Wild Swans fly north to Wake ovation

THE Wild Swan Theatre Company of Gort have returned after yet another sell-out show of their hugely popular farcical play A Wake In the West, by Michael Joe Ginnelly. This time, the show hits the motorway all the way to the Cultúrlann Centre on Belfast’s Falls Road, as part of the local Féile Phobail.

The Wild Swans have never been on the circuit, so the taking down of the set immediately after their last Gort show on August 3 and removal to Belfast with an advance crew brought new challenges.
An advance crew left Gort last Thursday and began erecting the set early the next morning with the main body of the cast arriving in Belfast in a hired mini-bus on Friday afternoon.
It’s a short trip from the Swan’s natural Belfast home, after almost 10 years in the Wellington Park Hotel, to the Falls Road Centre, and there to meet them was a set ready to go.
“It’s a truly great achievement to sell out so far from home for a small group but it became apparent that many had gone online about this play when they saw that it was selling out in Gort on the festival programme. Their research reaped dividends with many bums on seats,” said Austin McInerney of the Wild Swans.
“This was, of course, a big challenge for the cast as they were out of their comfort zone in Gort, where practically everyone knows them personally to the strangers in Belfast but they rose to the challenge and it was a great reward at the end with an instantaneous standing ovation. It wasn’t over though ,as the already battered crew then had to dismantle the set, and get it back in the van ready for the return trip,” he continued.
This time the set is being prepared for its next outing in Glór in Ennis on September 15.
Early reports are that tickets are selling well, with many North Clare people heading for their county town to see this now hit show.
Wild Swan spokesperson Austin McInerney sees no reason why the play should not sell out in Glór as “all that have seen it simply say that it’s a great tonic and relief from the depression and hard times in the bigger world at the moment”.
The Wild Swans have a long history in Gort but it is for their comedy that they are most noted, Lend Me A Tenor, The Lonesome West and Moll amongst others were well received in the past and their latest production has proved hugely popular.
Set during the wake of Tom Healy who has drank himself to the grave and now wishes his grave to be a watery one by requesting cremation and the scattering of his ashes at sea, the comedy begins when a neighbour decides that Tom is not entitled to take it all with him.
There is a large cast that features some of the group’s most experienced names including Kevin Glynn, Donal Connolly, Jimmy Hannigan, Helen Leech, Kate Sherry, Margaret Divilly, Marion Cahill Collins, Rose Finnegan, Max Lee and Jim Earley. The director is Imelda Counihan.
This will be the Swans’ second showing in Glór after their performance of The Faithhealer which was well received.
Bookings can be made for the September performance in Clare at the Glór box office or by phone on 065 6843103.
Anyone wishing to find out more about the group can visit the Wild Swans on Facebook.