Passionfruit Theatre Company presents the wonderful play by Marie Jones, A Night In November. This highly entertaining one-man show, featuring Ollie Hegarty and directed by Fidelma Nixon, has just finished a very successful run in Kiltoom, Co Roscommon. Following the rave reviews, Passionfruit Theatre Company has the pleasure of an exclusive performance by Ollie on Friday November November 27 for all those local theatre goers who missed out.
Such is the quality, success and popularity of A Night in November that Belfast comedian, Patrick Kielty just finished touring in Dublin and London to fantastic reviews and full houses. Two weeks ago the Shoestring Theatre Company from Cork completed a run with the play in Broadway, New York to packed houses. In May 2009, Shoestring performed the play at the All Ireland Amateur Drama Festival and William Lyons scooped the coveted award of best actor and his performance was followed by a spontaneous standing ovation, not seen for years in the Dean Crowe Theatre. Playwright Marie Jones also wrote the award-winning Stones in His Pockets.
The play itself begins in Belfast and revolves around six months in the life of the central character, Kenneth Norman McAllister, dole clerk an Ulster Protestant, who unexpectedly finds the certainties of his life turned on their head one night in November 1993. After the events of that fateful experience, Kenneth is forced to re-examine his assumption, beliefs, relationships, marriage, cultural values and he is thrown into a full blown identity crisis. His personal journey is wittingly and beautifully portrayed in this largely comedy but part tragedy. The central question explored in the play is whether it is possible to change when the meaning of one’s life has been turned upside down: Can the individual prevail? Are the influences of family, friends and society too strong to resist? Is there a place for hope? Can the marriage survive? What is the personal price we pay for turning a blind eye? What does it mean to be Irish?
Kenneth’s roller coaster journey is grippingly and vividly portrayed by Ollie, who plays 14 different characters including his wife and social climber, Debra, his racist and bigoted father-in-law, Ernie, his Catholic boss, Jerry and a legion of others, including several male and female Republic of Ireland fans on their way to the Yankee stadium, New York as part of Jackie’s army in the 1994 World Cup Finals. Come and see the show in the intimacy of Passionfruit Theatre - we guarantee that you will be on your feet applauding this engaging, gripping, hilarious, not to be missed journey with Ollie, alias Kenneth Norman McAllister. Then decide for yourself if change is possible.
