'Thursdays with Elvis' director says hilarious show will showcase 'sisterhood and great music' in Derry

Following the great success of The Chronicles Of Long Kesh and the History Of The Troubles (accordin’ to my Da’,) Martin Lynch is back funnier than ever.

Thursdays With Elvis is directed by award winning Charlotte Westenra who won the BWW Irish Award for Best Director for Agreement

(Lyric, Belfast, Dublin & New York).

Thursdays With Elvis tells the tale of Lana who is a single mother struggling with the cost of living and the rising price of prosecco, whilst trying to survive on Universal Credit.

So, every Thursday night she and her wee Christian friend, Mary Magdalene Miriam, doll themselves up and have a wee drink, listening to Lana’s mother’s music from the 1950s and 60s and talk about life and men.

Lana gets the shock of her life when one Thursday night Elvis appears in her kitchen - and keeps coming back. Is this rock n’roll apparition real, imagined or an impersonator sent by her Elvis-obsessed father? Is Lana caught in a trap of poverty forever? Or does Elvis have an exciting idea that might just turn her life around?

Along with Lynch’s crowd-pleasing Northern Irish humour, the show is bursting with the songs of the Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Etta James and The Ronettes, to name but a few. And of course, Elvis sings all his greatest hits.

Speaking to the Journal, Charlotte said that when Martin Lynch first told her of the play’s concept she ‘howled with laughter’.

"It’s amazing and I was in straight away. Martin is a bit of a legend. What he does, he does so brilliantly. He talks about these big themes and things that are so close to people’s lives, but he does so in a really funny way.

The ‘cracking cast’ includes includes Orla Gormley who starred in Sting’s play The Last Ship on Broadway, and West End star Norman Bowman as Elvis who has also been seen in Les Miserable, Guys And Dolls and Mamma Mia.

Belfast star, Caroline Curran, (famously known as Maggie Muff) completes the cast as the hilarious, Mary Magdeline Miriam.

Charlotte said the play touches on the struggles of being a single mum, ‘living on Universal Credit, the cost of living crisis and also class and aspirations’.

“In a way, it’s about a woman who boxed herself in and doesn’t have that faith in herself. She just needs to learn that what she needs to do in life is believe in herself. She doesn’t need to rely on men and needs to realise she has everything she needs inside herself.”

“I love how the play, at its heart is about female friendships and best friends supporting each other.”

There is also, of course, great music, which ‘just lifts you and represents that joy of life,’ said Charlotte.

Thursdays With Elvis performs at the Millennium Forum on Thursday, March 27. Tickets are now available from the Box Office. Telephone 71 264455 (option 1) or visit millenniumforum.co.uk for bookings.