The Castle Players return to An Táin Arts Centre in Dundalk with 'Say Cheese'

The Castle Players are back in An Tain Arts Centre after a three year absence due to Covid. On their last appearance they staged John B. Keane’s classic drama Sive. This time it’s Bernard Farrell’s classic social farce Say Cheese.

The Group feel people would like a good laugh following the dark phase they have been through. When Say Cheese was first produced in the Abbey Theatre in 1987, the run had to be extended because of public demand. Likewise when the Castle Players staged it in the Dominican Hall in 2002, they also had to extend the run because of public demand.

Say Cheese is a hilarious comedy about a cheese company who ran a competition to find Ireland’s “Happiest Married Couple”.
The winners were Bridie and Valentine Fagan (Irene Barr and Paul Casey). To win, their daughter Heather, who cannot pronounce her R’s (Siobhan Rankin) had to collect 150 cheese wrappers.

The celebration party is taking place in the Metropole Hotel, Dublin. The hotel manager Mr L’Estrange (Gerry Callan) is none too pleased, as he thinks they are from the lower echelons of society.

^{Above: Heather (Siobhan Rankin) and Mr Bradshaw (Niall McCann)}

But his trainee Julie (Melissa Casey) is enjoying every minute of it and dreaming of her own wedding some day in the future.
Their bestman Rory (Brian Halpin) has arrived from Australia, always admired by Bridie, but he may let some skeletons out of the cupboard.

The bridesmaid Goldie (Adrienne Whelan), a raving beauty, has arrived from Scotland, where she works with a lot of wild animals. Their son Ray (Adi Carolan) has flown in from Canada.

He sent home three Christmas cards in eleven years and his spelling leaves a lot to be desired. Then there is the priest who married them, Fr Shaughnessy (David Lennon), who does not want to be seen on the video as he has a secret.

^{Above: Julie (Melissa Casey) and Mr L'Estrange (Gerry Callan)}

The video cinematographers, Miss Moore and her sister Patrica (Yvonne Shields and Yvonne Laurence), are two spinsters, who never took the plunge themselves, according to Mr Bradshaw (Niall McCann). Mr Bradshaw is the director of sales at Celtic Cheese, the sponsors of the event. Mr Bradshaw’s future may well depend on the success of this venture. But an eruption of comic misunderstandings throughout may not help his cause. The play is co-directed by Nigel Clinton and Pat McKenna.

The production team which makes it all happen include Siobhan Owens, Debbie McKenna, Kayleigh McCabe, Mary Gilsenan, Odelle Coogan, David McKenna, Hilary Barr, David M Kiely, Wally Dunne.
It all takes place in An Tain Arts Centre from Wednesday April 19th to Saturday 22nd. Tickets €16.00 (€12.00 Wednesday) plus a booking fee of €1.50 per ticket.
Tickets can be booked on line at; antain.ie or by phoning the Box Office 042 933 2332.