Tickets Selling Fast For ‘Fiddler On The Roof’ At Birr Theatre

The production opens on March 15

By Justin Kelly

Birr Stage Guild will present a new production of the classic musical ‘Fiddler On The Roof’ at Birr Theatre next month. The hugely popular show, which has been wowing audiences for more than fifty years, will open on Sunday, March 15, running over a week until the following Saturday, March 21.

Set in 1905 during the final years of Tsarist rule in Russia, the local milkman in a village called Anatevka struggles to maintain the traditions and customs of his Jewish heritage. Tevye enlists the help of a matchmaker to find husbands for his five daughters, but the strong willed young women have designs on breaking the shackles of traditional matchmaking, finding love and happiness in their own right.

Tevye is the portal for the audience to enter his story, and he spends long periods pouring his heart out to those gathering to listen. He also sings, dances and prances across the stage at different times, endearing the audience to his emphatic energy of spirit.

The result is a fast paced stream of traditional Jewish songs like ‘If I Were A Rich Man’, ‘Sunrise, Sunset’, and ‘Matchmaker’. "With Director Paul Norton, Musical Director Enda O'Connor, Choreographer Grace Mc Grath, Birr Stage Guild has assembled a highly talented cast of singers and actors, both new and old, for what promises to be one of their finest productions ever," a press release from Birr Theatre read.

‘Fiddler On The Roof’ opened to audiences for the first time in New York in 1964, running for a colossal 3,242 performances. A 50th anniversary production ran across the UK and Dublin last year, and ‘Fiddler On The Roof’ continues to draw crowds across the world. It is a staple of modern and traditional theatre, each production putting its own stamp on it.

The Birr Stage Guild will put their stamp on it this March, and with tickets selling fast, the production is expected to sell out.

“We invite you to become a patron to experience the wonderful Gala Opening Night which has an atmosphere all of its own,” a statement for the production team read.

Ticket Prices:
Sunday Patrons Gala Night €40; Mon €14; Tues/Wed €16; Thurs/Fri/Sat €18

All performances commence at 8pm.

‘Joe Prop’ On Its Way To Birr Theatre

By Justin Kelly

A one man show starring Fair City’s Maclean Burke will be staged at the Birr Theatre & Arts Centre on Saturday, February 28. The play is set in the bedroom of bullied 12-year-old schoolboy, Joe Kavanagh, who dreams of international stardom as the best tight head prop in world rugby. Burke is famous for his role as Damien in Fair City, but now the Dublin actor moves from the soap ensemble to the stage for this solo performance.

Joe Prop has been adapted to a full length play after a successful stint at the 'Undermybed2014' Barnardos Project in the Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin. Playwright Gemma Doorly, the same writer that brought the hugely popular show W.A.G to sold out audiences, has teamed up with Maclean Burke and Barnardos for this production. 10% of all tickets sold for Joe Prop across the country will go directly to Barnardos.

Burke in Joe Prop

The play’s central character is subjected to the scorns of his school’s bullies, and they have set up a ‘Fat Joe Kavanagh’ Facebook page to poke fun at him. Medication from a childhood illness has left Joe overweight, but he finds solace as a prop on the school rugby team. His school coach Mr. Murray says: “Some jobs are meant for big guys.”

A statement on the Joe Prop website says this is “Maclean Burke as you’ve never seen him before – leaping, jumping, tackling and scrummaging in a physically charged and powerful one man show.” Burke will be joined by voiceover cameos from a host of famous rugby personalities, and the statement says “it will have you laughing, crying, and most of all believing that anything is possible.”

The Irish Independent has written that this “is Maclean Burke in a moving and hugely energetic performance,” while the Irish Mail on Sunday called Joe Prop “funny, engaging, poignant and beautifully acted.”

On February 28, Joe Prop will begin at 8pm at the Birr Theatre & Arts Centre. Tickets are priced at €16. For more information or to book tickets, contact 057-9122911 or visit www.birrtheatre.com