Panto rounds off a different 2020 for Athlone’s St Vincent’s
Due to Covid-19 lockdowns, the staff in the Sonas unit of St Vincent’s Care Centre in Athlone have assumed the role of family and friends who couldn’t visit. Since March 2020, the team members have stepped out of their roles of caregivers and into that of performers and fundraisers.
In March they performed a Tik-Tok routine for residents that received coverage on Virgin Media’s six o’clock show. June saw Geraldine Fitzmaurice-McManus and Bernie O’Rourke shave their heads, raising €2300 for Pieta House in the process. Halloween was a treat, with staff arriving in Fancy Dress, in a bid to compensate for the festive visits usually received at that time of year.
“We’re delighted to do this for our residents. We just want the community to know that throughout 2020 we constantly try to make the best of a bad situation," explained Sarah McEntegart
In December, with the Sonas unit residents facing further isolation from their nearest and dearest, Christmas was never going to be overlooked by staff. On the premise that there’s nothing like a pantomime to add a magical feel good factor, the team once again rolled out a night of fun, fun, fun by performing their own adaptation of Cinderella.
The inventive, hilarious script, written by Julie Butler and Annemarie McDonnell added a local spin to this familiar tale. The cast included Alvina Gibson as Cinderella, while Sarah McEntegart and Geraldine Collins executed Oscar winning performances in the role of the two ugly sisters.
It's a bad sign when the audience is rooting for the baddie, but that’s what happened in Athlone last Friday, as the Sonas residents clapped and stamped their feet in appreciation of the gifted acting abilities of Una Molloy in her part as Cinderella’s evil stepmother.
“We know it has been a tough year for residents and credit to all staff who are always on hand to keep morale high and spirits up. There were rehearsals each week, and no one missed any. Team members even showed their dedication by attending dry-runs on days off,” said Geraldine Fitzmaurice-McManus.
Grace Ann Kelly Keenan, Nancy Carty, Lorraine Casey and Geraldine Fitzmaurice-McManus also starred in the pantomime, and executed their parts with poise and assurance. Walt Disney himself would be proud of this revision@
The costumes, all created by the staff themselves, were … outstanding!
The Sonas kitchen staff provided an amazing array of food for the audience and actors. What better way for a fun evening to come to an end, when residents are already looking forward to whatever the dedicated staff have in store for next year. It's always a pleasure to hear a familiar story well-told. Roll on, panto 2021.