Opinion: Invest in the arts and communities in Kilkenny will reap the rewards

Mary Cody on how local groups are making theatrical magic, but more supports are needed.

A packed concert hall in Thomastown watched a local cast perform Da by Hugh Leonard last week in a fantastic production of the renowned play.

It was brilliant to see a full house last Thursday night as people came out to enjoy live theatre. The performances were outstanding from the actors with a host of well-known faces taking part in this poignant yet often hilarious comedy.

The theatre scene in Kilkenny has always been strong and is thriving at present and the input from the cast and crew in Da was massively impressive. There is something very special about a production coming together, the bonds that are formed during the rehearsal stages and the excitement and anticipation of the performances.

A palpable sense of community and support prevails as a production comes together and then is performed on the stage.
Da was a huge success and it was wonderful to see such support, with sold out houses and local businesses donating raffle prizes and taking out support ads in the programme.

Hats off to all involved and to Lake Productions on their latest success!

Volunteering

Another recent theatrical triumph was Barnstorm’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde which ran at the Watergate Theatre in Kilkenny last month as part of the Curriculum Play Live series. Again the performances were impressive and there was a flawless finish to the production. Barnstorm Theatre Company continues to pave the way, both with their productions and its strong support for community-based theatre.

As part of the Importance of Being Earnest a hardworking team of volunteers were enlisted as part of the stage team and seamlessly worked to ensure the smooth transition from one scene to the next in the play.

General manager at Barnstorm, Anja Terpstra explained that Barnstorm had support from the Volunteer Centre for their most recent production.

“Whenever we have a production that would benefit from local engagement we contact the Kilkenny Volunteer Centre. In the last two years it has been a real coming together; especially for our productions that have a different format like Lunchtime Theatre or are in different places like Bench Tales as part of the Kilkenny Arts Festival last year. It is a flexible way for a volunteer to join for a short period and get a feel for this wonderful world of theatre,” she said.

A new space

There is so much in terms of theatrical offerings in the city and the county at the moment but many involved feel that there is a need for a new venue which could be shared and used by a number of different organisations and artists.

Artistic director at Barnstorm Theatre Company, Philip Hardy said that there is a real need for ‘a dedicated space to cater and nurture the vibrant community of theatre artists and organisations in Kilkenny’.

“A black box/studio theatre is a unique and adaptable space to allow various forms and genres of theatre and drama activity such as productions, workshops, rehearsals and recitals,” he said.

“In the past Barnstorm had the Barn Studio for its work with youth theatre and professional shows for younger audiences, but now is searching for a new space that will allow these and other smaller productions and audiences to present their work.

“The new space would complement the existing and large-scale Watergate Theatre and would cater to large groups and visiting small scale shows. It has the potential to become a central pillar of Kilkenny’s creative infrastructure,” he added.

At a time when there is so much theatrical talent on show in Kilkenny now is the time as a community to find a new space for artists to use to develop and showcase their work so that audiences can continue to enjoy productions of all shapes and sizes.