Razor-sharp wit and satire
Sarah Saunderson • Published 22 Nov 2012 13:00
0 Comments
This week Ardhowen Theatre is delighted to host local country talents Thomas Maguire and Fhiona Ennis and also the very popular Flash Harry are back with their unrivalled tribute to the fabulous Queen. Fans of quality theatre have a real treat in store with the exceptional Bruiser Theatre Company's production of 'Lady Windermere's Fan'. In classic Oscar Wilde tradition, the comic wit is fierce but also interwoven with serious social comment.
THOMAS MAGUIRE AND FHIONA ENNIS
IN CONCERT
Prior to joining forces with Thomas, Fhiona Ennis, from Ballymurn, Co Wexford, enjoyed great solo success having toured with USA singer/songwriter legend Leona Williams and Moe Bandy as part of their Irish schedules. Fhiona was voted 'Best Female Newcomer' at the 2005 'Country and Irish Entertainment Magazine' award show.
At the Country Music Ireland Awards in October 2002, Thomas Maguire, from Irvinestown, was voted as 'Best Male Artist Of The Year' and to date has picked up many accolades, 'Best Young Entertainer Of The Year', 'Best Recording Artist', 'Best Album' to name but a few.
Thomas and Fhiona joined forces in 2005 with the release of their first duet 'Promised To John'.
Having recorded three albums, their recent album 'Solid As A Rock' is still proving a hot favourite with radio presenters worldwide and their stage act, with their band, is receiving glowing reviews as they tour the length and breadth of Ireland and the U.K.
They will be joined on Thursday 22nd November at 8pm by TG4's Ceol Tire winner, Patrick O'Sullivan.
LADY WINDERMERE'S FAN
Lady Windermere's Fan, by Oscar Wilde, was first performed in 1892 and like many of Wilde's comedies; it bitingly satirises the morals of Victorian society, particularly marriage.
Young, rich, beautiful and newly married, Lady Windermere seems to have it all.
That is until she is visited by one of London society's most notorious gossips, who suggests that not only is her husband having an affair with the mysterious Mrs Erlynne, but that this woman is about to turn up to Lady Windermere's 21st birthday ball. Soon nothing is as it seems in this comic thriller, full of intrigue, jealousy and brilliant one-liners.
The best-known line of the play sums up the central theme: "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."
This is a classic Oscar Wilde comedy - parlours and parties, eavesdropping, misunderstandings, secret information, letters falling into unintended hands, and the cheeky wooing of pretty young daughters.
Wilde's razor-sharp wit and satire of high society is as keenly observed and relevant today as any contemporary writer's work.
This new adaptation by Patrick J. O'Reilly is directed by Lisa May, the Artistic Director and Founder of Bruiser Theatre Company, under the Bruiser mantra to 'use minimal set for maximum impact'.
An innovative touring company, Bruiser produce consistently high quality theatre and have in recent years brought us 'The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui', 'The Government Inspector', 'Oh What A Lovely War', 'Othello' and 'Cooking With Elvis'. This production of 'Lady Windermere's Fan' has already received fantastic reviews and will be performed on Ardhowen's stage on Friday 23rd November at 8pm.
This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 22 Nov 12
Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our What's On archives.
