The latest offering from Athlone Little Theatre is the wonderful Neil Simon play The Gingerbread Lady, which opens tonight, Friday February 21, in the Little Theatre and runs for eight nights until the following Friday February 28.
The play is directed by Paddy Martin and features the brilliant Annette Dowling in the main role of Evy Meara.
Evy is a former singer who has just finished a stint in rehab in an attempt to get her life back on track but she has a lot on her plate and has to deal with a needy teenage daughter and two neurotic friends, not to mention an ex lover. Annette gives a powerhouse performance in this demanding role and is ably assisted by a great cast which includes seasoned actors in the form of Ronan Flynn, Tina O’Hara, and Jason Gill.
There are two new members to the theatre who take to the stage for the first time, namely Lorna Breen who plays Polly Meara, the needy daughter and Richard O’Hara, son of Tina, who plays Manuel. Both young actors are playing a blinder and it is great to see the future talent coming through, as this is the lifeblood of any group.
Paddy definitely gets the best out of his cast in this play and although it deals with a serious subject matter, it is filled with the wonderful trademark humour for which Neil Simon is famous. Anyone who has seen The Odd Couple or Plaza Suite will know that Simon is a master at selling New York comedy, with a plethora of witty and cutting one-liners which will have the audience in stitches.
With a fantastic backstage team including Martina Breen, Anthony Quinn, Mairead Cunningham, Clive Darling, Geoff Boles, Olivia Grogan, and Eadaoin Ní Aodhagan, Paddy has created a great night’s entertainment.
All tickets for the Sunday and Monday night performances are being sold at the concession price of €12, otherwise tickets are €15 and €12 with concession.
Curtain is up at 8.30pm each night.
To book tickets call (090 ) 6474324.
