www.communityvoice.ie - Art news from Dublin 15

A fitting end

Stagezone’s traditional end of year concert – well, four concerts - marks another highly successful year for the group, a year which saw them bringing the very challenging musical “Oliver” to Draíocht to great acclaim.

Audiences can once again expect the very highest standards of musical entertainment when the renowned theatre school takes to the boards with over 200 young people showcasing their talents. And the emphasis for this show will very definitely be on the talents of the children, as the indefatigable Gladys Coyle explained.

“We were all very pleased with how “Oliver” turned out,” she said. “It was a complete sell-out but it was very very hard work. The costumes, the sets, the choreography and coordination – they all took a huge amount out of all of us.

“So for the concert, we have decided against having to come up with over 200 costumes and a lavish set. This show will stand on the performers’ own talents. And they have such enthusiasm and such energy that they will definitely pull it off – we’re going to see the season off with a bang!”

The acts will reflect the wide range of ages currently catered for in Stagezone. The very young will be performing songs from “Mary Poppins,” while the older children will be doing excerpts from “Mamma Mia” and, of course, “Oliver.” And there will be hip hop dancing, comedy and solo performers – a great night’s entertainment in anybody’s language.

“We really are very lucky with the group we have in Stagezone,” said Gladys. “They really are a fantastic bunch and a real pleasure to work with.”

So great were the demands on Gladys’ time with “Oliver” and the end of year concert, that she actually turned down the opportunity to travel to Rochester, NY, with the Holding Court Theatre Group, who were invited to reprise their successful trip to Milwaukee last year. “I just felt I was in danger of falling between three stools,” Gladys admitted. “I don’t know where I would have got the time to rehearse and in the end difficult decisions had to be made.

“Still, during the summer I will be performing in a series of lunchtime theatre gigs at the Axis in Ballymun. We’re doing “Last Panto in Ballymun” as a follow-up to last year’s highly successful “Last Tango in Ballymun.” And then maybe I’ll have a holiday.”

It is somewhat incongruous, with summer not yet upon us, to learn that work has already got underway for the pantomime next January, a prospect that Gladys is particularly looking forward to for one very good reason. “Of course, we all want to have a go at the new flying system in Draíocht, which not only will make scenery changes more professional but will also enable us to fly some performers above the stage, which we are all looking forward to.” Gladys refused to be drawn however on which particular panto might employ such flying techniques.

“Stagezone on Stage,” a celebration of their 2007 / 2008 season will take place on Saturday 31st May and Sunday 1st June at 2pm and 7.30pm.

Tickets are €17 / €15.

Community Voice, Media House, Church Avenue, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15
Phone +353 1 822 1432 - Fax +353 1 640 4444
info@communityvoice.ie