New state-of-the-art theatre at Mary Immaculate College

THE Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick’s newest concert venue has just launched its first autumn/winter season programme.

The Lime Tree Theatre is a state-of-the-art 510-seat theatre, situated in Mary Immaculate College in the city centre.

The theatre will welcome the Abbey Theatre’s production of Sean O’Casey’s play The Plough and the Stars in October, while their season officially begins in mid-September with a Tom Barry play Guerilla Days of Ireland.

Clare acts are getting in on the action as the Kilfenora Céilí Band plays its first-ever Limerick concert performance, while the Shannon Gospel Choir will also perform with Paddy Casey as special guest.

Further events will include performances by Steel Magnolias, the Limerick Jazz Festival, West Side Story, Brendan Grace and Beauty and the Beast and Limerick Panto Society’s Christmas panto.
Bridgetown resident, Gillian Fenton is the new theatre’s marketing and box office manager and explains it will be a local, national and international venue.

“It’s a state-of-the-art facility and it’s a specific theatre stage, so it’s different from the University Concert Hall and from the Bell Table Theatre. The Abbey Theatre group is coming to open it in October and they are coming to present their main stage production of The Plough and The Stars by Sean O’Casey. That runs from Tuesday, October 30, which is the same night as our official opening and runs until Saturday, November 3. It is a big deal for us and we are really delighted they are stopping here.

“The reason why we are getting them is because of the size of the theatre stage itself and the size of the auditorium which is 510-seater theatre so it is still has the intimate theatre feel for audiences,” Ms Fenton outlined.

Their first productions Guerilla Days in Ireland by Tom Barry opens from Wednesday, September 19 until Saturday, September 22.

Admired by Che Guevara, feared by the British Army, loved by the people, Tom Barry, legendary Commander of the famous West Cork Flying Column survived the War of Independence to tell his incredible story in this play.

It is a thrilling first-hand account of the struggle for independence in County Cork, and details how Barry led a volunteer army in a hide-and-seek campaign of guerilla warfare matching wits against an enemy of overwhelming strength and power.

The Lime Tree Theatre, which gets its name from a lime tree on the Mary Immaculate Campus, has just launched its website which will feature an up-to-date programme of events and include booking information and further details about the theatre. To find out more visit www.limetreetheatre.ie.