'The Great Dictator' lands in Donegal thanks to Stage Beyond Theatre Company

The county was well represented in the company’s acclaimed production, ‘The Great Dictator’ which featured Oisin Kelly from Ballybofey as the narrator; Gary Quigley (Schultz) and Niamh Sheridan (Dr Sneezy and Nurse Billy), both from Letterkenny; and Carol Glenn (Dr Happy) from Quigley’s Point all playing central roles.

Stage Beyond are the resident theatre company for adults with learning disabilities based at the Millennium Forum in Derry and their members hail from Derry, Tyrone and Donegal.

A large attendance of Community Inclusion (CI) groups from the Letterkenny area enjoyed the performance at An Grianan on Tuesday which shone a light on people with intellectual disabilities. The audience included members of the National Learning Network, CI Verve, CI Dawn, CI Ballyraine, CI Hub, as well as representatives from Donegal Down Syndrome Association, and staff and pupils from St Bernadette’s Special School.

Sandra Devenney, General Manager of McElhinney’s Stores and colleagues were also among the invited guests. Sandra, who is a huge supporter of Donegal Down Syndrome, said she was delighted to see Stage Beyond performing in Letterkenny and congratulated the company on their high-quality production.

Stage Beyond have also recently expanded their theatre outreach with weekly professional arts training workshops for young adults with intellectual disabilities held on Wednesday mornings at The Vestry in Letterkenny.

Dee Conaghan, Artistic Director of Stage Beyond, said she was immensely proud of the company members and entire production team for another resounding performance of ‘The Great Dictator’ which has an important disability inclusion message.

She explained: “We performed ‘The Great Dictator’ for the first time at the Millennium Forum on 15th June last year, marking a return to live theatre for the first time since the global pandemic, and it was a stellar performance which attracted widespread critical acclaim.

“Our company members don’t shy away from tackling sensitive and challenging topics and taking on ‘The Great Dictator’ was no exception. As always with Stage Beyond, comedy is an integral part of our performances. Our vision is to create theatre that challenges, surprises, and inspires audiences.”

Drawing on recent historical episodes, ‘The Great Dictator’ asks, is how we treat the vulnerable a measure of our humanity? The play is set in Europe, 1941. Pandora is at war and people are disappearing. People who are different. Dictator Heidi has a doppelganger – Brian, a decorator. When Brian’s sister Hannah goes missing, Brian discovers a terrible secret at his local hospital. In a bizarre case of mistaken identity, fate offers Brian the chance to change history.

Based on Charlie Chaplin’s satirical film masterpiece of the same name and featuring a combination of pathos, screwball comedy and silent movie tropes, ‘The Great Dictator’ is a truly unique theatrical event.

Stage Beyond have recently embarked on a brief tour with free ticketed daytime performances providing an opportunity for new audiences to see ‘The Great Dictator’.

The next tour date is at the Strule Arts Centre, Omagh, on Tuesday, 28th February at 11.30am. Admission is free, however advance booking is strongly advised. The booking link is https://struleartscentre.co.uk/show/the-great-dictator/#booking

For further information about Stage Beyond including their hugely popular speed dating events, visit www.stagebeyond or Facebook @stagebeyond

See more pictures at https://www.derryjournal.com/news/people/23-fabulous-photos-of-stage-beyond-theatre-companys-performance-of-the-dictator-4028483