Theatre goers were treated to two performances of ‘Taboo’ in The Palace Theatre, Fermoy last Thursday and Friday. The John Morton play, directed by Shane Dempsey, came with the blessing of John Arnold, who gave it a glowing review in The Avondhu (23/11/23) – the Bartlemy based writer saw it in The Cork Arts & Theatre Club.
I came close to seeing what all the fuss was about last Thursday but didn’t quite make it, Friday night looked promising for a while, but again ‘no cigar’ as they say. Thankfully, supporters of drama are considerably more focused and determined that myself. Second/third hand reports relayed to this writer about the play were very positive.
Despite the ‘devastating news’ that John Ahern wouldn’t be able attend, the show, featuring Lily (Jenny Fennessy) and Tom (Dylan Kennedy) as it usually does, went on.
JENNY & DYLAN
Jenny Fennessy (Ballysaggart) and Dylan Kennedy (Glenville) are not your run of the mill ‘amateurs’. As well as being professional actors, who’ve worked in the UK, they’ve their own theatre company – Red ‘n Blue Theatre Company (the colours of Cork and Waterford perhaps?)
‘Up the walls’ as she was when I spoke to her (for about 20 seconds), Jenny arranged for some photographs to be taken and sure enough she did, so fair play to her for that. One of the images is of a bound and gagged ‘Tom’, her real life husband – I’m not sure what that had to do with a first date, but there you go!
PUTTING IN THE WORK
One can only admire the work ethic of those whose passion is the stage. While I can’t make any further observations about ‘Taboo’, I can state very definitely that the last time I countered this theatrical couple was in Ballindangan Hall, some time around November 2022. Here, they gave a day-long workshop to local actors. Those who attended that workshop said it was one of the most beneficial things they’d ever done and they had nothing but praise for Jenny and Dylan, who had tips, pointers, words of wisdom and lots of encouragement for everyone who attended that day.
 - the Bartlemy based writer saw it in The Cork Arts & Theatre Club.){kind=link}