It’s the brand new Irish comedy play by Tommy Marren – writer of ‘It’s The Real McCoy, ‘3 Hail Mary’s’ and ‘Nobody’s Talking To Me’ – and it promises audiences another night of rip-roaring comedy.
Maureen Corcoran decides to find love for her two maturing sons (Joe and Pat) who have no interest in marriage. She spots an advertisement in the Ireland’s Own magazine where two equally ‘mature’ ladies (Daisy and Rose) are on the lookout for romance and without consulting her sons Maureen invites the ladies to come and inspect the ‘talent’ for themselves!
However, Joe and Pat hatch an intricate plan that will surely scare the ladies off – or will it? It’s just one hilarious catastrophe after another as no obstacle is going to put Daisy and Rose off the ‘scent’!
Get ready for wall-to-wall comedy with rare diseases, tongue twisters, a missing wife, an overdue eternity ring, a ‘dodgy’ sponge cake and news of an old flame all adding to the mayhem and madness – not to mention the ‘sting in the tail’ at the very end!
Will Matches be struck or could someone get burned by an Old Flame?
Starring Tommy Marren, Eileen Slevin, Pat Feeley, Mary Marren, Kieran Brennan and Mary Barry this is one night of comedy where love is put to the test like never before!
Productions
3 HAIL MARY’S
Written by Tommy Marren
‘3 Hail Mary’s’ is set in a nursing home somewhere in Ireland in 2016. Although it’s a rip-roaring comedy it deals with the sensitive subject of dementia.
The play centres around three characters – namely Mary O’Toole, Mary O’Neill and Mary O’Brien. The three Mary’s have lived in this nursing home for over 10 years and have become great friends. However, due to circumstances beyond their control, they are being moved to three separate nursing homes and the play is set around their last few hours together before they get their taxis to take them to different corners of Ireland.
During the course of the play each Mary tells their life-story by way of monologues. Mary O’Toole is a very religious character who has great devotion to Our Lady of Knock. Mary O’Neill is a Londoner who met and subsequently married a Kerry man and moved to Ireland. Finally, Mary O’Brien is a retired nurse who has travelled to almost every corner of the world!
There are other residents in the home who also form an integral part of the storyline. Throughout the play the 3 Marys reminisce, argue, sing and dance with each other but and as the play progresses the audience fall in love with the three main characters.
With dozens of hilarious one-liners the play moves with pace and confusion reigns! However, their farewells are emotional and this is a play that is emotive as well as funny.
There are a number of twists at the end of the play and it finishes with a cast performance of an original song written by Tommy Marren entitled ‘I’m Really Still The Same’ which is written from the perspective of a person who has dementia asking loved ones to treat them the same as they always did.
Without exception the productions has received standing ovations from audiences who are captivated by the characters and the story.
With dementia so prevalent in Ireland this is a play that is as much thought provoking as it is funny and the script has been meticulously crafted to ensure that it is sensitive and compassionate to the subject matter.
3 Hail Mary’s really is a play that entertains and educates……
NOBODY’S TALKING TO ME
Written by Tommy Marren
‘Nobody’s Talking To Me’ is set in rural Ireland in the early 1970’s and is best described as a ‘full blown’ Irish rural comedy and the follow-up to the hugely successful ‘It’s the Real McCoy’.
The celebration of a 50th wedding anniversary should be a happy occasion but not for Mattie and Maggie Conway! The ‘happy couple’ haven’t spoken a single word to each other for 10 years but the only people in on the secret are the couples only daughter Josephine and Mattie’s sister Minnie who both happen to live in the same house as the estranged couple!
However, disaster strikes when the local parish priest Fr. O’Toole checks the parish records and decides to surprise Mattie and Maggie on the morning of their anniversary to renew their marriage vows. Needless to say all hell breaks loose and audiences are in for a roller-coaster of hilarious scenes as the reason for the ‘silence’ unfolds piece by piece.
With sub-plots that include a wake in the house next door, an over-used handkerchief, a tricky crossword, a pair of over-worked knitting needles, a well-oiled whiskey bottle, a very confused kettle and the arrival of an old flame its one laugh after another as the one-liners just flow and flow!
Stand by for another rip-roaring two-hour show that will have you in tears of laughter all night long.
Can the renewal of the wedding vows reunite Mattie and Maggie Conway or will the silence continue? You’ll just have to find out! See tour details of all 2016 shows on our tour dates page.
IT’S THE REAL McCOY
Written by Tommy Marren
“Very pleasantly funny and without vulgar language – a welcome change that for Irish Drama”
“I could dissect it bit by bit but there’s no point – I could not find fault. Thoroughly enjoyable.”
“Brilliantly funny yet serious and even sad in parts! A super night’s theatre.”
“My favourite moment was the whole show!”
[Audience Reviews on Ticketmaster.ie website]
The play is set in the kitchen of Madge Molloy, a 68-year old woman who has lived over 40 years of her life wondering why her husband Tom – whom she was married to for just five months – mysteriously disappeared without trace or reason.
Madge was expecting her only child at the time of Tom’s disappearance and she has grown to be a bitter and angry woman. Her daughter Maura constantly yearns to know what happened to her father and the arrival of a new curate in the parish, namely Father Michael McCoy, is about to throw some light on the reasons behind Tom’s hasty departure.
This rip-roaring comedy is full of classic Irish ‘one-liners’ that will have you in stitches and the fact that Madge happens to have the two nosiest neighbours in Ireland doesn’t help! Nora O’Hora and her daughter Cora have a knack of popping up at the most inopportune moments as Madge tries to keep a lid on what is going on!
To add to the confusion Madge’s daughter Maura has fallen in love with the local postman but Madge doesn’t approve as she does her best to convince Maura that she would be much better off without having a man in her life!
Madge believes that all men are useless and lazy and suggests that if there was work to be done in the bed most men would sleep in the wardrobe!
The play is set over two frantic days and realising that her husband is back in the parish Madge has some difficult decisions to make. The question is does she make the right decision in the end.
“It’s The Real McCoy” has been performed in numerous venues across Ireland throughout 2012 and a DVD – shot on Knock Museum Cottage and other locations across Mayo and Sligo – will entertain you over and over again.
THE BANSHEE OF CROKEY HILL
Written by Tommy Marren
“This was a piece of magical theatre that was emotionally fearless and a production that had all the ingredients you’d expect from a talented company. From comedy to suspense and a sensational plot this play has it all. It was so emotionally powerful I felt part of it”
Frank West, Irish American News
The Banshee of Crokey Hill is set in the West of Ireland in the mid 1970’s and tells the story of the return home of Mikey McMahon from Manchester to visit his father and mother in Crokey after an absence of 13 years. The purpose of his visit is to tell his parents that he is soon to marry in England.
However, it transpires that The Banshee of Crokey Hill won’t rest easy until something terrible happens in the McMahon household. The arrival of the village gossip Molly Andy ignites a new twist to an already sad legend as it transpires that the Banshee is about to have her revenge.
Amidst great celebration at the return of the ‘prodigal son’ and the arrival of the villagers for a rip-roaring ‘Irish hooley’ it becomes apparent that the soured relationship between Mickey and his father Jack is about to unearth a dark secret that was kept from Mikey as a child.
The revelation of this secret has devastating consequences and having candles lit in the window to keep the Banshee at bay prove fruitless. The comedy and jovial atmosphere soon turn to suspense and tragedy that will have you on the edge of your seat until the final moment of the play.
The Banshee of Crokey Hill was performed throughout Ireland, England and America between 2007 and 2010 and a DVD of the production was filmed on the stage of St. Bridget’s Hall, Tubbercurry, County Sligo in 2009.