Mayo's Upstage Players take The Weir to Dunmore ahead of festival run
IT will be a busy week for the cast and crew of Upstage Players from Claremorris, as the team gears up for two performances in Dunmore, ahead of their All-Ireland Festival Circuit run.
Drama enthusiasts in north Galway are in for a special treat, as the group get ready to take to the stage in Dunmore Town Hall this Wednesday and Thursday night, February 19 and 20, with Conor McPherson’s The Weir. The shows begin at 8 p.m. nightly and admission is €15. Tickets will be available on the door each night.
Established in 2024, Upstage Players is based in Claremorris, and attracts members from across the region. While relatively new to the circuit, the group’s actors and crew are well known in drama circles all over the west and beyond.
The group will begin their Amateur Drama Council of Ireland (ADCI) Festival Circuit run on Sunday, February 23, and are promising two brilliant performances in Dunmore ahead of this.
Set in a small bar in rural Ireland, The Weir sees three local men enjoying good beer and company. In Brendan’s pub, isolated above the town, the lads are gathering for their daily pint, but their normal routine is shaken up when an attractive stranger arrives.
As the night progresses, they share tales of ghostly happenings…but what starts as innocent braggadocio turns serious when the stranger reveals a real, haunted tale of her own.
Dunmore's Ollie Turner plays Finbar in The Weir, with Tim Oates from Claremorris as Jack. Aishling Costello, also hailing from Claremorris, takes on the role of Valerie, while Ollie Barrett (on loan from Mayo to Milltown) plays Jim, and Donegal native Jourdain Cunningham, who now lives in Balla, takes on the role of Brendan.
The Weir is directed by Alan Heneghan from Balla, who also took charge of stage design and construction. Mayo Abbey’s Vera Kilgallon is artistic coordinator and stage manager, with Billy Freeley on lighting, and Dunmore’s Andrea Silke on sound. The show is produced by Mary Esler from Claremorris, with Una Monahan - also from Claremorris - on props.
This week’s performances in Dunmore will be the final warm-up for Upstage Players, as the group sets out on its ADCI Festival Circuit run on Sunday, February 23. Their first competitive show will be in Lislea, Co Down, followed by Ballinamore (Leitrim) on Tuesday, March 4, and Mountmellick (Laois) on Friday, March 7. On Tuesday, March 11, Upstage Players will be in Castleisland (Kerry), followed by Strabane (Tyrone) on Friday, March 14, and Ballyshannon (Donegal) on Tuesday, March 18. They will conclude their festival run in Claregalway on Thursday, March 20.