Spark Productions

The first bow, and by no means our last. Above you can see the picture from the original cast of One For The Road in August 2011. The original cast included, Michael Walsh, Nicola Whitty, James O’Connor, Ollie Kelly, Catriona Kilbride, Adrian Kavanagh, Laura Murphy, Julie Ralph, Megan Stacey & Aine Ryan.

We can get a bit emotional at times looking at this picture. So let’s go back to the beginning. It was the summer of 2011, we were in the midst of a bad recession and moral was at an all time low. Shops were closing, jobs were being lost and even harder to find and at the same time emigration was high. There was no sign of this ever ending.

Meanwhile though a bunch of young 20 year old’s were preparing themselves to deliver on a new original comedy about a group of Fresher students on a night out in Tully’s bar. Behind the scenes Una Dalton, founder and producer of this first show was working hard with Adrian Kavanagh to create something unique and exciting. They had no idea how it would go down, they had no idea if they would sell tickets, all they had was hope & belief.

With the script written what it needed was actors, a group of people who would commit be passionate and work on creating a world never before seen.

Looking back on it, we can say that was one hell of a summer, from the excitement of working together, to making posters, to press releases and doing radio, it was all new and it was all exciting.

The rehearsal process was all new to everyone on board, we were preparing to get a new show ready in just 8 weeks, there was lots to discuss and lots to get right before an audience could see this show.

As we got closer and closer to our deadline and as the show became tighter we started to see the signs that this show may just be a success. We also started to see that the people involved in this show, were not just a group of performers, but a family. This is something we feel is important to keep and cherish as the company grows.

Before we knew it tickets began selling fast and to our disbelief we had to try our best to add extra seats and even make a waiting list for those looking to come to the show.

It was a success. Audiences came from near and far to see this piece of theatre, they laughed, applaud and even gave standing ovations. The intimate setting meant they felt part of this show too, like they were watching this in reality, eaves dropping on a party they didn’t know was happening.

It goes without saying, we celebrated in true country style the show’s success.

As we look back on where we were to where we have gotten to, it’s important to remember, why we did this, why we wanted to perform, why we wanted an audience to see this. And it’s simple, to hear them laugh, to bring them somewhere for a couple of hours and forget what’s happening outside. For all of us to feel part of something special.

We would like to take this time and blog, to sincerely thank all those who were there at the very start, to those who believed in the show and believed in what we were creating. Without you, none of this would have been possible, and we are forever grateful.

This is not just a celebration of another production for us, we are celebrating three years. And we want you to join us for the party. After all, if an audience hadn’t bought tickets, we wouldn’t be where we are now.

The Last Of The Freshers runs Aug 22 to 24 in The Duiske Inn.

Tickets are 8 euro and can be booked via 0851395516.

Note: Strong Language Used Throughout.

Doors: 7:30, Show 8:00.