Clanabogan drama group hope to do Tommy proud

CLANBOGAN Drama Circle (CDC) hope to do the late Tommy Mullin proud when they return to the stage on Valentine’s Night.

Mr Mullin (pictured below), a long-time director with the local group, passed away in January last year. His loss was hard to bear for his many friends and colleagues.

The decision was taken to cancel their planned production for 2019 as a mark of respect to their dear friend.

However, the longing to return to the stage was reinforced with a longing to keep Tommy’s passion for drama alive in the group and do his memory proud.

After much perusal of numerous scripts, their return to the local stage was set in stone with their forthcoming production of ‘The Two Loves of Gabriel Foley’, by Jimmy Geary.

This heralds the return of much-loved performers with CDC as well as some new faces to our cast and crew. Directed by Emma Pearson, this entertaining play is set in rural Donegal in the early 2000s. The curtains raises and reveals the home of an ageing widow named Aggie Foley, played by Nuala Loughran.

The plot revolves around her bachelor son Gabriel. He is a middle-aged farmer, whom it seems has gone from one disastrous romance to another, much to his mother’s frustration. The group welcomes Gerard McKenna back in the lead role.

Aggie longs to brag about a wedding and grandchildren to her interfering sister, played by Dympna Slevin.

Gabriel meets snooty Hazel Myers, played by the wonderful Angela McNabb. He joins the ‘posh’ drama group in the nearby town in order to romance her. Morag Delamare is the deluded director played convincingly by Gorreti Gallagher.

Peter Donaghey, a CDC stalwart, returns to the stage as the love-struck Clive Snell who is determined to win Hazel away from Gabriel.

He is unaware that Chrissie McCabe, played by Jean Crystal, a neighbour and long-time family friend, who comes in to help him and his mother, has been harbouring romantic feelings for him for a very long time!

Gabriel’s friend and confidante Liam is played by Eugene Lynam who returns after his stage debut two years ago.

CDC would never get to opening night without the hardworking committee who work tirelessly behind the scenes, while the group wish to express their sincere gratitude to Drumragh Sarsfields GAA club for the use of their clubrooms for rehearsal and to Drumragh parish for the use of St Joseph’s Hall.

• ‘The Two Loves of Gabriel Foley’ opens in St Joseph’s Hall, Omagh on Friday, February 14 for three nights. Doors open at 7.30pm and the play will begin at 8pm sharp. Tickets are priced at £10 with concessionary tickets available for £8. These are available at the door.