Live theatre is back. And it will hopefully help us to wash away dark memories of a dark period in our history. And help to transport us and our imaginations to better places and better times. Ballyduff has been performing on the Drama Festival circuit for over 40 years, a lifetime of dramatic creativity.
In that time, it has won all the major awards in All-Ireland Finals – in production, technical and acting arenas.
And now, once again, Ballyduff brings to the stage another beautiful and sensitive piece, a Pulitzer-prize winning play called ‘Rabbit Hole’ from the pen of American playwright, David-Lindsay Abaire. Directed by Ger Canning, it tells the story of a married couple, grieving the loss of their young son in a car accident.
Poignant and moving but with moments of immensely sensitive humour, this a story of resilience and survival, a story of loss and of hope. If nothing else, it is a testament to our shared humanity and our dependence on one another to see us through. A message which is surely never more timely than now.
Canning has directed many great American classics and has brought the works of the likes of Arthur Miller, John Steinbeck and Sam Shepard to the stages of Ireland and with great acclaim. She never fails to deliver and with the cast she has got together this year, she is unlikely to do so now either.
John Stack and Sile Heneghan starred in the All-Ireland winning ‘On Raftery’s Hill’ and they re-unite in this one. They both have huge acting pedigrees and are joined on the boards by Gráinne Barry and Ronan Bennett who have performed with the group many times over the last number of years as well as the excellent Ellen Quirke who is making her debut with the group.
The group will be performing the play in eight festivals nationwide, at least one in every province and including one performance in Northern Ireland. In advance of striking out on this year’s festival circuit, the group will perform in Ballyduff on February 19th, 20th, 21st, 26th and 27th, with all performances having an 8pm start.
There is nothing like live performance to engage the soul. What a wonderful opportunity for us to start removing the Covid cobwebs from our existence. You may cry, you may laugh – but, rest assured, you will feel fully and absolutely alive. Because this ‘Rabbit Hole’ is one place where you will find love, grief, memory and hope, all combined in a fusion of all the goodness and frailty that our humanity bestows upon us.
Booking, which opens on 14th February, is at (058 )60456 from 2-8 pm but tickets will also be available on the door each night. Live life and enjoy the wonders of live theatre. Because it’s back!
