“Full-circle moment” as ‘Ham Sandwiches and Discipline’ opens in Moate next month

By Rebekah O'Reilly

Dublin native Nóra Ní Anluain Fay is bring her award-winning comedy and dance show 'Ham Sandwiches and Discipline' to Tuar Ard Arts Centre in October as part of a nationwide tour.

Kicking off in Moate on Friday, October 24, at 8pm, the show will mark more than just the first stop on her national tour. For Nóra, who trained through the Leinster School of Dance in Moate, it’s a return to the community that first shaped her artistic voice.

"It feels like a real full-circle moment," she said. "I was once in the shoes of the young dancers here. To come back with a show of my own and see them doing the material I’ve created - it’s really magical."

The seed for Ham Sandwiches and Discipline was planted in a moment of pure happenstance, as Nóra watched The Sunday Game with her family, and found herself fixed on pundit Pat Spillane’s flamboyant hand gestures.

"The way he moved was mesmerising, a dance language in itself," she said. That spark grew into the comedic and disco-fuelled exploration of the GAA as a vessel for Irish culture as a whole.

Having premiered at Scene + Heard Festival in 2024 before travelling to Paris, Galway, and the Dublin Fringe Festival, where it earned three award nominations and was named a must-see by The Irish Times and RTÉ Culture, the show now comes to Moate as the opening date of a six-venue Irish tour.

Nóra's connections to Moate's Leinster School of Dance, where she trained and worked with students in workshops, are what first made touring in the Midlands town possible.

"It was through the school that I first connected with Tuar Ard, so to bring the finished show back here feels really special," she said.

Ham Sandwiches and Discipline is as playful as its title suggests. Through dance and theatre, Nóra brings to life the madness and magic of the GAA, from mammies on the sidelines, batty umpires, manic pundits, Tayto in Croke Park, and teenage club socials.

The result is a high-energy blend of comedy, tragedy and poetic play that welcomes even non-dance audiences.

"Even if you don’t know dance at all, there’s something you can enjoy," Nóra said. "It’s very silly, cheeky, camp, and a lot of fun."

For Nóra, the joy lies in seeing audiences connect with the work in their own way.

"I never lose the magic of knowing everyone is here because I had this silly idea about Pat Spillane’s hands," she said.

Tickets for the show in Moate are priced from €17 to €19, and can be purchased at https://ie.powertik.com/events/naf-dance-presents-ham-sandwiches-and-discipline