-teacher, Myles O' Regan, a well-read and learned person who falls in love with Grace Sheridan, another teacher. Myles was brought up in the country, and although his mother considers that the love of the soil should be deep in his nature, the young man devotes most of his time to reading and cares little about the farm. When Myles intimates one day that he might one day marry Grace Sheridan, his mother steps in and warns him not to make such a foolish move, especially in view of the fact that a neighbour, Mrs. Hogan, had a charming niece who is fully versed in the way of the land. There would also be the added advantage that if Myles married his mother's choice he would not have to live in a council cottage for the rest of his life. After all, he was a school-teacher, and he had his reputation and his position in life to live up to.
Although Myles fights desperately against such a match, his mother's obdurate will wins through, and after four years of married life the home is broken and Myles goes his own way. The story of the play suggests a tragic theme, but the introduction of so many other characters - Dr. Manning, Mrs. Mc Carthy, Hannah Geary and Mrs. Dillon - give the production a light-hearted twist. The action of the play centred around Myles O' Regan, played by Seamus Lee. For such a young actor this was a most difficult part - a part, one might say, of three complete contrasts. At first, we saw a happy Myles, the book-worm, the young man in love. Then we saw a doubting Myles, a person who was not sure of his position, a person who was his dream fading, a person who was changing his outlook on life as he struggled to withstand the constant, cruel, ugly tongue of his mother. And finally, there was the broken and dejected Myles. His home was a mere prison without bars, his career had lost much of its attraction, and even his pupils, who once looked up to him, mocked and scorned him.
Seamus Lee, in his own elegant fashion, played his part admirably. He instilled into his lines a feeling that was genuine in all its aspects. His actions were thoroughly convincing, and his distraught behaviour in the final act was expertly contrived and was strangely realistic. The impotence of Myles against his mother was always projected with a delicate sincerity. The part of Mrs. O' Regan was filled by Gretta Dunleavy, who was ideally cast in this role. The affection her son displayed for Grace Sheridan irritated her, and she made it her business to let her son know her opinion before the affair went too far. She was, as she thought herself, out for the good of her son, and her vitriolic remarks helped her to win him to her own way of thinking. Gretta Dunleavy played her part expertly, as she seemed to get right into the character from the start. Her hard nature and stern and commanding attitude never failed to move the audience as she portrayed the qualities of a possessive mother.
The girl who seemed to be in continuous trouble, Grace Sheridan, was played by Kitsy Dowling. The strange thing about her was that although she did not want trouble, she always found herself in the middle of it. She was attacked on one side by Myles and on the other side by Mrs. O' Regan, and she never seemed to have an answer for either of them. In the end she married Dr. Manning, and here again she seemed to be in deep water, as the match was not a good one. Kitsy Dowling, in her light-hearted way, interpreted her role with great feeling. Her depressing facial expressions, following the scolding delivered by Mrs. O' Regan, were especially noteworthy, while her quiet and inoffensive nature in the final act was portrayed with life-like sincerity.
Vera Parke, as Mary, niece of Mrs. Hogan, was obsessed with the intention that she could always do the right thing. She was ignorant of the battle which ensued between Myles and his mother before the wedding, and she did not appear to have fully grasped the seriousness of the situation even after four years of marriage. This young actress gave a performance which was well in keeping with the general all-round standard of the acting. Her quiet and unobtrusive manner won the hearts of the audience.
Tribute must also be paid to Kay Raftery, who took two parts in the play - Mrs. Hogan and Mrs. Mc Carthy. As the latter she was completely impressive and her acting was excellent all through. The producer himself, Charlie Hughes, took the part of Dr. Manning and gave a thoroughly polished performance. Two of the smaller parts, Mrs. Dillon and Hannah Garvey - were filled by Doreen Tracey and Rita Sweeney respectively, and both made the most of their roles. As the quiet Mrs. Dillon, Doreen Tracey was always pleasing, while Rita Sweeney did her part to perfection.
Lighting - Messrs. T. Gilmartin and A. Foley; Stage Management, Messrs. T. Fallon and S. Lee; Properties, Messrs. R. O' Neill and A. Tracey; Furniture and Properties, Messrs. Carroll and Co. and Messrs. J. Meldrum and Son Ltd., Sligo. On Monday night, Rev. G. Donnelly, C.C., St. Mary's, Sligo, thanked the audience for their attendance and the wonderful reception. He also thanked the Unknown Players especially the producer Mr. Hughes. Proceeds are in aid of Forthill School Fuel Fund.
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