Ray Leonard Players to stage new show at three Mayo venues
THE Ray Leonard Players are back with a bang and this week they will stage their brand-new show - The Kings of The Kilburn High Road - in the Cois Abhann Centre in Hollymount.
On Friday night, February 17, the cast will take to the Hollymount stage with the Jimmy Murphy play. This will be the first of three local performances from the Claremorris drama group before they set off on the All-Ireland Amateur Drama Festival circuit.
On Thursday night, February 23, Balla Community Centre will be the venue for the Ray Leonard Players, while on Friday, March 3, it’ll be Aghamore Community Centre.
All shows will begin at 8 p.m. and admission is just €10. Tickets will be available on the door.
Set in the back room of an Irish bar in Kilburn, London, The Kings of The Kilburn High Road tells the story of a group of young men who left their homes in the west of Ireland in the mid 1970s and sailed across the sea to England in the hope of making their fortunes and returning home.
Twenty-five years later, only Jackie Flavin makes it home, but he does so in a coffin.
The play takes place on the day that the winners and losers of the group meet up to drink to Flavin's memory and it examines their lives, relationships and lost dreams.
A stellar cast has been assembled for the show. Headford’s Robert Holden plays Jap Kavanagh, Alan Heneghan from Balla plays Shay Mulligan, Sligo’s Darren Regan plays Maurteen Rodgers, Tim Oates from Claremorris plays Git Miller, and Tuam native Paul Kelly plays Joe Mullen.
The play is being directed by Anne Fahey, with Mary Esler as assistant director.
The Ray Leonard Players was established to honour and perpetuate the memory of the late Ray Leonard, who was synonymous with drama across the west of Ireland throughout his life.
Ray - who passed away in 2005 - was a director, producer and mentor who made an outstanding contribution to drama, musicals and stagecraft. He was a great friend and a massive inspiration to the group’s founding members, and to countless other performers around the region.
He was passionate about the stage and was affectionately known as ‘Mr. Drama’ in Claremorris and indeed all across the west of Ireland.
In keeping with Ray’s deep sense of community the group has, this year, formed a unique collaboration with Claremorris Men’s Shed. Led by Ballindine’s John Fallon, the Men's Shed has designed and built the set for the play, while John is also looking after sound and light.
Following the three local shows, the Ray Leonard Players will set off on the festival circuit, with performances in Mountmellick (March 5), Tubbercurry (March 6), Roscommon (March 8), Doonbeg (March 10), Ballyshannon (March 12), Claregalway (March 14), Claremorris (March 20) and Scariff (March 26).
For further details, check out The Ray Leonard Players on Facebook or email rayleonardplayers@gmail.com.