ALÂ, THE community theatre and education organisation, will present a new variety theatre show Good Bye Harry in the Menlo Park Hotel on Saturday May 21 and Sunday 22.
Taking its inspiration from cabaret style shows, Good Bye Harry sees a group of characters gathering to reminisce after the death of their friend, the acclaimed theatre director, Harry. They tell stories, sing, and of course act.
“Like most of our shows ALâ was totally devised by the cast,” explains Alâ project director Jim Aherne. “The reason for that is that some of our performers would have learning disabilities which would make working with a script difficult for them. Developing the show themselves as we do means a lot to them and we have a great cast.”
During the devising process of Good Bye Harry members of ALâ based their characters on traits they found annoying in other people like being nosy, two-faced, worried, big talker and so forth.
Aherne expands on the show’s content: “It’s about this theatre director Harry who has recently died in a car crash. Members of his theatre company then assemble to make their farewell. The fact that the performers based their characterisation on annoying personal traits makes the piece very funny.”
The performance will be enhanced by unique seating arrangements for the audience, who will sit at tables, with a full bar facility, as if to become part of Harry’s send-off.
“It’ll be a cabaret-style presentation with some of the performers sitting among the audience at the tables,” Aherne explains. “It will offer an all-round theatrical experience with song, dance, martial arts even, a bit of everything. There’ll also be some improvisational banter back and forth between audience and performers. I think it’ll be an entertaining evening.”
ALâ was established in March 2004, and over the years it has grown from strength to strength, having organised more than 500 workshops in areas such as drama, technical aspects of theatre, and community arts for community development.
It provides the Galway community with opportunities for personal, community, and social development. The organisation uses theatre, arts and education as development tools, in an inclusive, supportive, fun environment.
The company is in the process of securing official certification for its training courses and, among its notable forthcoming projects is a festival based around the Theatre of the Oppressed which will take place in September on Inis Óirr, in conjunction with the island’s arts centre, Áras Eanna.
In the meantime, Good Bye Harry promises to provide a light-hearted, entertaining, show that offers something a little different to theatre-goers in Galway.
Tickets are €10/8 and are available from the Menlo Park Hotel at the door on the night, or by contacting Jim Aherne on 086 - 8461270. Ensure your group stays together by booking a table of six with one person going free.
ALâ is funded by Galway City Council, City of Galway VEC and The Community Foundation of Ireland.
