Villiers
School presents ‘The Beggar’s Opera’
Rehearsals are well underway for this year's TY Drama Production ‘The
Beggar’s Opera’ which will see over 50 students take to the Belltable stage in
a classic play by John Gay which has been adapted by Darren Maher and former
Villiers student Maeve Stone.
Macheath, outlaw and
regular of Newgate Penitentiary is in trouble with the law yet again! However
this time, he’s not inside for thieving, robbing or riding his Harley too fast-
this time it’s the women in his life that put him back on death row.
Miss Polly, a pageant
queen and daughter of the town’s crooked lawyer Peachum, has her eyes set on
Macheath, but she’s not the only one! Lucy Lockitt, daughter of the drunken
prison warden has also enjoyed a roll in the hay with Macheath. With
backstabbing, thievery and jealousy rife in the town, Macheath has made plenty
of enemies. Is there any way that he can escape the chair? Will there be a reprieve?
This seminal work
written in 1726 has been re-written and transposed to the Deep South by Maher
and Stone and features pageant queens, Hell’s Angles, prisoners, ladies of the
night and hillbillies among many more typical Deep South references and features
the music of Adele, The Beatles, Roy Orbison, Disney, Dolly Parton and many
more!
Directed by Ann Blake and Niamh Bowen, The Beggar’s
Opera will be brought to the stage by Villiers Transition Year
students performing and working on all aspects of production. Director, Ann
Blake stated, “This is a unique and
wonderful opportunity for Transition Year students, who experience all aspects
of production through mentorship and apprenticeship. I’m particularly excited
about this year’s show. Maeve and Darren have done a wonderful job re-writing
the original text and modernising it! I would have loved an opportunity like
this when I was in Transition Year.” Co-director Niamh Bowen is equally
enthused, “They are a great group to work with, this year’s show is going to
offer audiences something different to previous shows, and it is an opera, so
there’s a lot more songs!’
The play runs for two nights on Thursday May 19th and Friday May 20th
at 8pm in Belltable, 69 O’Connell Street, Limerick.
Tickets available from School Reception 061 451 447 – Adult €15,
Concession €10 and from www.limetree.ie