NO FIXED Abode Theatre Company are in the Town Hall next weekend with Promises Promises, the hilarious new comedy play by Athlone-based writer Margaret Mc Kenna Mullan.
Promises Promises tells the story of two widowed women, a mother and daughter, each with their own problems. The mother, Rosaleen, is in her seventies, suffers from dementia and the side effects of the medication she is taking. These side effects cause her to be man mad and do and say the most outragous things.
Winifred, her daughter, is pestered by unwanted offers of marriage from Peadar, a well-off neighbouring farmer in whom she shows little interest. Her mother and Peadar despise one another which causes mayhem for Winifred who has to cope with all this as well as running their small farm and household.
The story comes to a head when Rosaleen accepts a place in the local day centre.
Promises Promises is McKenna Mullan’s third play and her first two, The Sleeveens and Let’s Twist Again, were big hits and enjoyed much success on their countrywide tours. Speaking from her Athlone home - where the cast were shortly due to assemble to start rehearsals - she recalled how she began writing for the stage.
“I started writing for the stage six years ago and it really came about from me going to see a lot of plays and becoming convinced that I could write one myself,” she says. “I wrote one and then I got together a company of actors to perform it, and we call ourselves No Fixed Abode, which kind of sums us up! I really love bringing the plays all around and hearing people’s reactions. I think I’ve learned a lot as I’ve gone on and watched the plays being staged before different audiences.”
McKenna Mullan is something of an all-round impresario. Not only does she write the company’s plays and act in them, she also sets up the tours (the comnpany have travelled everywhere from Kerry to Derry ), looks after the publicity, and has personally covered much of the company’s travelling expenses.
It’s an admirable level of commitment, energy, and personal organisation and she has been vindicated in seeing the plays frequently enjoy sell-out performances and steadily build up a strong following for her work from audiences across the country. The fact that the plays are comedies doubtless contributes to their appeal.
“Comedy is my thing really,” McKenna Mullan acknowledges. “I have written one serious play, called No Harm Done, about a priest wrongfully accused of sexual abuse but that’s for another day. I like writing comedy, and giving people a laugh. Promises Promises is a bit of craic really you could say.”
It’s ‘a bit of craic’ Galway audiences will doubtless appreciate, when it arrives in the Town Hall on Friday May 8 and Saturday May 9 at 8pm.
The play is directed by Liam Curley and McKenna Mullan features in the role of the elder widow Rosaleen. Also featuring in the cast are Aileen Keena, Ronan Emmett, Sheamus McKenna, and Frankie Keena.
Tickets are €16/14 and are available from the Town Hall on 091 - 569777.
