Longford's Backstage Theatre Group brings Tom Murphy classic to stage

The Backstage Theatre Group will be proudly presenting ‘Conversations on a Homecoming’ by Tom Murphy.

To be performed from March 12-14 at 8pm at the Backstage Theatre, this is the first Murphy play that the group has done since 1990. 

Morphed in 1988 from the Longford Dramatic Society, Ollie Kenny was one of the founding members of the group, which helped change the image. 

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Originally, they performed in the Longford Slashers’ Function Room, but as a number of young people showed serious interest in theatre, everything came together to what it is today. 

Beyond the challenges, the organisation grew from one show a year to three or four, which evolved into the Backstage Theatre as their shows were packing out the room. 

By joining a committee with Slashers to get a permanent venue, the Backstage Theatre was formed, being one of the first, custom-built theatres in the midlands.

In advance to the show, Ollie Kenny came to chat with the Longford Leader about the show and why it was selected.

“Tom Murphy was one of the most, if not, the most significant in 20th century Ireland,” said Ollie. “He had his finger on the pulse on what was going on." 

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“Not just the west of Ireland where he based his plays, but reflected what was going on in the town, religiously, politically."

“He was ahead of his time. We wanted to get back to something different. It’s a personal favourite of mine." 

“He’s a large cannon of important works that were championed by Druid Theatre Company. There’s a Galway connection there." 

“He would’ve known all those involved in it. Listening in at the rehearsals, at the language. I’m the production manager. I’ve to drag myself away, it’s that good. The story is so strong and reflective. It’s very funny, the narrative. It’s very sad. It’s very reflective of how Ireland was then.”

Complimenting Murphy as a champion for giving significant roles in the play to women with brilliant dialogue and the representation of hope for the next generation, he reiterated how it is an amazing piece of work, and that it is a complete play in terms of its overall writing style.

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Rehearsals have started to pick up now. The performance comes with unexpected challenges, not with remembering the dialogue, but the duration.

 “We do it three times a week. We’ve been working since the start of this year. The play was cast in early December." 

“The cast then had that until the January 1 to work on their script, characters and lines. They’ve been working hard. For long stints, two and half hour rehearsals."

"The play is an hour and forty without an interval. It’s a really challenging piece of work for the cast as well as the audience. You couldn’t have an interval because the momentum keeps driving on and on and on. But you never notice the time. That’s the way it is."

“I hope that we can realise what Murphy is trying to get through,” hoped Ollie. “Don’t follow unrealistic dreams. Live in the reality of the moment. We hope we can get to the core of the play. It’s an image of what went on and the challenges that people had.”

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With a cast that is loving the process, Charlie McGuinness is a professional director who is involved in this production. He has done several of their shows prior since Covid for their main spring production.

For the Longford audience, Ollie said: “We hope they have an appreciation of what we are doing to bring one of the most important pieces of theatre written in the last century."

“We hope that they will appreciate the works of the one of greatest playwrights in Ireland, put on by our group and doing it justice. We know it’s a very popular play.”