An Fear Rua - Nickey likes 'Bondi Beach Boy Blue'

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Topic: Nickey likes 'Bondi Beach Boy Blue'
An Fear Rua (Editor)	Posted: 06-Sep-2007 13:36	Quote Edit Delete Report Post Post Reply
An Fear Rua (Editor)	info from 'Kilkenny Advertiser': Life's a beach when Bondi comes calling By John Cleary After the thrill of another All-Ireland final behind us many are left with a gluttonous thirst for more of the camán and the sliotar to keep alive the memories of another gripping season for the Cats. And the latest talented troupe of entertainers to pitch their stall in Cleere's Theatre may have just the outlet for a hurling mad county as well as an opportunity for many to relive the glory days of their adventures down under. Promising young playwright Benny McDonnell and fellow Mayo man, director Conor McGuire, kick off their production of McDonnell's play 'Bondi Beach Boy Blue' with an opening night salvo in the Kilkenny venue next Monday. The sickle-shaped inlet of Sydney's Bondi Beach and its surrounds have proven something of a lodestar for young Irish travellers over the years, to the extent that it rivals Boston for the title of the country's 33rd county. It's white golden sands are carved into the Australian shoreline as though some giant ancient Aboriginal boomerang ran ashore there hundreds of millions of years ago, the appeal of Bondi's warm sun and cool waters to Irish backpackers is obvious. It all sounds delightful I hear you say, but what on earth does any of this have to do with hurling? Central to McDonnell's play is the character of Declan, a young Kilkenny man with a bright future in hurling whose attentions turn to the allure of Ireland's antipodean outpost. The play has already received praise from GAA President Nickey Brennan who announced himself delighted with the depiction of gaelic games as having a profound impact on the lives of young people. When fate intervenes and Declan's hurling career is put on hold, himself and best friend Gary pack their passports and head for proverbial greener pastures in the land down under. Viewing the journey as an opportunity to start again and escape the problems that have plagued him and disillusioned him at home, Declan's arrival in Sydney is an exciting time in his life. The iconic images of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, the sun, sea and the sand and a universal appreciation ofa cold beer, particularly among the hordes of Irish who frequent the coastal watering holes open up a whole new world to the Kilkenny native, forcing him out of his comfort zone. Set in Sydney in the run up to the 2000 Olympic Games, the city is abuzz with the eyes of the rest of the world focused firmly upon it ahead of the global sporting event. Lost in this new world the two friends begin to fabricate a story that grows legs and reaches their homeland, forcing them to either face up and tell the truth or continue to fall further into the lie. Amidst the animation and confusion of this new world McDonnell tackles the complexities of his hero's key relationships, with his father, his uncle Donie, his best friend Gary and his girlfriend Lisa. Producer Declan Furlong describes the play as a"black comedy". "It's about a young Kilkenny hurler, a rising star tipped to be one of the greats who has never put much effort into anything else," he says. "When injury robs him of this dream he is forced to look at what else he has got in his locker. "His mother is dead and his father, a big hurling fan, is trying to convince him that you have to have more than one string to your bow." McDonnell and Furlong met when they studied English in UCG and the two friends later made their own trip to Australia which will have provided plenty of background inspiration for this story. After a lot of praise but no solid offers the two friends have decided to take it into their own hands and get their production on the road. "There has been a lot of support from the theatre community but no one was willing to run with it so we decided if you want something done you have got to do it yourself," Furlong says. "If there's a good reaction to it we would love to take it to all the arts festivals next year and maybe in the second half of the year we could bring it around the secondary schools." 'Bondi Beach Boy Blue' opens in Cleere's Theatre, Kilkenny, on Monday, September 10 at 8 pm and runs through to Saturday, September 15. Tickets are available from Cleere's on (056) 77 62573.

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