Greasepaint Productions to perform Brian Friel’s masterpiece ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ in Buncrana

A stark contrast to last year’s Irish premiere of “Peter Pan – A Musical Adventure”, this play is more of a trip down memory lane, taking us on a journey to rural Donegal in the summer of 1936 and the small cottage - homestead to the five Mundy sisters.

Centre stage are the five women, defiantly vibrant in the face of poverty, propriety and prejudice. They bustle about, feeding chickens, folding laundry, knitting gloves, picking bilberries, joking, and fussing over seven-year-old Michael as he constructs kites in the yard, and over their brother Jack who has returned, confused, from a missionary posting.

They are also visited that summer by Gerry Evans, who fathered a now seven-year-old son, Michael, with the youngest sister, Christina. An adult Michael provides the narration

throughout, linking between present and past.

Even as the women tease and bicker, and coax music out of their erratic new wireless, there’s a shadow of sadness as they begin to realise that their hopes, like Michael’s kites, may never fly. The tension between these facts and the vibrancy of the individuals we see on stage drive this bittersweet drama. The play is both thought provoking and emotive - raising questions about both national and personal identity, as well as writing, narrative and memory in a small, vividly drawn community.

The dance (beautifully choreographed by Diarmaid O’Meara) suffuses the play — whether it’s the sisters’ wild burst of abandoned joy when the radio flickers into life, Christina and Gerry’s intimate spin around the garden, or the gentle swaying to some unheard rhythm as the play ends.

A spokesperson for the company said, “We feel both honoured and privileged to have the opportunity to bring one of Brian Friel’s greatest works to life and indeed bring it home to his beloved Donegal. The performance rights for this particular play are not always readily available, so when there was a very brief window to secure the licence, we jumped at the chance.”

Greasepaint Productions is not without its notable accolades and alumni, having won numerous community awards and were nominated for “The Spirit of AIMS” award for The Wizard of Oz in 2010.

Many past members have progressed to carve out careers both on and off stage in theatre and performing arts in London’s Westend, New York and Dubai.

The spokesperson continued, “You might think that a play which is closer to home is much easier to perform, but in fact it is very often the opposite, because expectations for authenticity are so much higher and we are confident that this very talented cast has risen to the challenge. We very much look forward to sharing this home-grown production with local audiences.”

Dancing at Lughnasa will be performed in St Mary’s Hall, Buncrana from Wednesday, April 24 until Saturday, April 27 2024 at 7:30pm nightly with all seats priced at €12.

Tickets for all performances are on sale now via the dedicated ticket service www.ticketsource.eu/greasepaint-productions/

You are advised to book early and avoid disappointment for this very special production. They rely heavily on their volunteer team, which means that the Box Office will open for ticket sales on selected dates only:

Saturday, April 13 from 10am until 12 noon

Sunday, April 14 from 10am until 12 noon

Saturday, April 20 from 10am until 12 noon

Sunday, April 21 from 10am until 12 noon

For bookings, please Telephone 086 4595016 DURING BOX OFFICE HOURS ONLY or come along in person to the Box Office at St Mary’s Hall, Buncrana.