Theatre - Thurles Information

Death Of Actor Mr Peader Lamb

It is with sadness we report the death of well known actor Mr Peader Lamb, Glenageary, Co. Dublin and late of An Cheathrú Rua in Conamara, Co. Galway, at the age of 87 years; which took place yesterday, Friday 1st September 2017.

Son of the painter Mr Charles Vincent Lamb, RHA (1893-1964); Mr Peader Lamb passed away peacefully at his home, surrounded by his loving family.

Left to Right: Actors Mr Peader Lamb (Deceased) & Ms Geraldine Plunkett.

Mr Lamb, a regular visitor to an address at Mill Road, Barnakey, Carrigatoher, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, was married to well-known actress Ms Geraldine Plunkett, who as a young girl, and following her fathers sudden death from Asthma, became a border with her sister Joan, at the Ursuline Convent here in Thurles, Co Tipperary. Ms Plunkett is fondly remembered for her roles in RTÉ’s ‘Glenroe’ (1983); as Rose O’Brien in ‘Fair City’ (1989), and ‘The Clinic’ (2003).

Mr Lamb joined the Abbey Theatre in 1954, starring in such plays as ‘The Hostage’, ‘The Shadow of a Gunman’, and ‘Philadelphia Here I Come’. In 1990 he toured North America with John Millington Synge’s, ‘The Playboy of the Western World’, while also taking part in many Irish language productions, both on TV and radio, including ‘Cré na Cille’ (Irish – “The Dirty Dust”), and ‘In Ainm an Athar’ (Irish – “In the Name of the Father”), ‘Fair City’ and ‘Ros na Rún’, (Irish – “Headland of the Secrets”), as well as the comedy Father Ted.

Mr Lamb is survived by his wife Ms Geraldine Plunkett, and five children.

Funeral Arrangements
The earthly remains of Mr Lamb will repose at his home on tomorrow afternoon, Sunday 3rd September, from 4.00pm, with a gathering of family and friends for a 7.00pm Prayer Service (all welcome).

Removal will take place on Monday morning to Our Lady of Victories Church, Sallynoggin, Co. Dublin, for a funeral Mass at 10.00am, followed by interment in St. Brigid’s Plot, Deansgrange Cemetery, Kill of the Grange, Co. Dublin.

Note: Donations if desired to the Blackrock Hospice.

Go ndéana Dia trócaire ar a anam dílis.

Cats The Musical – Thurles – August 9th to 12th 2017 inc.

Thurles.Info have already announced previously that Phoenix Productions will this year perform Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1981 West End music sensation ‘Cats’, latter based on T. S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats”, (1939).

The production will take to the stage on August 9th, 2017 to August 12th, 2017, inclusive.

This year’s performance marks the 19th such musical performed by the group since its conception, in 1998, here in Thurles.
Since then the company has introduced us to such memorable classics as ‘Seussical – The Musical’; ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’; ‘Guys & Dolls’; ‘Little Shop of Horrors’; ‘Oliver’; ‘The Wiz’; ‘Les Miserables’; ‘The Phantom of the Opera’; ‘West Side Story’; ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and of course ‘Peter Pan’, to name but a few.

This year’s cast will see some 50 young teenagers take to the stage of the Premier Hall; same supported by a professional production team, thus granting you musical entertainment I promise you will not want to miss.

The Ticket Box office opened at the Premier Hall, today and will remain open during the hours 10.00am through to 5.00pm each day, until Friday next, inclusive. Booking Telephone Line: 087-9449244.

Tickets for this show will sell like the proverbial, ‘Hot Cakes’, so make sure that you purchase yours early. Do remember that theatre tickets for ‘CATS’ will make the PURR- FECT gift for some music lovers ‘Birthday’, or where a long overdue ‘Thank You’, is deemed appropriate for a friend or neighbour.

Saturday June 24th – A Purr…Fect Afternoon Guaranteed

“Join us for a guaranteed purr…fect afternoon of fun, chat, music, and a cuppa,” writes Thurles Rotary Club member Mrs Evelyn Nevin.

Evelyn would like to invite you to come along and support Phoneix Productions at a Cats Tea Party in Bookworm on Saturday June 24th from 2.00pm – 5.00pm. (Do please note your calendar).

“Thurles Rotary club has a long standing friendship with Phoneix Productions and its Founder Member/Producer Mr Gerard O’Brien,” states Evelyn, “And to this end we felt the need to support this very worthy charity, which provides such great opportunities to our local young people, through creative expression both in song, dance and stage craft.”

It is the worst kept secret in Thurles that plans are well under way for Phoneix Production’s next musical extravaganza. Yes, Deo volente (God being willing), ‘Cats’ ; composed by the great Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, and based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot, will be staged here in Thurles next August. This of course can not happen without an enormous amount of effort, time, support and, it goes without saying, financial assistance. Theatre lovers will remember, based on past productions, that Phoneix Productions does nothing by half measures, so expect prodigious thespianism.

Evelyn continues, “We at Rotary Thurles recognise the need for patronage of this worthwhile organisation and to this end wish to support our talented local young people by coming up with what we believe is a novel idea, “A Cats Tea Party”.

Mr John Butler proprietor of Bookworm book shop, on the corner of Liberty Square, has kindly allowed us the use of his premises for the afternoon of June 24th from 2.00 – 5.00pm, with all money raised going directly to Phoneix.

So do please join us for a ‘cuppa’, a chat and we will have special guests providing entertain for you during the afternoon. Your support would be greatly appreciated for this worthy cause and donations of buns and cakes would also be welcomed”.

For further info why not contact Evelyn on Mobile 087 9774725 and pledge your support.

Two In A Row For Thurles Presentation School

The Bord Gais Energy Student Theatre Award for Best Overall Show returns yet again to the Presentation Secondary School and Thurles, Co. Tipperary, for a second year in succession, with the secondary school’s ‘Billy Elliot’ score, following on from the previous years, ‘The Lion King’ musical.

Presentation Secondary School, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

The school’s students, together with their production team, led by Trisha McElgunn, Patrick Conlon and Mairead Hackett, were ‘over the moon’ this week on learning of their latest Musical Theatre Student Award; the show initially having been staged, playing to packed audiences, back during the Autumn of 2016.

‘Billy Elliot’ the musical is based on the 2000 film ‘Billy Elliot’. The original music is by English singer, pianist and composer Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, while lyrics are by author, playwright and screenwriter, Lee Hall.

The musicals story line revolves around a motherless Billy Elliot, who trades boxing gloves for ballet shoes. It is about his personal struggle and eventual fulfilment; balanced against a story of both family and community strife; all contributed to by a Durham coalminers’ strike.

Each year, since its inception in 2013, Bord Gáis Energy Student Theatre Awards have encouraged, recognised, and rewarded student participation in the dramatic arts. It comes therefore as no surprise that to date some 1,000 schools from across Ireland have participated in these annual honours.

Hearty congratulations to all those participating.

Let’s Put Tipp On The Map For Dance & The Arts

Tipperary Youth Dance Company organiser Kathryn Wallace reports:

Tipperary’s first Dance Company based at The Source Arts Centre, in Thurles has now been set up. The organisers plan to provide opportunities for children and young people from across Tipperary to learn different dance styles including:- Contemporary, Lyrical, Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz and more.

Tipperary Youth Dance Company, (TYDC) is a non-profit company and the membership are not required to pay fees; instead the company will be solely operated on public donations and other generated funding from performances.

Choreographers and well known professional dance teachers will train members of TYDC in a variety of contexts and styles. Organisers hope to put Tipperary on the map, by introducing new dance opportunities for local children and young people, that would not normally be available.

This Company will be shortly open to children and young adults, aged from 7 years up to 21 years, with two separate company schedules for Juniors (Ages 7-12) and Senior Principles (Ages 13-21) and with male and female applicants both welcome.

The organisers will be holding Auditions on Saturday 2nd September next in The Source Arts Centre.

More about this welcome opportunity for young people later.