Michael Dunbar, Jack Matthews, Gayle Jordan and Andy Doyle in rehearsal for ‘Of Mornington’. Pic: John Walsh
FEW PLACES can rival a rehearsal room when a group of dedicated artists get together to bring a play to life – getting the chance then to bring to life a new Billy Roche play ‘Of Mornington’ is a privilege that newest Wexford group Scalder Theatre has enjoyed immensely.
Scalder Theatre is the brainchild of Andy Doyle and Michael Dunbar, two men whose names are synonymous with the local theatre scene for the past thirty-plus years, having been involved in All Ireland winning plays with Enniscorthy Drama Group on no less than three occasions.
But now, the duo is embarking on an exciting and ambitious new venture – a world premier of a new Billy Roche play which will, they hope, propel Scalder Theatre into the public eye, not just in Wexford but beyond.
‘Of Mornington’ tells the interweaving stories of Phil (Andy Doyle), Shauna (Gayle Jordan) and Mike (Jack Matthews) as their lives unfold in a kiosk cafe run by Shauna. Mike dreams of becoming a professional snooker player, something which Phil once enjoyed but has since fallen from grace. Meanwhile, Shauna is adamant that she won’t be in the cafe forever and yearns to move on. The play is directed by Michael Dunbar.
Andy remarked: “None of them are permanent in this place. Every one of them is passing through, looking for something else.
“But at the same time,” Gayle added, “You get the sense that they probably are all stuck there. Even if they don’t think that.” There is a purgatorial feel to the cafe that hangs over the action.
The small cast and world premier aspect of the play were amongst the things that drew the group to the play – that and the fact that it was a new Billy Roche play, to be performed in Wexford and you couldn’t think of a more uniquely Wexford starting point for the county’s newest group. The group’s affiliation with Billy Roche’s work dates back to the early 1990s when Enniscorthy Theatre Group performed four of the writer’s plays, winning an All Ireland with ‘Poor Beast in the Rain’ in 1996.
“Billy’s plays made a huge impact on us. I remember going down to see the trilogy in Wexford and it was just so different – these plays that made ordinary lives extraordinary. So it was great to get the chance to take on ‘Of Mornington’,” said Michael.
It was, Andy added, a privilege but also a great responsibility to be the first people to bring these characters to life. And for anyone that knows Billy’s work, they will know that it is all about the characters and how they unravel during the course of a play.
‘Of Mornington’ runs at the National Opera House from May 23 to 28. Tickets are available now from www.nationaloperahouse.ie/ or 053 9122144.
[Full story and interview in this week’s Echo Newspaper]