Theatre-goers flocked to Sharkey’s Yard on Circular Road, Ballaghaderreen on Friday and Saturday last, where a local cast did a live, onstage performance of a reading of the Tony Award-winning play, The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh (in which local woman, Garry Hynes was awarded a Tony as Best Director).
The play starred Marie McDonaugh as Mag Folan (the cantankerous and contrary mother), Angela Beirne as Maureen Folan (Mags’ frustrated and fiery daughter), Joe Geever as Pato Dooley (a man in search of love and a more contented life), and Michael Donohue as Ray Dooley (Pato’s hot-headed and impatient brother), with Tommy Davey as narrator setting the scene.
The audience experienced this unique theatrical event from the comfort, warmth and safety of their own cars. All you had to do was drive in, park up, tune in your car radio and sit back and enjoy the show.
Some of the shenanigans witnessed would not be tolerated and would’ve been frowned upon in a ‘normal’ theatrical setting. The performance was interrupted on numerous occasions by the loud hooting and tooting of car horns, noisy crisps and popcorn bags, etc. One car had a picnic and there were a few glasses of non-alcoholic wine spotted, and some car windows were steamed up, making it difficult for the passengers to see anything at this thoroughly enjoyable Covid-friendly and socially distanced event!
Hopefully there is more to come from the inventive Julie Sharkey and her hard-working crew. It is initiatives like this that will get us through these long autumn and winter evenings!
