Carnaross back with Farrell’s crowd pleaser

Emboldened by the success of their post-Covid comeback production last year, Carnaross Drama Group are set to stage the classic comedy ‘Kevin’s Bed’.

This fast moving, witty, crowd pleaser was penned by Bernard Farrell in 1998 when he was writer in residence at the Abbey Theatre - a stamp of quality if ever there was one. It was immediately lauded as his “best play to date” by The Irish Times, when it opened.

Carnaross’s production under the professional direction of Rose O’Neill promises to engage and entertain audiences in equal measure.

Set during the golden wedding anniversary of Dan and Doris – they return to their old home to celebrate and remember their happy silver anniversary. The couple contemplate a life in disarray and the optimism and the hopes they had for their sons, John and Kevin. Internal tensions are exposed but; is it also an opportunity to restore family relationships and affections?

“It’s nostalgic piece it’s looking at expectations of parents and their broken dreams,” explains director Rose O’Neill.

While “broken dreams” sounds a little bleak, the dreams are broken in farcical fashion. Without giving away too much, Dan and Doris’ son Kevin - a trainee priest in Rome - has some romantic issues to contend with upon his arrival home.

“It’s a rich comedy,” assures Rose. “It has a tough core to it, yet it’s done in a very funny way. It’s a beautiful story about a family.”

The professional director has been sharing her experience with the Carnaross actors for the last 17 shows, beginning with their production of Patrick Kavanagah’s Tarry Flynn. Each year the production sell outs the six show run spread over two weekends. Such attendances are a measure of Carnaross’s reputation for quality stage dramas.

Rose insists the long-running success of the annual performances is in no small part due to the dedication of the group, and the support it draws from its community.

“They are a very strong group. Anything they do they do with passion and commitment. They don’t leave any stone unturned,” she emphasis.

“The whole community comes together.”

Rose admires how through sheer will power and hard graft Carnaross Hall is transformed into theatre for the two weekends.

“Anyone who has come to see their production always comments on the community aspect of it and how fantastic it is, and how amazed they are at the group and their achievements.”

The cast for Kevin’s Bed brings together a mixture of seasoned, new and returning acting talent: Annmarie Brogan, Eileen Lynch, Paul Corcoran, Naoise Reilly, Sean Skelly, Gillian Brogan, John McKenna and Tanya Farrelly. They have devoted countless hours to their roles and rehearsals over the winter and audiences can expect a powerful performance.

“I think their commitment to their drama,” says Rose of how Carnaross consistently produces quality productions.

“I think they have such strong commitment that once they decide to do something, they do it with gusto, they don’t half do it,” she says noting the renovation of the community hall as a further example of the local can-do attitude.

Rose views the annual play as a further expression of their boundless community spirit. As such there’s no shortage of volunteers to take up the many less glamorous off-stage jobs.

“They are such a strong group, not just on-stage but off-stage as well - their front of house, booking office, tickets people, programme people, stage manager, set designers, set constructors, make-up people, costume people - they are very important to the whole production.

“It’s not just about the actors, it’s about everybody and everybody being respected, and their part being important.

“From the moment you park your car you are met with hospitality second to none and that continues until you leave the hall.”

Last year’s production of Synge’s ‘The Playboy of the Western World’ showed that the pandemic enforced hiatus did nothing to dim the Carnaross group’s commitment, nor the audience’s appetite for drama.

Kevin’s Bed opens in the community centre Carnaross on Friday, February 17 and runs over two weekends i.e. February 17-19 and February 24-26.