Top-class entertainment for bank holiday

A weekend of top-class entertainment in Ballina will see dramatic theatre, comedy, dance and an abundance of musical cheer for all to enjoy at Ballina Arts Centre.

Taking place over the weekend of the May Bank Holiday are three incredible shows, each bringing their own distinctive qualities.

‘Earthfall’ on Friday, May 2, tells the story of four people who find themselves trapped in a Kafkaesque realm of incomprehensible rules, walls and boundaries that change without rhyme or reason, and relentless schedules. Some have been here for months or years, while others have just arrived. Alienated and lacking agency, they explore how to survive in this endless limbo. At the periphery, a young girl and an older women watch. They have seen this before. Are they the creators of boundaries or conversely the guiding light towards connection and the helping hand over one precarious threshold to the next?

With its striking theatrical set and original sound score, ‘Earthfall’ is the latest production from Carrick-on-Shannon theatre company Undercurrent, an inclusive collective of local and international artists with a unique range of backgrounds, disciplines and experiences of mobility.

‘Earthfall’ brings together four distinct cultural dance styles from six international performers in this compelling new work. Offering a joyous fusion of cultural dance, this international and intergenerational ensemble ultimately expresses, without guard, the profound necessity for connection and the deep desire to move without limits.

Directed by Kate Wilson, the ensemble includes Gaelin Little, Yves Lorrhan, Cynthia Siberry, Robin Cara, Georgie Sachs Warren and Brenda O’Callaghan. Original sound score is by composer Olivir Haylett, lighting by Michael Cummins and Charlie Wilson, costume by Lucie O’Hara, and visual and media support by Milo Cummins.

On Saturday, May 3, the multi-award winning singer-songwriter Christine Tobin and renowned guitarist Phil Robson make a welcome return to Ballina Arts Centre with their new show ‘Shelter From The Storm’. The title takes its name from the well-known Bob Dylan song and the programme is a collection of poignant songs for our time. Chosen from a selection of great songwriters that emerged during the 1960s and 1970s, it includes beautiful new arrangements of Bob Dylan classics alongside Christine and Phil’s unique take on Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, Carole King, Leonard Cohen and others.

Then, on Sunday, May 4, local amateur drama company Castleconnor Drama Group will present ‘The Cheque is in the Post’ by Alice Lynch.

Set in a 1970s' rural farmhouse, sisters Maggie and Mary Reynolds run their small farm successfully and without any help - as far as anyone knows! In an old house up a long lane of potholes and empty whiskey bottles, with a banshee who frequents regularly and a neighbour who has his eye on the land, they live unharmoniously until Mary realises her subsidy cheque hasn't arrived. Things can only get worse and, as a series of events unfold, we find out the truth… or do we?

This Castleconnor Drama Group comedy is directed by Frank Barrett. Included in the cast are Catherine Coleman, Yvonne Egan, Ronan Barrett, John Bourke, Declan Howley, Tom Tuffy, Enda Geoghegan, Susan Mahon, Vincent Igoe and Louise Kavanagh.

All shows start at 8pm and bookings can be made online at www.ballinaartscentre.com. You can also book by calling 096-73593 or emailing info@ballinaartscentre.com.