RTÉ
RTÉ RADIO 1’s DOCUMENTARY ON ONE SHOWS THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF BALLINVREENA, CO. LIMERICK
On Saturday 6 February at 6.05pm RTÉ Radio 1’s Documentary on One: Bright Lights, Small Village goes behind the scenes of an amateur drama production in Ballinvreena, Co. Limerick. This candid and often humorous documentary captures the compelling journey of drama group the ‘Canavour Players’ from the first readings through to the emotional final performance.
Every Autumn across Ireland in conversations on village streets, in shops and after mass, the same question arises –“what play are ye doing this year?” Building on this Irish rural tradition of ‘entertaining yourselves’, the play is an expression of communal spirit.
In the south-west corner of Co. Limerick, every winter for more than thirty years, the Canavour Players of Ballinvreena, a town with a population two hundred, have come together to put on what locals call ‘the play’. The Documentary on One: Bright Lights, Small Village follows the process for three months. With rehearsals of up to four nights a week, the commitment is of the participants is huge.
This documentary tells the tale of childcare worker Mags Cuneen as she takes on her first big role, while stage veteran and farmer Dave Barry juggles performing and calving. Seasoned director Sarah Reynolds cajoles and harangues a committed but not always co-operative cast, while stage-set builder Mike O’Reilly grapples with how to create and demolish a house every night on a 10x10ft stage.
Listeners can feel the tension as the opening night draws near. There are hurried preparations on set, with costumes and extra rehearsals to get tricky lines off. For a town with one village hall, one thatched tea room, four streetlights and plenty of boreens, community is really valued. As the queues that form outside the village hall, it is clear that many are committed to this thirty year ritual.
Bright Lights: Small Village uniquely illustrates this creative undertaking throthe opening night closer. Over the course of the documentary interviews with the director, cast members and stage set builders are mixed with revealing live recordings. The Documentary on One: Bright Lights, Small Village captures the passion, the frustrations, and the tensions as opening night draws near followed by the nervousness and personal/communal triumph come together,
Bright Lights Small Village is a Grey Heron Media Production for RTÉ Radio 1 and is made with the assistance of the Sound and Vision Fund, a BAI initiative.
Tune into Bright Lights, Small Village, RTÉ Radio 1, Saturday 6 February, 6.05pm
You can listen back to this podcast on RTÉ Radio’s Documentary on One website: http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/
ATTACHED IMAGE: Dave Barry and John Sheedy. More images available on request.
Notes to Editor: Play that was performed was “All the Way Back” by Bernard Farrell. This Documentary was recorded over the period Oct 2008 – Feb 2009.
For further information please contact: Denise Sammon, RTÉ Radio Press and Publicity Office, 01- 208 2215, Denise.sammon@rte.ie
Issued by RTÉ Radio
Date: 28 January 2010