Longford drama group Mostrim Players keeping busy

Mostrim Players are at it again, busy practising for two forthcoming events. The first being an open air pageant in Early May, for the Maria Edgeworth Festival weekend. The piece they are practising is entitled 'The Dead Poets/Authors Society', where all the poets are descendants of Longford or have had strong connections with the county.

There is a mixture of actors here, the pageant starts with the Youth Players who open the event with a bit of fun and banter, the poet Patrick Kavanagh is featured here. There is also music, song and poetry readings in this lovely piece and features such poets and authors as: Maria Edgeworth, Oliver Goldsmith, Patrick Kavanagh, Oscar Wilde, Padraig Collum, Jane Austin, Charlotte Brooks, John Keegan Casey and Tom Lefroy. This piece was written by Pauline Flood, narrated by Kate O'Donohoe and Directed by Samantha Lynch.

The second play is entitled 'Tom Foolery at the Folly'. Written by Pauline Flood this is the story with an historic setting. It depicts a time in Moatefarrell, Longford around 1776, where a 75 year old man intended to marry and father a child to inherit his millions. The aforesaid man, Thomas Charlton Sr, had two jealous sisters who each had a son and these two hags devised a plan to rob their brother of his manhood, to prevent him fathering an heir to his millions.

Pauline used her background as a Genealogist to researched the story and the family lineage and put together a drama to portray the incidents that transformed history. Though not fully recorded or researched with half the storylin lost to history along the way Pauline uses the incident as a starting point for her story.

“This story is not 100% true, but uses poetic licence for entertainment value,” Pauline tells, “It has been fabricated to match in with the storyline.

“It contains all the elements of entertainment, it’s funny, dark, squeamish, and along with some singing interludes it brings the whole scenario alive. It is suitable for anyone over the age of 12. This play was directed by Vanessa Galligan and Samantha Lynch,” she said.

The rest will have to remain secret until it comes alive in the Backstage Theatre on May, 18, 19 and 20.