Comedy treat from Little Theatre

Athlone Little Theatre presents its second show in this their Diamond Jubilee year from November 25 to December 1. Don't miss this great night's entertainment featuring three one-act comedies from the pens of David Tristram, Deirdre Kinahan and Jim Cartright. The first offering is “Joining the club†by David Tristram. Many of you will remember a previous Little Theatre production of his hilarious play “Last Tango in Irishtownâ€. Had a bad day at work? Can it get any worse? That depends how you look at it! A home pregnancy kit confirms that Jenny, a highly successful magazine editor, is pregnant much to her surprise. It's time to tell her husband Tom, who it seems has some very surprising news of his own. This is a very funny piece with the two characters presenting all the emotions associated with love and life, with hilarious results. The wonderfully talented Mary Johnston plays Jenny with her usual excellent comic timing and the gormless and hapless Tom is played to great comic effect by the highly skilled Ronan Flynn. John McGlynn directs. “Melody†by Deirdre Kinahan is a short story of lunch breaks and the possibility of romance and adventure at so simple a location as a bench in a Dublin park. Mr Kane is a bachelor, Kathleen is a widow. She is fastidious and cultured – he is clumsy, but gentle. Over a series of short scenes, they delicately advance their relationship. There are hints that something may be amiss, but only hints. Aileen Holly and Dermot McManus, both well known to Athlone audiences, are a delight to watch as their characters stumble from one side-splitting crisis to another. Harry Smith directs. Lancashire-born playwright, Jim Cartwright's “Two†presents an insight into the working class in the 1980's in Northern England. The play is set, over a single evening, in a pub owned by the bickering husband and wife. We are introduced to fourteen characters (played by just two actors) who entertain us through a series of short vignettes, skillfully combining humour and pathos. Exposing our need for companionship through the ups and downs of adult life, the characters drag us through the whole gamut of emotions from comedy, to love and loneliness, and, of course, to mid-life crises. There are two exceptional performances by the two actors Ann Hoey and John McGlynn. Playing the central characters, the landlord and landlady, we see their struggle with their own conflicts between public facade and private emotion and their battle with love. This is a hilarious and moving play and is guaranteed to touch a nerve. Ollie Hegarty directs. What more could you ask for in November? You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll go home in high spirits. Book your seat at 090 6474324.