A title like the above can only mean one thing and that is most likely to be the pantomime. Yes it is, Rathdowney’s 22nd successive pantomime was possibly the best yet, it was the most expensive to run at €16,000, it had the largest cast ever with over 140 on stage, it was attended by 1950 people over the 4 nights. The cast had no more than 20 participants over the age of 18, almost all the transition years from St. Fergal’s, 20 other teenagers and 70 primary school children who really stole the show, especially the likes of Jennifer Galbraith, Ethan Moynan and Tadhg Keane. The title, script and story were totally original from the pens of Mick Creagh and Niall O’Doherty but based on little incidents from such shows as Oliver!, Annie, Pirates of the Carribbean, Desperate Housewives and South Pacific.
The main adult actors were Phyllis Fitzpatrick, Niall O Doherty, Donal Ryan, Karen Holohan, Thomas Creagh, Ann Marie Ryan, Kieran O’Loughlin, Pat Keating, Kay Dalton and the late Michael Fitzgerald, who while seriously ill was determined to play a part in
the Rathdowney Panto, which started his whole interest in serious acting some 8 years
ago. The pirates were played by Michael Creagh, Brian McHugh, Terry Nelson, Martin Delaney, Liam Browne, Willie Bowe, David Guilfoyle and Mark O’Loughlin while the Desperate Housewives were Olwyn Kilcare, Rachel Holohan, Rosin Browne, Helen Moynan, Siobhan Nolan and Patricia Moynan. The orchestra was John Hosey, Charlie Ford, J.J. Cullinane and Kevin Hosey. Choreographers were Mary Bowe with help from Chloe Kilcare, Ann Marie Ryan and others. Thanks to everyone who helped out in
any way.
Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond the control of the Rathdowney Panto Group, the Community Centre closed its doors in April 2007 and there is no community hall available for 2008. A number of options are being considered like moving the panto out of Rathdowney, using a much smaller hall in Rathdowney or not putting on a panto at all in 2008. While the latter would be unthinkable and most of the organisers will do their utmost to prevent this happening, the immediate future is still very much up in the air, in the meantime there is a new panto written for 2008, whether it will be performed in that year is difficult to say.
Annie and Oliver
The idea of having the characters Annie and Oliver, both orphans, in the same orphanage worked exceptionally well in “Ya Gotta Pick a Pirate or Two” especially with such great actors as Jennifer Galbraith as Annie and the brilliant Ethan Moynan as Oliver who both worked tirelessly to achieve perfection,which they achieved every night. Their dialogue, singing, stage presence and interaction with their audiences was second to none.
Another ‘child’ actor to shine, although he’s 14 now, was Tadhg Keane Junior who played the Dodger so superbly and had us all in stitches. The auditions for the Annie part were so uplifting and difficult, the former because the standard of the ten girls who looked for
the part of Annie was so high that the producers knew that this was going to be a special show, and the latter because there was very little between the candidates. With such a pool of exceptional talent in the locality, the future for Rathdowney Pantomimes, if not in the immediate future due to hall difficulties, is certainly bright and we look forward to those wonderful children coming back to take part in the Rathdowney Panto for many years to come.
