Mount Temple Drama Group to stage ‘Dancing At Lughnasa’

Mount Temple Drama Group is making the final preparations for its upcoming play, '‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ by Brian Friel, which is set to take to the stage in Moate’s Tuar Ard Arts Centre from Wednesday, November 18 until Saturday, November 21.

‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ is set in Brian Friel’s fictional town of Ballybeg, entirely in the childhood house of the narrator, Michael, who recalls the Summer of 1936 where he and all his family, the five Mundy sisters, were together and happy.

They are recently re-united with their brother who was a Missionary Priest in Africa and unexpectedly by Michael’s absentee father.

Mount Temple Drama Groups performance offers a re-telling of one of Friel’s greatest plays and offers all the realities of rural Irish life in the 1930s and how the people turned to dance and music as a means of escape.

Set during the festival of Lughnasa, the pagan festival of the harvest, it depicts the changing times in the house for this family unit.

The director of this year’s play is Mount Temple’s stalwart Rosaleen Heavin, who has wanted to direct this play for several years. The cast includes many familiar names as well as brand new arrivals to the stage like Breda Slevin, Mary Martin, James Rabbitte, Sinead Heavin, Lynda Dowling Casey, Michelle O’Brien, Frank O’Rourke and Larry Nugent.

The play will be on stage Wednesday, November 18, to Saturday, November 21. Curtains are 8pm sharp.

Tickets are available through the Tuar Ard website or by calling the box office on 090 6482042.