Following the amazing success of its inaugural lunchtime theatre presentation last summer, Barnstorm has another treat for Kilkenny audiences who will be spellbound by Tennessee William’s classic short play ‘Something Unspoken’ this June
“Williams’ masterpiece, which delves into the depth of forbidden love, is an emotional rollercoaster, and this Kilkenny production has been an absolute pleasure to develop” says Joanne Hennessy who directs. “We chose this piece in response to Pride Month in Kilkenny and we are looking forward to sharing the work with everyone.”
Two stalwarts of local theatre, Mags Whitely and Natasha Murray are set to present the new show in Barnstorm’s studio theatre in a lunchtime offering that should entertain and intrigue audiences. Both actors have a long history in the Kilkenny theatre community, having been part of the Barn Owl Players for many years. This lunchtime performance of ‘Something Unspoken’ will be no exception. Whitely and Murray have already earned the praises of their peers for their professional and committed approach to their craft.
Something Unspoken by Tennessee Williams, is set in Meridian, Louisiana in 1958. In the opening scene we find Cornelia Scott, a southern aristocrat, and her widowed secretary, Grace Lancaster. A new age is approaching the Southern aristocracy, and as a result, Cornelia is struggling to keep up with the changes and how to navigate them.
Grace has been Cornelia’s secretary and companion for 15 years, but lately their relationship has become ambiguous.
Cornelia wants to discuss the truth of their hidden emotions, but tensions build as Grace finds it difficult to express her feelings. She has been holding it all in for far too long, and now she is struggling to face the truth. Cornelia is determined to have an honest conversation with Grace, and to finally address the feelings that have been so carefully hidden away for over a decade.
This one-act play is the perfect way to take a break from the office and enjoy a light lunch while being entertained. The performance lasts only 45 minutes, so our office workers can easily fit it into their lunch break and be back in plenty of time.
Tickets are €17 and includes lunch which is presented by the Home Rule Club.; and can be booked HERE
Dates: Limited run from Mon 19th to Sat 24th June at 1pm daily
The Quiet Land by Malachy McKenna – Lunchtime Theatre at 3 John’s Quay
Two elderly farmers, Eamon and Nashee, meet at a gate on a remote hillside. These men are old friends, old rivals, old neighbours. They are men of heart, of humour, of hardness. Their conversation is a throwback to a gentler time, when silence was as telling as declaration, and meaning was more often found between the lines than on them. But there’s nothing gentle about today’s conversation. In facing the bitter reality of their remote defiance, they have grown fearful and desperate. Now they are forced to confront each other with some heart-breaking truths that test their friendship to its limit.
The Quiet Land is a celebration of the humour, resilience and endearing innocence of an exiled generation as it struggles to survive in the isolated rural Ireland of today. It is Malachy McKenna’s heartfelt tribute to a rare breed of forgotten men who live a long way in off the road. Winner of the PJ O’Connor Award 2014.
Featuring local actors Ger Cody & Brendan Corcoran, the play was directed by Philip Hardy with design team Harry Harris, Joan Brennan, and Vincent Dempsey. As part of the AKA Fringe Festival 2022, Barnstorm launched its Lunchtime Theatre in collaboration with the Home Rule Club.