Project Title: ‘It’s Now or Never’
Setting: The Ormond Dance Hall, Carrick-on Suir, 1960s
Four young people enjoy a night out: - Tess Comerford, a glamorous but nosey town telephone operator, who’s full of notions and everyone else’s business. Pearl, her sister, a young woman who is bold, fearless and defies authority. The fellas, Indian Flynn a right ‘Flash Harry’ back from England for the first time since emigrating, full of bravado and stories of his adventures across the Irish Sea. The other, John Joe Ryan the only son of a domineering farmer who is restless and withered and yearns for change from the hum drum of rural life. The next bus to the ferry to England is in the morning. Who will be on it?
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'It's Now or Never' is a fictional narrative created by local writers infused with a rich tapestry of social history and generational anecdotes from the collective memory and experiences of older adults in three care home settings in Carrick -on-Suir, who generously shared stories of a time when they were young, free, and single in the late 1950s/60s.
This Arts project, It’s Now or Never, has two outputs: a private and public performance, with two strands to the public performance. There will be a private live drama performance by local actors staged in the Care Home settings so that the storytellers and their families can witness first-hand a performance for which they provided the source material. There will also be a public performance in the Library open to the general public. In addition, there will be an audio version performed by the cast and this recorded performance will be available online and with a global reach.
Key members of the creative team include Project Director, Linda Fahy, Tudor Artisan Hub; Storytellers over 20 Older Adults in the Day Care Centre, Sonas Nursing Home and Greenhill Nursing Home, Carrick-on-Suir; Storytelling Consultants: Peg Power and Walter Dunphy (Brewery Lane Theatre); Writers Mary McGrath, Joe Whelan, John Corcoran, and Heather Comerford; Drama Director Mary McGrath supported by Drama Consultant Maria Clancy; Actors: Aileen O’Keeffe, Sheenagh Raggett, Neill Bourke and Enda O’Driscoll; Care Home Liaison: Liz Martin; Project Partners actress Paula O’Dwyer and writer Margaret O’Brien, Writing Changes Lives.
Timelines of Project
Private Performances in Care Home Settings – Residents and Families
Date: Sunday 26th May, 2024, Time: 2pm; Greenhill Nursing Home, Pill Road, Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary E32 FY09
Time: 3.30pm: Sonas Nursing Home, Waterford Rd, Carrickbeg, Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary, E32 D681
Public Performances
Date: Wednesday 29nd May, 2024. Time: 6.30pm and 7:15pm
Venue: The Seán Healy Memorial Library, Fairgreen, Carrick-On-Suir, Co. Tipperary, E32 X860
Pre-booking required: tudorartisanhub@gmail.com / 051 640921/086 2560609
Online Audio Performance
Date: Friday 31st May, 2024, Time: 6.30pm
The Audio Play will be broadcast online on a YouTube link on Tudor Artisan Hub FB page.
This Bealtaine Festival project initiated and coordinated by the Tudor Artisan Hub is supported by the Tipperary Arts Office, Tipperary County Council and Creative Ireland - a Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media initiative.
Enjoy the Audio Play!
Actor Sheenagh Raggett is playing Tess, a glamorous telephone operator full of notions....
Sheenagh Raggett is an active member of Brewery Lane Drama since 2013. She has been involved in several plays such as Noel Coward's 'Blithe Spirit' and Lennox Robinson's 'Drama at Inish', Patricia Burke Brogan's 'Eclipsed' as well as closer to home productions like the late Jack Ryan's 'The Snug'.
Sheenagh has been involved with The Tudor Artisan Hub and Culture Night collaborations in the past including the short films 'The Lynch Mob'and the film series 'If Anyone Asks...' and last year Sheenagh performed in our first social history drama ‘It started with a stitch’ the retelling of the textile era in Carrick-on-Suir with the German clothing company Schiesser.
“I am really excited to be part of "It's now or never " as I grew up listening to stories about the Irish scene in London in the 60's from My Dad , and Aunts and Uncles, it seems like the whole of Carrick was in London at some point, it is part of our history and culture. Delighted to be involved with my sister Aileen , and the whole cast and crew are a great bunch. Hope you all enjoy the trip down memory lane” - Sheenagh
Actor Aileen O'Keeffe is playing Pearl, sister to Tess and is a bold fearless young woman in defiance of authority.
“I’m delighted to be invited to take part in this play for the 2024 Bealtaine Festival. I love listening to my relative’s stories from the dance hall era in Carrick so it’s really interesting to be stepping back into the Ormonde hall! I have performed in a few art productions on film with the Tudor Artisan Hub and on stage in Brewery Lane and the Strand Theatres over the last ten years. My first part on stage was a small walk on part with my sister Sheenagh in the starring role in ‘Same Old Moon’ in Brewery Lane and more recently I had parts in ‘Present Laughter’ and ‘Love in the Title’.
Having so much fun working with this amazing cast and crew. It is great to be doing something with Sheenagh again and childhood friend Enda. Really admire the writing in this play congrats to the talented writers and I hope that it brings back some happy memories for the audience.” – Aileen
Actor Neill Bourke - Plays Indian Flynn - a ‘Flash Harry’ type just back from England for the first time since emigrating and is full of bravado stories of his adventures across the Irish Sea.
Neill has been involved in all things artsy since his teenage years, having picked up guitar during T.Y and hasn't put it down since, even performing as soloist on Carnival Cruise lines as far afield as New Caledonia & Mexico. As an avid member of C.O.S.M.S he has been leading man five times, most recently playing big boss man 'Franklin Hart' in '9 to 5 : The Musical' & in 2023 was lucky enough to portray the iconic role of 'Phantom' in the Irish Premiere of 'The Phantom of the Opera'. With his beloved Brewery Lane Theatre he has played many a character part such as 'Chief' in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest', 'Eddie' in 'Drama at Inish', 'Charles' in 'Blithe Spirit', 'Jack' in 'Gaslight' & more recently 'Nicky' in 'The Seafarer'.
Neill has also performed in many projects produced by the Tudor Artisan Hub including 2 Culture Night projects: In 2019 - a Film 'The Lynch Mob' as 'Oisín', and in 2022 playing acoustic reimagined 80's music in 'Slow Dancing', an experimental dramatic piece. In 2021, Neill also featured in one of the Hub's 7 Covid-19 Lockdown Radio Dramas - ‘Kintsugi' as 'John' inspired by stories shared by older adults in Nursing Homes - and so is extra excited about the opportunity to be involved in a similar project with 'It's Now or Never', this time performing both in person and on radio with such a talented cast & crew. He hopes you enjoy & get lost in the nostalgic memories.
Actor Enda O'Driscoll is playing John Joe, an only son of a farmer who is restless and withered with the hum drum of rural life and yearns for change.
"Theatre has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, since acting in Nativity plays in Newtown upper National School. I have been lucky to perform with a number wonderful theatre companies such as Brewery Lane theatre, Crataegia and Suir Valley players in such plays as Our Day Out, The Lonesome West, Endgame and The Playboy of the Western World.
I was honoured to be cast in several Tudor Artisan Hub productions, including the short films ‘Torn’ in 2016 and ‘The Lynch Mob’ in 2019. I was also part of the creative team for the Hub's Covid-19 Lockdown Radio Drama project and directed the Radio Play ‘Filling the Silence with Song’, written by Christine O’Connor inspired by stories shared by older adults in Nursing Homes.
I am very excited to be part of this wonderful new social history short drama project with the Hub and to be sharing the stage with Sheenagh, Aileen and Neill. “ - Enda
Live Private Performance of original fictional original short drama 'It's Now or Never' in Greenhill Nursing Home and Sonas Nursing Home on Sunday 26 May, 2024 - to the storytellers who inspired it's production.
Photos by Noreen Duggan Photography
Live Performances of original fictional original short drama 'It's Now or Never' in the Seán Healy Memorial Library, Carrick-on-Suir on Wednesday 29th May, 2024 - celebrating Bealtaine Festival 2024
2 Performances 6.30pm and 7:15pm
Photos by Noreen Duggan Photography
Video of Live Public Performance, in the Seán Healy Memorial Library - 29.05.2024
Bealtaine Festival Theme 2024
'OLD, Not Obsolete'
Mixed Media Exhibition with Artist Mia Carney
Title: ‘Old, not obsolete’ – Mixed Media Art Exhibition
Haywood Lodge, Western Studio and Morton Street Day centres, Clonmel, under the tutelage of Artist Mia Carney were invited by the Tudor Artisan Hub, Carrick-on-Suir to jump on the Punk memory train for the Bealtaine Festival. And it was a resounding “yes please” from all. No t-shirts were safe! Milton bleach was 'acquired' from the stores, safety pins pinched from first aid boxes and residents and nursing staff got busy channelling Vivianne Westwood! Once the Punk catwalk creations were made, it was dress up time, hair, make up, costumes, all showing their Lust for Life, 'old, not obsolete' the motto of the day. Paintings were created, giving our interpretation of those rebellious youths and chairs graffitied honouring their lyrics and words.
As much as rural Ireland didn’t get to fully participate in the Punk Revolution all those years ago, we read about it, we saw the photos and art teacher Mia had a wonderful interaction with the punks of the Kings Road, Chelsea back
in the 1980s!
As much as rural Ireland didn’t get to fully participate in the Punk Revolution all those years ago, we read about it, we saw the photos and art teacher Mia had a wonderful interaction with the punks of the Kings Road, Chelsea back
in the 1980s!
“Life is truly for living, for enjoying the moment, no matter your age and the Bealtaine Festival recognises that and it's wonderful to be part of such a celebration, our Lust for Life is still going strong!”
Artist Profile:
Mia Carney from Kilcash, Co. Tipperary is an artist and art therapist, working with older adults with the HSE for 20 years. Mia also operates ‘Manyweathers Studios’ on the slopes of Sliabh na mBan where she enjoys teaching art as well as creating art. Her artwork can be found hanging in homes across the globe.
Mia Carney from Kilcash, Co. Tipperary is an artist and art therapist, working with older adults with the HSE for 20 years. Mia also operates ‘Manyweathers Studios’ on the slopes of Sliabh na mBan where she enjoys teaching art as well as creating art. Her artwork can be found hanging in homes across the globe.
