Galway Advertiser 2003/2003_05_22/GA_22052003_E1_043.pdf 

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KATS get the cream!
KNOCKNACARRA AMATEUR Theatre Society made a t r i u m p h a n t d e b u t at the All Ireland D r a m a Festival in Uhlmic last week, winning the much-coveted Ericsson Trophy for best overall production with their s t a g i n g of Rashomon, directed by Paddy Henry. Rashomon is set in feudal Japan of 1.000 years ago. The alleged killing of a samurai warrior and assault on his wife by a roving bandit is re-enacted four limes, according to the contradictory evidence of those involved. The audience has to decide what really happened in a story packed full of action and suspense. Since its inaugural run at the Taibhdhearc in March. KATS* Rashomon has been touring the amateur festival circuit and in the six festivals which the company entered, they won 'best overall production' in lour, and finished third in the remaining two. They also received a slew of awards in such categories as acting, directing and design, racking up a very impressive tally of twenty-seven prizes in all. That was just a foretaste of what the company would achieve in Athlone competing against eleven other companies from all over the country. As well as KATS scooping the prize lor best overall production, cast-member Michael Rooney was named Best Actor lor his powerhouse central performance as the bandit while Geraldine Holmes, who played the samurai's wile, received an Adjudicator' Award of a scholarship to an acting summer school in Maynooth. Cast and crew can now take a well-earned breather and bask in their success until the next KATS production hits the boards in the autumn. They've given themselves a lot to live up to! CMcB

[ents] GYT one act festival
GALWAY YOUTH Theatre's annual One-Act Festival took place last weekend at the Bank of Ireland Theatre, NUIG, and provided two nights of superb theatrical entertainment with many fine instances of original writing and skilled performances.
Last year's festival saw a clutch of pieces brooding on themes of death and madness but humour was much more to the fore this time round. The festival kicked off with Michelle Tully's Stirrups, a stylish and deftly designed mime inspired by the rituals of dressage. Next up was Bridget Deevy's exquisitely written Is This It'.', which blended humour and pathos in its story of an ill-starred romance and featured an excellent solo performance from Patricia Bohan. Monty Python's Argument Sketch then got an airing followed by one of the high points of the weekend; Dave Rock's wildly imaginative and hilarious Moonlit Conversation. Capably performed by the author, the piece was most notable for the comic originality and richness of its script, which deservedly won the Judges' Prize for Best New Writing (this year's judges were Chris Place. Sharon Carroll and, ahem, yours truly). Other first night offerings were Bone Idol, a comic romp brimming with gleefully satirical in-jokes and Chemical Wedding written and strongly performed by Martin Sullivan and inspired by the writings of Stephen Hawking. Saturday night also got off to a strong start with Andrew Carney's riveting performance (directed by Caoilinn Hughes) of an excerpt from David Foster Wallace's Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. Then there came Flummoxed. Jonathan Gunning's deliriously madcap clowning escapade, featuring himself and Mattie Ginsberg. Gunning showed himself to be a comic performer/writer of real talent and deservedly garnered Best Actor while Flummoxed was named Best Overall Production. Sean O'Meallaigh excelled in an episode from Neil LaBute's Bash performed with Jessica Curtis and the evening also offered Caoilinn and Donnla Hughes as widow and mistress meeting in The Funeral and Nollaig O ' H o r a ' s melancholy Not Quite Destiny. The festival ended on a suitably comic note with Maire T Robinson's exuberant, gag-packed 7rai/! of Thought. The full list of this year's awards were as follows; Best Overall Production - Flummoxed.

Best Production Values - Stirrups. Best New Writing - Dave Rock for A Moonlit Conversation. Highly Commended lor New Writing Bridget Deevy for Is This It? Best Actor - Jonathan Gunning. Highly Commended - Sean O'Meallaigh Best Actress - Patricia Bohan. Highly Commended - Michelle Tully. Best Director - Maire T Robinson and Roisin Stack for Train of Thought. Special Moments awards to Jack Evans. Dave Rock and the cast of Bone Idol. CMcB

Galway's resident soap queen to read the Monologues
W I T H ITS eye-catching title and i n t r i g u i n g c o n t e n t , The Vagina Monologues is set to bring to Galway the cultural phenomenon which has swept the globe. Based on interviews with 200 women about their most intimate parts, the play offers a sometimes humorous, sometimes distressing, but always entertaining insight into the female psyche. What started as an off-Broadway fringe production has developed into a worldwide hit which has attracted some of the world's greatest actresses -- including Glenn Close. Jane Fonda, and Marisa Tomci -- to read the monologues. Next week's performance in Galway will see three of Ireland's leading actresses bring the play to an Irish stage. Anne Charleston, probably best known for her role as Madge Bishop in the leading Australian soap Neighbours, will join Carrie Crowley and Orlaith Rafter --who plays Robin McKenna in Fair City -- on stage in Galway. Charleston, who has more recently gained favour as Betty Wadell in the illfated Crossroads, has lived in Galway for more than a decade despite maintaining a hectic work schedule in Australia and the UK. This will be her lirst Irish performance since she took up residence in the county in 1992. "I left Neighbours at the end of 1992 but I went back in 1997 for three years.'' she said. "Madge then died of pancreatic cancer, thank God. 1 had enough of her. I was almost 11 years on the show in all. 1 was only seeing my house a couple of weeks a year. "I bought the house in 1991 and moved here at the end of 1992. I had been coming here a lot. and I fell in love with the west of Ireland and I decided that I had to move here." Despite a well-established association with soap. Charleston began her career in theatre, performing in productions like John Mortimer's The Anniversary, The Cavern, and The Irregular Verb to Love. Her move to Ireland has seen her touring the UK with such plays as The Cemetery Club. Love Julie, and The Surprise Party. Charleston returned to soap this year when Crossroads made its longanticipated return to the small screen, replete with a sophisticated new set -- which didn't creak, let alone collapse -- and a bevy of new characters. However the soap's producers sounded its death knell just weeks after it went to air. and the show will finish airing shortly after just five months' reprieve. "I'm still on air in Crossroads but 1 finished filming at the end of March." she said. "It only started again at the beginning of the year but they gave it the chop. It was only on for seven weeks when they gave it the chop. You have got to give a show at least six months." However the brevity of the show did not stop Charleston from gaining a strong following among soap fans, which led to her being nominated for the best actress accolade at the British Soap Awards earlier this month, a move which took her by surprise. "I couldn't believe that." she recalled. "Nobody told me about it because I hardly did anything anyway. For the first three weeks I had a bit part, and just when my character was finding herself the show was axed." 77i
Crossroads I would gel home for the occasional weekend, because I got Mondays and Fridays off. but when you're touring with theatre it's impossible because you only get

Sundays off. "I would love lo do more stuff in Ireland. I have really tried to get work over here but il just hasn't happened." UNASINNOTT