Kilkenny drama group presents five nights of entertainment in aid of good cause

Kilkenny's newest drama group, Mórsceal Drama Group, presents Memories, a series of plays in aid of Friends of St. Columba's Hospital. Performances will be held in Thomastown Community Hall from August 23-24, and at Ryan's Pub, Friary Street, Kilkenny from August 27-29 at 8pm each night.

Mórsceal was set up in Kilkenny in 2024. It aims to produce new pieces of drama and embrace all forms of community theatre. Memories is the group's first stage piece.

To date, their three shows have been sellouts. The Witch Hunt for Alice Kyteler was the highlight of the Toil and Trouble Festival in Kilkenny in 2024. In March 2025, the group was asked to produce The Nine Moons of Ago for the Museum of the Moon in St Canice's Cathedral. 

Memories consists of three one-act plays, which are:

• Watermark by local writer Barry McKinley
• Lou Lou in Paris, also written by Barry McKinley
• The Duck Variations by David Mamet

Watermark follows the journey of Maura (played by All-Ireland award-winning actress Deirdre Fleming), an enigmatic Irishwoman who arrives in London during the 1950s. Confronted with a dire illness, Maura resolves to live each day as if it were her last.

Her quest leads her into the shadowy corners of West London's demi-monde, where she encounters a peculiar celebrity known only as the Old Beast. This man, marked by his serpent-headed walking cane and his unsettling fondness for silk worms, offers to grant Maura's wish—but with a chilling condition. "I want to hold something young and watch it die," he tells her. "I want to squeeze the spark until it becomes a cinder."

At the heart of the story is Maura's response to this dark request. And lest you think her words are those of an older woman dreaming, Maura has something to show you—something that still carries the aroma of a bygone era and proof that the devil can be beaten at his own game.

Lou Lou in Paris is a world premiere. Featuring Liane Murphy, fresh from her iconic performance in The Cripple of Inishmaan at the Watergate Theatre in 2024, and Kellie Butler, who is making a welcome return to the stage, Lou Lou in Paris is about a young Irish au pair, as she grows up in the affluent areas of Paris in the early 1980s.

Barry McKinley is widely regarded as one of Ireland's most prominent playwrights. He is no stranger to Kilkenny as he lived in the city for many years. His debut play, Small Box Psychosis, was first performed in 1992 and was subsequently presented at the University of California and the European Festival of Comedy in Austria. McKinley was nominated in 2009 for Best New Play in the Irish Theatre Awards for Elysium Nevada. He was shortlisted for the Hennessy Literary Award in 2008 and again in 2010. 

The Duck Variations by David Mamet is about two friends, Emil and George, played by Paul Daly and Paul Behan. These two gentlemen are sitting on a park bench by a lake in a big city. Wherever their conversation goes, it always comes back to ducks: their mating habits, their mortal enemies, their inevitable demise. It's a play that focuses on each of us as we grow older. 

Willie Ryan, the producer of Memories, said, "We are very pleased to be running Memories in conjunction with the Friends of St Columba's. We know the great work that's been done for people in the locality, and it's an honour to give something back."

St Columba's Hospital provides compassionate long-term care and rehabilitation services, including a specialised dementia care unit. Their day centre operates Monday to Friday, offering supportive services including a memory clinic. They focus on enhancing the quality of life for their residents, encouraging them to enjoy meaningful activities and celebrations.

As they approach the completion of their new building, St Columba's aim to blend the warmth and spirit of their original home with modern facilities. "We sincerely thank the Thomastown community for their ongoing support through the Friends of St Columba's fundraising efforts, which enrich our residents' lives," said a representative of St Columba's.