Director Tony Behan gives last minute instructions to cast members at the opening night of Mercy Mounthawk’s production of Les Miserables at Siamsa Tíre on Wednesday evening. Photo by Dermot Crean
MERCY Mounthawk Secondary School has been shortlisted for two awards in the Bord Gáis Energy Student Theatre Awards which takes place early next month.
They are up in the Best School Play category for its 2015 production of ‘The Plough and the Stars’ and the Best Set category for this year’s ‘Les Miserables’.
The Kerry school will now travel to a special awards ceremony at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on Thursday, May 5 where the winners will be announced.
“We are delighted to have been short-listed for these very prestigious awards,” said Tony Behan who Staff and students have put in enormous efforts over the years to reach such high standards. Since the school’s inception in 2001 we have done 14 full productions, 7 plays and 7 musicals. They have all been staged in Siamsa Tire, mostly to packed houses.
In January 2015 we did the Plough and the Stars. We had a great cast made up of 15 students, Ciarán Ryan, Clodagh Harrington, Andrew Breewood, Luke Ryan and Ciara McCarthy just to name a few. The Drama Production Team of Nóirín Sheldon, Ellen McKenna, Deniise Buckley excelled and it would be a just reward if they could take the award for the best play at the Awards Ceremony at the Bord Gáis Theatre on the 5th May.
In January 2016 we did Les Miserables. Staff members like Musical Director, Caitriona O’Sullivan, Elaine Costelloe and Veronica Hunt did a fantastic job. The set has been short-listed to the last three, timely reward for woodwork teacher, Tadhg O’Sullivan and his Transition Year students who built and did the artistry on the set. John Hurley of Siamsa Tire deserves credit here also for his magnificent lighting of the set.
Mounthawk believes that music and drama, the arts in general, are essential parts of every students education. 60 students and teachers will attend the Bord Gáis Ceremony to announce the winners on the 5th May.
RTÉ Two Tube presenters Stephen Byrne and Bláthnaid Treacy will host the event, with a special guest performance yet to be announced.
The highly successful awards were set up by Bord Gáis Energy to recognise and reward participation in drama in schools. This year, 2,888 entries were received from 351 primary and secondary schools across Ireland.
The awards categories range from best overall school musical, best overall school play and best set design to individual categories such as best short scene script, best dramatic critique and best male and female performances in a leading role.
This year’s judging panel comprised actress Amy Huberman; playwright Marina Carr; Strictly Come Dancing star Tristan MacManus; author Sarah Webb; set and costume designer Maree Kearns; Bord Gáis Energy Theatre manager Stephen Faloon and Bord Gáis Energy communications manager, Irene Gowing.
Commenting on the shortlist Irene Gowing, communications manager for Bord Gáis Energy said: “The standard of this year’s entries was exceptional, showing the wealth of talent in schools across the country, and I’ve no doubt there are many stars in the making. For the judges, this meant a really tough job narrowing down our shortlist. I would like to thank all teachers and students in Kerry who entered, as well as the parents who support them. Congratulations to all the shortlisted Kerry schools and students and we look forward to the welcoming you all at the awards ceremony on the 5 May.”
