DRAGON’S DEN sensation Santa Ponsa Or Bust comes to the Town Hall Theatre next week on Friday August 5 and Saturday 6 featuring the two funniest men in Cork: Frank Twomey and Pakie O’Callaghan.
The show is written and performed by O’Callaghan and Twomey, who have been writing and performing together regularly since 1998, when they both were involved in RTÉ’s Bull Island.
They are regular contributors to Joe Duffy’s ‘Funny Friday’ Liveline in which they play the parts of Michael Noonan, Mary O’Rourke, Charlie McCreevy, David Norris, Brian Cowen, and Joe Higgins.
Santa Ponsa Or Bust is also remarkable for featuring on Dragons Den where it took the Dragons’ fiery breath away. For the first time in the Irish version of Dragons Den all five dragons invested in what is already being talked about as the smash hit comedy of the year.
“We did it out of desperation really,” says Pakie O’Callaghan of the idea to pitch the show on the programme. “The show had already been a big success for us in Cork but we had brought it as far as we could, and we weren’t having much luck finding audiences for it elsewhere.
“So we decided to have a go at getting on Dragons Den and they accepted our application. We performed a four minute excerpt and they really liked it and all five Dragons decided to invest in it. Their input has been fantastic and it’s enabled us to set up the current tour which is taking in 50 venues in all.”
Santa Ponsa Or Bust charts the adventures of two hapless Cork couples - Finbarr and Carmel and John and Noreen. Wide boy Finbarr, while “working” on his ninth FÁS scheme, is approached by a dark and mysterious stranger outside the North Chapel.
In return for bringing a sealed package to Santa Ponsa, Finbarr, his wife Noreen, and a couple of their choice are offered a two week holiday in the internationally renowned Hotel Del Mar, Santa Ponsa.
However there is no such thing as a free paella and what follows is the holiday from hell. The two couples are pursued by Hans Von Snicht, the ruthless head of the Bulgarian mafia, through the seedy fleshpots and gay bars of the tacky resort. Escape from the clutches of Hans Von Snicht propels the two couples into the hands of the Spanish police. Finbarr and John are locked up in Ben Al Madena prison. Will they beat the rap? Will their women wait fro them on the outside? Only time will tell.
Tickets are available from the Town Hall on 091 - 569777 and www.tht.ie
