The Beauty Queen Of Leenane: “Beauty is funny – tragic too” – KilkennyAlive Review
The local amateur production, directed by theatre boss, Ger Cody, had a marvellous cast of four, veterans Mary Cradock and Brendan Corcoran and relative drama newcomers Claire Henriques and Ross Costigan.
As usual Mary and Brendan were superb.
But particularly pleasing was the fantastic performance of play deb Claire Henriques who revelled in the very difficult role of a mother-domineered daughter.
Ross was the talented fourth member of an excellent team that fully deserved the end of play standing ovation from an appreciative audience.
The story was one that has been played out all over Ireland for generations.
It was the tale of a 40-year-old woman, Maureen (Claire Henriques) who was completely dominated by her roguish and quite elderly mother (Mary Craddock) who craved undivided attention and was intent on keeping her offspring as a house slave.
But along came a would-be-suitor in the shape of Brendan Corcoran who brought romance into the life of the daughter of Connemara.
That situation certainly didn’t suit mother who got up to all sorts of nasty tricks in a bid to crush any possible life of love for her daughter.
The fab four thespians played their respective roles with real feeling and while entertaining with some really funny lines, they also brought home the tragedy of a mother-daughter tradition that has led to heartbreak and despair for thousands of women, and indeed many men, over the years.
The play was yet another triumph for local talent, proof, as if proof was needed, that the home-grown product is the soul of local theatre.
Well done to Ger Cody on a production to be truly proud of.
The play continues tonight, Friday, with the final curtain falling after the Saturday performance. Curtain up is at 8pm each evening and there is a 15-minute interval.
