Dunshaughlin Players revive old memories
Dunshaughlin Players are revisiting the stage play, 'The Memory of Water' by Shelagh Stephenson 20 years after they first produced it as a newly established drama group.
The original founding members were John and Barbara Sheehy, John and Michelle Kearns, and Kieran Rushe. They staged their production of this play in Dunshaughlin Community college in November 2003, with an original cast of Michelle Kearns, Helen Pfeiffer, Marie Masterson and Mary Tuite, the late John O'Sullivan, and Duncan Graham.
Mary Tuite is this year’s assistance director. Mary is a long-time member, who has acted and directed many times over the years. She has dedicated herself and contributed tremendously to this production.
This April, Dunshaughlin players will stage their 2023 production in the Venue Theatre Ratoath from Thursday to Sunday, 27th to 30th April, with a cast of Paula Gibney, Amanda Doherty, Edel Diviney, Melissa Dunne, Alan Frawley, and Greg Marks.
The play follows three sisters - Teresa, Mary, and Catherine – as they reunite for their mother's funeral. Their hapless life partners are also dragged along. Each sister has a different memory of their upbringing, providing a hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking insight into their family's history. The drama is a delightful and witty exploration of family relationships, memory, and grief that will leave you both laughing and teary-eyed.
Director Gerry Herbert has performed and directed with many groups in drama, comedy, musicals and passion plays as well as radio, TV and film. He is a familiar face for Irish TV audiences having played in Red Rock on TV3 and appeared in many TV commercials. He is a director and actor with awards in both Ireland (DLI & AIMS) and the US (AIITF). He has acted in many stage plays. Gerry is artistic co-director of Causeway Productions, with his wife Geraldine McComish. Causeway won the All-Ireland One Act Final in 2008 and for which he received a joint best acting award.
This amateur production of 'The Memory of Water' is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd on behalf of Samuel French Ltd, and is Dunshaughlin Players' first spring production in five years.