This Thursday night 14th June at 8.00pm, 'Stairway to Heaven', the worlds most authentic tribute to the legendary Led Zeppelin take to the Ardhowen Stage as part of their Irish tour.
Based in London, these amazing musicians with over 20 albums to their credit and numerous U.S., British and European tours, recreate the amazing Led Zeppelin shows of the 60s and 70s.
Now in their ninth year, the band combine all the aspects of the Led Zeppelin experience, the rock classics, the keyboard oriented material and the acoustic/mandolin interludes, performed with authentic period instruments, amps, drums and costumes to create the true aura and sound of this legendary band.
Direct from great success at the Edinburgh Festival, 'Good Sense Of Humour's' hilarious comedy performance is an amazing off the wall show that's been billed as 'deliciously subversive comedic genius'.
A big hit on the Harry Enfield and Chums show, their hugely enjoyable sketch based comedy show has had audiences doubled over with laughter and should provide a hugely enjoyable fun filled evening for local patrons when it plays at the Ardhowen Theatre this Saturday 16th June at 8.00pm.
Next week the J.B. Keane's classic comedy 'The Matchmaker' plays for three nights from Thursday 21st to Saturday 23rd June at 8.00pm. A big hit when it last played in Dublin five years ago, this current production starring Mick Lally (Miley from R.T.E.'s Glenroe) and the talented Anne Charleston (Kylie Minogue's mum) from the soap 'Neighbours'.
After sell out shows on Broadway and at the Edinburgh Festival where it had audiences firmly in its grip with the wonderful language and characters of J.B. Keane, the play follows the efforts and exploits of The Matchmaker, 'Dicky Micky Dicky O'Connor as he travels the length and breadth of the country in an effort to make matches for the lonely and the lovelorn.
With a taped introduction by John B. Keane himself, it's an evening of comedy theatre designed to have you rolling about with laughter. It is indeed a classic piece of writing designed to entertain audiences and to tap into their sensibilities.
Born in Australia, Anne Charleston is now a citizen of the UK with a home in southern Ireland. She is known to millions for her long-running role as Madge Bishop in 'Neighbours'.
Her theatrical experience is extensive, having begun her career at St Martin's Theatre, Melbourne, playing roles in John Mortimer's 'The Anniversary', 'The Cavern', 'The Irregular Verb to Love', 'The Wrong Side of the Park' and many other plays. There followed Australian national tours of 'How the Other Half Loves', 'The Secretary Bird', 'The Dresser', 'The Man Most Likely To' and 'Noises Off'. Anne has appeared in many Australian television plays, some of them live to air, an experience which these days would probably drive her to a nervous breakdown! Roles in ongoing television series include Wendy in 'Bellbird', Dee in 'Timelapse', Cathy in 'The Company of Men', Elizabeth MacArthur in 'Possession' and Madge Ramsey in the original series of 'Neighbours'.
Numerous panto appearances include leading roles in 'Aladdin', 'Cinderella', 'Dick Whittington', 'Jack and The Beanstalk', 'Sleeping Beauty' and 'Snow White'.
Anne has toured the UK numerous times with successful productions of 'The Cemetery Club', 'Love Julie', a two-handed play in which she appeared with Millicent Martin, 'The Surprise Party', 'Present Laughter' and 'Five Blue Haired Ladies Sitting On A Green Park Bench'. She has recently concluded a sell out tour of 'The Cemetery Club' starring Shirely Ann Field, Edward Woodwood and Michele Dotrice and has been seen on tour in 'The Vagina Monologues'. She was most recently seen in a tour of Ireland in 'The Matchmaker', which subsequently transferred to The Haymarket Theatre in Basingstoke.
Anne went back to Australia to film the TV drama 'Dossa and Joe', written by Caroline Ahern, which was shown on BBC2. She was also seen as Betty Waddell in the most recent series of 'Crossroads'. Anne was a contestant on ITV's 'I'm Famous and I'm Frightened' and 'The Big Call'. She will soon be seen as Edna's sister Lily in 'Emmerdale'.
Mick Lally began his acting career with Taibhearc na Gaillimhe in Galway. Later he became involved with the founding of the Druid Theatre Company in 1975. With Druid Theatre Company he played in 'Playboy of the Western World', 'The Glass Menagerie', 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf' and many besides. In 1985 Mick again portrayed Old Mahon in 'Playboy of the Western World'. The company were invited to the Donmar Warehouse, London where they were nominated for the 'Olivier Awards' (the play was recorded for Channel 4 TV). After London the company took the play on two record breaking tours to Sydney and also New York with Mick in the same role. Mick has also worked with Druid in 'Waiting for Godot', 'Whistle in the Dark' (which was also taken to the Abbey Theatre, Dublin), 'Touch of the Poet' and as Larry Taggart in the highly acclaimed production of 'Wild Harvest'.
Mick has worked extensively in theatre in Dublin including Passion Machine's 'Studs' at the S.F.X., the record breaking the 'Year of the Hiker' and hugely successful 'Moll' and 'The Man From Clare' all at the Gaiety, 'The Power of Darkness', directed by Garry Hynes, 'Drama at Inish', 'A Crucial Week in the Life of a Grocer's Assistant' and 'The Honey Spike' at the Abbey Theatre, 'Winter Thief' in the Peacock Theatre, which he also co-directed, he rejoined the Passion Machine for their Songs of the Reaper Festival in the Project Arts Centre in a play directed by Michael Scott, 'Dectire', Druid Theatre Company's 21st anniversary production of Brian Friel's 'The Loves of Cass Maguire' directed by Garry Hynes and 'A Skull in Connemara' as part of the Leenane Triology also directed by Gary Hynes, 'The Dead School' by Patrick McCabe which played in the Galway Arts Festival for Macna Theatre Company.
He was nominated for Best Actor in the 1998 ESB/Irish Times Theatre Awards for this role. Other work includes 'Site' as part of the Galway Theatre Festival, a National tour of Samuel Beckett's 'Happy Days' a National tour of J.B. Keanes 'The Field'. Mick also worked on 'The Castlecomer Juke Box' for Red Kettle Theatre Company, toured with 'The Matchmaker' directed by Michael Scott and also worked on 'The Well of the Saints' directed by Garry Hynes. Mick is currently touring with The Druid Synge Cycle, in conjunction with Druid Theatre, in Ireland and in the U.S.A.
Mick is probably best known for his role of Miley Byrne in R.T.E.'s 'Glenroe'. Other television work includes 'Bracken and Roma', for which he received a Jacob's award, 'Tales of Kinvarna', and 'Year of the French'. Mick recently worked with R.T.E. and TG4 on 'Tales From the Poorhouse/Scealta O Theach na mBocht' with director Louis Lentin and last year he joined the cast of 'Ballykissangle' for the BBC in their final year. Film work includes 'Poitin', 'Our Boys', 'The Outcasts', 'Nights in Tunisia', 'Ballroom of Romance', 'Painful Case', 'The Fantasist', 'Fools of Fortune', and 'The Secret of Roan Inish' directed by John Sayles, Barry Devlin's 'A Man of No Importance', directed by Suri Krishnammma, 'Circle of Friends', which is based on Maeve Binchey's book and directed by Pat O'Connor, 'I Could Read The Sky' with director Nichola Bruce and 'Alexander' directed by Oliver Stone in 2003. Mick most recently worked on 'Middletown' by Brian Kirk.
