The story of The Bull McCabe and his deadly passion for the land he rents will come to Castlebar and Ballina next week. Dooega Drama Group will bring the iconic The Field by John B Keane to Castlebar’s Linenhall and Ballina Arts Centre.
The Achill-based group are bringing their production of Keane’s classic study of a deadly passion for land in rural 1960s Ireland on a mini-tour of Mayo. They will be in Castlebar on Thursday February 9 and Ballina the following night, Friday February 10.
The production attracted three full houses in Dooega over the Christmas period, and director Pádraic Patten is confident audiences throughout the county will enjoy the play as much as Achill audiences did. “We’re very lucky to have both a talented and hardworking cast who have put in a lot of effort over the last number of months in getting ready for stage. We are very happy with how we performed in Dooega and are relishing the chance now to play in front of audiences across Mayo,” he said
The Field is Dooega Drama Group’s sixth annual production and the group have won many awards on the amateur drama tour for some of their previous productions. One of the group’s veterans, Michael Lavelle, plays the central character, the infamous ‘Bull’ McCabe. The cast of 13 comprises a wide array of people, including a drama student, a publican, businesspeople, teachers, a former county councillor and a brewer. A hardworking crew have an extremely authentic 1960s set in place.
“Some of the actors are effectively playing a version of themselves, while others have to be more adroit in adapting but have managed to do so successfully,” Patten added.
“While many people are familiar with the film, Keane’s play is quite different, with some different characters and some different interpretations compared to the film. The depth that Keane brings to so many of these characters makes them very real, and we hope we are doing this genius of Irish drama justice. We’re confident we have while putting our own stamp on it too.”
The Field is on show in The Linenhall, Castlebar, on Thursday February 9 at 8pm. Tickets are available directly from The Linenhall via the ticket line (094 ) 9023733 and the website www.thelinenhall.com
Dooega Drama Group are on stage in Ballina Arts Centre on Friday February 10 at 8pm. Tickets on sale via the Arts Centre ticket line (096 ) 73593 and the website www.ballinaartscentre.com Also see Dooega Drama Group’s Facebook page for more information and ticket competitions.
