Les Miserables - Review in Kilcullen Blog

From Brian Byrne's Kilcullen Blog http://kilcullenbridge.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, April 17, 2012


 Les Miserables: powerful execution of a grand ambition Just having more than 30 people on stage in the Town Hall Theatre is a big enough challenge in itself, writes Brian Byrne. But then having to carry the massive Victor Hugo story set in pre-revolutionary France in just two hours? A crazy endeavour for an amateur group, but a gamble which had the potential to achieve grand ambition and great execution.

 Kilcullen Drama Group's spring play presentation of 'Les Miserables' is a big juggle of characters, storylines, mood and time. It requires a level of dexterity in direction arguably higher than has ever before been attempted by the group. A dexterity which a big man has displayed in truly magnificent measure. Mischa Fekete has managed to draw together from his disparate cast and Hugo's melee of characters a production which will take a proud place in the annals of a drama group which has been around since the 1930s.

 And it is a wonderful thing to see so many generations of Kilcullen Drama Group all in one production, from the stalwarts of Dick Dunphy, Bernard Berney and Nessa Dunlea to the promising newcomers of Jack Scullion and Mary Kiely. It seems only a few years ago that there was real concern about the eldering profile of the group, but now its membership encompasses all ages and interests and a future for amateur drama here seems assured.

I have no intention of critiquing individual actors or retelling the story of this play. Suffice to say there is drama, pathos, despair, hope, humour and passion, all performed to very high standard. There's also a great lesson in how to use a relatively small theatre space to its absolute maximum. There are performances left to see this week, and I urge anybody with an interest in good stories well told on stage to go along and see for themselves. I guarantee you will come away not just satisfied, but uplifted.

And if Victor Hugo himself could come back to see it, he'd be the one leading the standing ovation for Kilcullen Drama Group's telling of his grand story.

Les Miserables Rehearsal pictures

Les Miserables Poster

A Kilcullen Diary: Drama group plans 'Les Mis'

Packing a major novel, spanning 18 years and many characters in early nineteenth century France onto an hour and half of stagecraft is no easy task, writes Brian Byrne.

But that's just what Kilcullen Drama Group will be doing for their next production, due for performance in April. The play is 'Les Miserables', the stage adaptation (not the musical) of Victor Hugo's novel.

Mischa Fekete is taking up the challenge of directing the play, which is a big shift instyle of production for the group, now under the leadership of John Coleman for 2012 following the recent AGM of the company.

The main thread is the story of ex-convict, Jean Valjean who becomes a force for good in the world, but cannot escape his dark past. The tale ends with the June Rebellion, or the Paris Uprising of 1832, an unsuccessful, anti-monarchist insurrection of Parisian Republicans, largely students.

The first stage version was written just one year after Hugo published the novel, in 1863. It was written by his son, Charles, and a colleague Paul Meurice. The Kilcullen version is an adaptation devised by American writer Tim Kelly (left), who died in 1998. It has a cast of 30, that itself a challenge for the Kilcullen Drama Group.

The play opens on Friday 20 April, the Gala Night, and runs to Sunday 29 April. It will include two matinee showings on Sunday 22 April and Sunday 29 April.

Above was published on the Kilcullen Diary http://kilcullenbridge.blogspot.com/  a blog maintained by Brian Byrne

Next Production

Our next production which will be the play version of Les Miserables from the novel by Victor Hugo and adapted for the stage by Tim Kelly.
This production will be ready to run nightly from Friday 20th April, Gala Night to Sunday 29th April which will include two matinee showings on Sunday 22nd April and Sunday 29th April. This will be a
large undertaking by the group of over 30 members, which will be
steered by the creative director Micha Fekete.

Annual General Meeting

Kilcullen Drama Group held it's AGM on Thursday 12th January and the following Officers and Commitee were elected:

• Chairperson John Coleman
• Secretary Evelyn O'Sullivan
• Treasurer Nessa Dunlea
• PRO Sabina Reddy

Committee
Eilish Phillips, Philomena Breslin, Siobhan Phillips, Siobhan Murphy, Dick Dunphy, Esther Reddy.

There was a large attendance a new constitution was passed by the members.

AGM

The AGM of the Kilcullen Drama Group will he held in the Town Hall Theatre Kilcullen, this Thursday January 12 2012 @ 8pm.