18 December 2003
However into the production breach stepped William Egan and so far the change of direction is almost seamless.
Last year the company performed The Man from Clare. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Knocknagow Centre rocked with laughter at the latest offering. This was the Bernard Farrell two-act comedy I Do Not Like Thee Dr Fell.
In the past the Anner Players have performed other Farrell plays such as Canaries All The Way Back. and Say Cheese so the author was certainly not unknown or indeed unappreciated locally.
I Do Not Like Thee Dr Fell is set in a room somewhere in Dublin. This room is the venue for group therapy sessions, led by a Ms Suzy Bernstein.
Ms Bernstein welcomed back an old Anner Players favourite in the person of Bernadette Comerford. Bernadette or Suzy as she wanted to be called, came from Texalito, wherever that is.
While her therapy credentials may not have stood up to the closest scrutiny, her acting credentials certainly did.
The group may have been getting away on her but Suzy managed to paper over the cracks for a long time as the play built to a climax.
It was late in the day when all except the perceptive Jim While detected that Suzy wasn't a 100% therapist.
Her helper at the centre was Paddy who was caretaker and group attendant. The character of Paddy came easy to Thomas McNamara who dispersed his homespun wisdom to those attending the session.
He adapted Joe Fell and his comments to Joe were often nearer the truth than first appeared.
Toddy was well cast. Roger was a pain and he was meant to be a pain. Having visited similar groups in such places as Oslo he set himself up as an authority on therapy sessions.
We didn't feel sorry for him when he was exposed. Well done to Louis Keating. Peter and Maureen were a couple with problems. In the early stages of the play Peter (Eugene O'Meara) managed to order his wife Maureen (Deirdre Egan) around but as the play developed Maureen's character began to get stronger as Peter's influence began to fail.
Poor Rita (Deirdre O'Halloran), whose husband was eaten by dogs, suffered from her nerves and also had a heart condition at suitable moments.
She made all feel sorry for her until the cracks began to appear in her character.
We now come to the star of the show, Sunshine, otherwise known as Joe Fell or Jim White.
Jim kept us on edge during the whole show. Was he “mad” or just “mad in craft?” What did he work at? What was he capable of? The secret of Jim's success was that we were never sure what he was up to or what he thought. Was he evil?
I don't know but I did not like thee Dr Fell. For someone universally popular this was a great acting achievement by Jim.
Producer Willie Egan will be hugely pleased with his cast.
The whole troupe and this includes all those credited on the programme such as David O'Meara (Eugene is his father), Tom Ryan, and Nora Larkin not forgetting Kathleen Holden or is it Kelly? Those who stayed away were the losers.
carols - Once again St Michael's Church has stepped forward and given a lead that others might follow.
This time it is the local church choir which wins the plaudits. On Sunday evening they gave an hour long carol service in St Michaels Church. It was a St Michaels Church which was packed to the doors.
The church looked splendid with its collection of Christmas trees and festive lights providing a beautiful background for the choristers who were in excellent voice thanks to conductor Teckie Brett.
The singers were accompanied by John Bermingham on guitar who was standing in for the work tied Paul O'Riordan. St Michael's Church had been prepared by Fr McGrath PP, sacristan Maureen Hennessy and a number of willing helpers.
The service consisted of readings, carols, hymns, stories and musical items all delightfully interwoven. The ladies of the choir, directed by Teckie Brett, were Aine Brett, Breda Gahan, May O'Sullivan, Mary Hally, Mary Hanly, Sally Brett, Una O'Gorman, Mairead O'Halloran, Mary Mullally, Noreen Fitzgerald, Betty Reilly, Ann Pollard, May Gillman, Helen O'Brien, Amy Gahan, Ann Reilly, Bernadette Comerford.
Not a single man was in sight. Perhaps the New Year and its resolutions will bring an influx of men into the choir which though beautiful could do with a broadening of voice range.
A collection was donated to St John's Ward (Cancer Unit) of Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin.
The angels were Eilis Fitzgerald, Jessie Watson, Erin Connolly, Michaela Reilly, Kerrie Lawlor, Ciara Walsh, Lucy Woodside, Sarah Holland, Mikaela Horan, Jordan Culligan, Alison Brett, Georgia Dorban, Kate White, Gemma Dunne, Niamh Bourke, Josephine Kennedy, Sarah Brabazan, Grace Foley, Shauna O'Meara, Clare-Ann Power, Ciara Hogan. The children who played and sang were Danielle Cooper, Alison Fennelly, Aoife Hornibrook, Hannah McCarthy, Aoife Maher, Kerrie O'Connor, Tina Scott, Denise Treacy, Louise Woodside, Kieran Scott, Aaron Hayden, Pat O'Halloran, Kevin McGrath, Shane Egan, Paul Gayson, Fred Dorban, Marie Lyons, Sean Bermingham, Gary Cronin, Stephen Carroll, Sean Curran, Ian Healy, Niamh Maher, Natalie Mockler, Daniel Freeman, Aisling O'Brien, Nathalie Horan, Hannah Trister, Genevieve Coyne, Jennifer McDonald, Rebecca Meagher, Brid Murray, Shauna O'Brien, Stacey O'Brien, Sarah O'Brien, Erica Keane, Sharon Keane, Kathy Quirke, Ailish O'Meara, Cathal Horan, Shane Byrne, Conor O'Halloran and Martin Mullally.
chiropodist - The chiropodist calls early to the community centre on December 22, 9.30.
bins - Collecting earlier next week will be the Co Council bin men.
A recyclable collection is due for Christmas Eve.
ring a link - A pilot “Ring a Link” coach service is in operation to Carrick.
The scheme will serve Nine-Mile-House, Grangemockler, Windgap and other areas. Details: 1890 42 41 41.
golf - The Christmas outing is to Carrick on Saturday, 10am.
Contact: Richard Needham or Johnny Kennedy. The Jack Brett Memorial Challenge has been postponed until January 24.
honoured - Recently a number of local people have been elected to the officer boards of Bord na nÓg in Tipperary.
Rickie Sheehan was re-elected PRO of Tipperary Bord na nÓg.
At the South Tipp convention in Clonmel Dick Egan was elected chairman of South Tipp Bord na nÓg.
Malachy Sheehan was elected treasurer, while Martin Cody was re-elected as one of the two South Tipp delegates to Tipperary Bord na nÓg.
Dick and Ricky have just completed almost 40 years service between them as officers of the local GAA club.
lotto - There was no jackpot winner of the local lotto on December 8. Four shared e160: Mary English, Ollie Carter, Mark Gale and Paul O'Rourke. Numbers: 4, 16, 17, and 26. Jackpot on Monday could be e4,200.
vintage club - Some time ago a tractor road run involving a circuit of Slievenamon was held. A draw was held in conjunction with the event.
Draw winners: John Murphy, Callan; Paddy Connell, Ballingarry; Eddie Hickey, Mullinahone.
Proceeds were distributed among local groups: Camphill, Grangemockler, e1,000; St Patricks Special School, Kilkenny; e1,000 Scoil Aonghusa, Cashel e1,000; Scoil Chormaic, Cashel e1,000; with contributions also to Chernobyl aid and St Patricks Olympic team.
credit union - The Credit Union will be open during the Christmas and New Year period on December 18, 19, 26 and January 2.
reconciliation - In preparation for Christmas the sacrament of reconciliation, will be held in St Michaels Church on Sunday, 7pm.
condolences - The local community was saddened to learn of the death in London of Liam Walsh, formerly of Kickham Street.
Liams remains will be brought home to Mullinahone.
He is survived by his brothers Dick and Thomas and his sister Eileen.
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