With three of Ireland’s top theatre companies making their way to Longford this season, Backstage Theatre is offering audiences a €10 discount per ticket when they book to see all three productions.
The first show on offer is Terminus, presented by the country’s national theatre, The Abbey. Travelling to just five locations in the country, Longford will be midland audiences’ only chance to see this gripping performance. Written by Mark O’Rowe who wrote the film Intermission starring Colin Farrell, Terminus is fierce, funny, and full of adventure. It’s a fast-paced story about three people whose lives collide on a fateful night when the ordinary turns into extraordinary. While the show comes is strictly for over 16s and contains strong language and violent descriptions, it’s a fantastic piece of theatre and rumoured to be one of the best The Abbey have ever produced.
The second show on offer is the unmissable Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme by Frank Mc Guinness. It’s presented by Nomad and Livin Dred, no strangers to midland audiences having been responsible for the smash hit The Dead School which wowed audiences and critics alike in 2008, and continued its unbroken run of standing ovations each night at this year’s Dublin Theatre Festival.
This year’s show is gearing up to be an even bigger hit with a stellar cast including Irish theatre veteran Ian Mc Elhinney. With a compelling and moving story of eight men and the bonds that unite them as they prepare to fight in the terrible Battle of the Somme, McGuinness has given us a piece of theatre that is sharp, utterly modern and unforgettable. An emotional and intellectual journey that is at once thought-provoking and inspiring.
The third and final show on offer is Tom Murphy’s powerful The Gigli Concert, presented by Druid. Once again director Garry Hynes joins forces with Murphy to stage what is widely regarded as Murphy’s masterpiece. This searching, challenging, and funny play deals with seven days in the relationship between King, a quack self-help therapist, and the mysterious Irishman, who seeks out King to help him sing like the great Italian opera singer Beniamino Gigli. As with all Druid productions, you are guaranteed to see an outstanding production with acting of the highest calibre.
It’s rare to get the opportunity to see three such production in your local theatre in the one season, so to make the most of it Backstage are offering a €10 discount per person when you book to see all three shows.
Terminus is on Thursday and Friday October 29 and 30, Observe the Sons is on Tuesday and Wednesday November 10 and 11, and The Gigli Concert is on from Thursday to Saturday, November 26 to 28.
Tickets for all shows can be purchased from (043 ) 3347888, from Farrell & Coy in Longford town, or www.backstage.ie
