Mike Finnerty
1. It’s a world premiere
It's not every day that Mayo gets to host a world premiere but history will be made on Thursday night when the curtain rises on The Pirate Queen.
Ballinrobe Musical Society’s production will be the world amateur premiere of the show, which is the brainchild of Riverdance creators John McColgan and Moya Doherty. The Pirate Queen also features music by Alan Boublil and Claude Michel Shönberg, who penned such classics as Lés Miserábles and Miss Saigon.
2. The star-studded cast
Once again, Ballinrobe Musical Society are rolling out all their big guns for their most ambitious production yet. Sinead Heneghan will play the part of Granuaile and, based on her performances at rehearsals, is set to catch the attention of the AIMS judges once more.
Seán Costello (Tiernan) and Niall Conway (Donal), unsurprisingly, have been chosen as the leading men while Jenny Mulvey (pictured), Sandra Schalks, Seamus MacEachmharcaigh and Richard Crumlish also feature prominently.
3. A state-of-the-art set
Under the watchful eye of Stage Manager, Niall Heaney, the Musical Society’s backstage crew have outdone themselves with their spectacular set for The Pirate Queen.
The Hollymount native has overseen a gruelling, hectic schedule that began before Christmas and took hundreds of man-hours.
However, the end result is sure to have audiences on their feet with stunning backdrops and an impressive set guaranteed.
And just wait until the boat swings into action!