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It’s Dalkey Players’ 40th Season!!!

It’s Dalkey Players 40th Season so it will be “Happy Year” to us as we start our 2015-16 Season.

CakeFounded in November 1975 our first performance was in May 1976.  The Play was “Murder in Company,” a mystery play by Phillip King and John Boland directed by Sally Hennessy with our Founder member Josie Dixon doing the Props.

 

Cast 1976

Cast members Jill Meghan and George Gogan

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Josie Dixon

Murder in Company

 

Committee 2015 – 2016

The Committee for the 2015 – 2016 season are:

Chairperson                      Lua McIlraith

Secretary                          Siobhan Galvin

Treasurer                          Donal Ryan 

Committee members        Gerry Clabby,   Alan Nuzum,  Mary Carroll,  Aileen Byrne,                                                     Emma Jane Nulty,   Emma Mulligan.

Artistic Committee             Emma Jane Nulty,   Emma Mulligan,   Aileen Byrne,   Colm                                                    Kearns 

Recently Deceased Members

It seems appropriate in this our 40th year to remember deceased members from recent years, who provided valued services (in diverse roles) to Dalkey Players.

Betty

Betty Savage   Betty was my friend for many years.  She joined me in Dalkey Player’ in the late 1980’s. With her quiet nature and gentle movements she was an ideal “props lady”.  She would source the items required and travel wherever necessary to pick up props.  She became an expert at mixing drinks for the stage and could really make Coke, cream and whatever look like a pint of Guinness.  Her lists were pinned up backstage and nothing ever went wrong when she was in charge.  On a personal level only those who knew her well were aware of her wicked and very black sense of humour. She knew how to make me laugh. She was a wonderful friend and I miss her. Mary Rigney

Sarah2Sarah Dunphy   Looking back through archival photos and programmes, Sarah featured many times as one of the stalwarts doing front of house and backstage tasks. Not surprising as her husband Vinny was the one treading the boards and gleaning the applause.  Behind every successful man……….. we all know how to finish that cliché. She did feature in “Semi private” second time round as the night gown clad photo of her in the archive will attest and is the only photo of that show currently available.  Sarah was certainly one of the unsung heroines of the back room “broads”

HilaryHilary Kendlin   When Hilary first came to Dalkey Player’s she was so efficient she made stage management her territory.  For many years there was no need to ask for a manager, she was it. I got to know her quite well back stage. In quiet moments we would have a little chat. When she was very busy I would bring her a cup of tea and a biscuit, usually after the interval when the actors were back on stage. I will always remember her beautiful smile.    Mary Rigney

Anne K

Anne Kelly   Anne was a great entertainer. She loved an audience and audiences adored her. She won numerous acting awards, one for not even speaking a line! Her gift for playing comedy was second to none. She was an out and out trooper. Even when she broke her arm just before an All-Ireland final appearance, she still carried on and it was one of her proudest stories that Bernard Farrell, the playwright, wrote some extra lines into the script to cover the new situation!  She is probably regaling all in heaven with her spell-binding rendition of Ostler Joe. Who will forget her geriatric Juliet to John’s Romeo in the Shakespeare Revue??? Margaret Dunne

Cleo

Cleo McFarland    Cleo loved drama.  She loved drama in her life both on stage and off.  She loved the fun she had with Dalkey Players, showing her high level of creativity and inventiveness in the many tasks that she undertook.  Feisty, with a great sense of presence she was spontaneous, adventurous and loved a party.  She had an endless zest for life, never missing an opportunity that presented a new experience.   She is sadly missed by all her friends in Dalkey Players. Geraldine McGrath & Aileen Byrne

Caroline

Our Wonderful Caroline.  Too young to have left us.             It was with deep regret that we brought you the very sad news that Caroline Hickey passed away peacefully in the afternoon of Monday 25th March 2013 Caroline was a well loved member of Dalkey Players. Her untimely passing has saddened all of us who knew her as a bright, enthusiastic and fun loving friend. Her warm, witty, versatile and moving performances in her many and varied roles have delighted Dalkey audiences. She threw her heart into everything she did, and was a hard working Committee Member for many of those years. To her husband Rónán, her family and her wide circle of friends we extended our deepest sympathy and heartfelt loss at such a sad time.  May her gentle soul rest in peace.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Life Begins’ in Bray….and the Kingston Hotel?

Life truly has begun for director Aileen Byrne and the cast of Lua McIlraith’s new play ‘Life Begins at Sixty.’

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Anna Rooney, Mo Hudson, Joanna Troughton, Cyrileen Power & Lua McIiraith are currently applying the finishing touches.

The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that Lua is also acting in the play, competing at this year’s Bray One-Act festival on Thursday 29th, January.

It’s rumoured that Lua’s next mission is to sort out the water crisis. Good luck with that.

If you can’t make the Bray One-Act Festival show – fear not. There is a preview performance at the Kingston Hotel, Dun Laoghaire on Tuesday, 27th January at 8pm – admission €5.00

If we don’t see you at the Mermaid Theatre, why not try the Kingston Hotel for a laugh.

We wish Aileen Byrne and her cast well in what will be a funny and provocative show.

Bray Festival Performance  – Thursday, 29th January.

Booking line 086 8138446 : Click for Mermaid Theatre, Bray booking website.

 

 

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‘Life Begins at Sixty’ in Bray….

We are delighted to announce that ‘Life begins at Sixty,’ written by our very own Lua McIIraith and directed by Aileen Byrne will compete at this year’s Bray One-Act Festival on Thursday 29th, January.

The cast of Anna Rooney, Mo Hudson, Joanna Troughton, Cyrileen Power & Lua McIlraith will warm up with preview performances, currently being scheduled. Details will appear here shortly.

Life begins at 60

Fresh from the recent success  of ‘The Year of the Hiker,’ Alieen Bryne re-enters the directing fray with what promises to be an amusing and poignant production. We wish Aileen and her cast well.

More news to follow.

‘Hiker’ highlights….and thank you.

Dear friends,

Firstly, on behalf of the Committee and members of Dalkey Players, we sincerely thank our friends and patrons for coming out in numbers to support the recent run of ‘The Year of the Hiker’.

Thanks to you, the show was a great success. The tireless work of director Aileen Byrne and her team was complimented, in no small part, by the encouragement of you, our audience. We look forward to your continued support in what promises to be an exciting year ahead.

To all those who contributed to the production; backstage crew, sound and lighting, costume, hair and makeup, front of house, publicity, the management & staff of Dalkey Town Hall and our loyal and knowledgeable audience, a big thank you. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Here are a few highlights from the show by way of a pictorial blog.

Director Aileen Byrne (centre) and cast; Geraldine McGrath, Emma Mulligan, Alan Nuzum, Sharon Nealon, Brian O’Sullivan, Colm Kearns & Rupert Heather.

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Rehearsals begin in earnest. Anyone for soup?

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Aileen’s inspired choice for the backdrop.

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Kieran lights it up.

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Aisling is sound!!!

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Showtime. Nearly ready for that close up…………..

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Joe and Simey. Brotherly love?

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I read the news today, oh boy.

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NO! I won’t do the trousers as well. Freda.

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Mary’s big day.

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The groom gets his priorities right, well kind of.

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The Hiker’s return is greeted with enthusiasm.

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That’s all folks. Please check the site for updates on our up coming productions. Once more, from the Committee and members of Dalkey Players Drama Group – thank you for your support in 2014.

Have a happy and prosperous 2015.