Local competition:

Primary school students from across the Longford region recently attended a performance of “A Murder of Crows” presented by Barnstorm Theatre Company at Backstage Theatre.  The students were invited to write a review of the show and to draw their favourite scene from the play.  There were lots of entries for the art competition making it very difficult to choose a winner but Petra Hikkerová, aged 10, from St Josephs NS managed to capture the spirit of the play and the theatre experience making hers the overall winner.  Whilst there were also plenty of excellent reviews of the show, the one that stood out was Rachael Flanagan’s from 6th class in Fairymount NS, Castlerea.  Well done to everyone who took the time to enter the competition, a selection of the runner up reviews and pictures will be on display at the theatre.

Janice Belton – Backstage Theatre


“A Murder of Crows” is an eerie, atmospheric play that will send shivers down your spine and cause goose-bumps to appear on your arms.  The story-line is very similar to the well-known fairytale, Hansel and Gretel.

It begins with a very distraught family burying their dead mother in a forest.  She has died from hunger and the father of the family is afraid that his children will die too if he doesn’t’ find more for them to eat!  Not long after the mother’s death, the father remarries.  The children aren’t too keen on their new stepmother…

While all this is going on, a murder of crows is watching from the trees.  They too, are hungry and are waiting for the family to die so they can eat their dead bodies (Yuk!).  I’m not going to go into details with the rest of the play and ruin it for you but what I will say is be prepared to shed some tears, gasp in horror and sigh with happiness at the end (it has a happy ending!)

I would highly recommend this play to, not only children, but to adults too.  It’s got everything a good play needs.  Wit, adventure, excitement, atmosphere, happiness, sadness and best of all, fun!

By Rachael Flanagan
6th Class, Fairymount N.S, Castlerea, Co Roscommon.