This article is from page 16 of the 2011-06-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
A CLARE actress stars in an acclaimed new play that comes to Ennis next month.
Written and directed by Mick Donnellan, ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’, tells the story centres on the McGuire family: Theresa, the long suffering mother; alcoholic father Joe and their sons Chris and John.
Based in the Mayo town of Ballinrobe, the drama follows the trials and tribulations of the McGuire family combining humour with moments of poignancy and emotional turmoil.
For Ballyvaughan actress Theresa Leahy, who first encountered the play when a friend emailed her a copy of the script, playing the McGuire ma- triarch has been one of her greatest experiences on stage.
She said, “She’s like a mother you’ve seen. She’s trying to hold the family together. She’s a proud strong woman who really believes in the sanctity of marriage. She’s religious and is just going to stay with this marriage. She’s trying to create a home in difficult circumstances with her husband’s drinking. I suppose she’s the most poignant part of it because you really see the effects of it on her. It’s the sadness against the hilarity of what’s going on in the pub and the stories that are going on outside.”
Theresa continued, “There are actually some very funny moments. That’s what so great about the play. One minute you are laughing you’re head off and that next minute you’re like, ‘oh what’s happening.’ It’s great.”
Theresa believes that the story, which sold out on its first run in Galway, strikes a particular chord with Irish audiences.
She explained, “Everyone has seen this, in friend’s houses, in villages. It’s a story that is everywhere but it’s never been written about. Everyone recognises the characters. The language is real. You know Theresa. You know what kind of person she is. You know Joe, you know that type of drinker. They are all recogniseable characters. It’s something in the soul of Irish people. It’s something that when you come and see the play, you’ll say you know these people.”
An active member of the theatre scene in Clare since moving to Ballyvaughan from Dublin 10 years ago, Theresa also studied science at Trinity College Dublin.
The mother of four has performed with the Burren Players and has helped guide Clare’s young actors and writers through her involvement with Clare Youth Theatre.
Last December, Theresa co-directed with Mairéad Ní Chonduin Canadh le Cheile, a project that saw 400 children from five schools in County Clare perform two unique concerts with original music and script.
Theresa said, “I think Clare is a real ‘can do’ county. If you can contribute someway then you can con- tribute. People are really happy to let you do that.”
Truman Theatre’s production of ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’ comes to Glór on this Saturday, June 11.
Meanwhile another Clare actress Aoife McMahon, from Knocknamanna in Clarecastle, has landed the female lead in The Abbey’s forthcoming production of Brian Friel’s ‘Translations’.
The play, set in an Irish Hedge School in the early 19th century, begins on the famed Abbey Theatre stage on Thursday, June 23, with Aoife playing the part of Maire. Aoife (37) and a RADA graduate, previously starred in the TV series Random Passage .