Spike Players to Stage Happy Birthday Dear Alice

Spike Players will dedicate next weekend's performances to the late group member and set designer, Michael Finnegan - pictured on the set of 'Moll' with the model of a church he made for the staging in 2014.  ©Photograph: John Reidy 08/02/2014
Spike Players will dedicate next weekend’s performances to the late group member and set designer, Michael Finnegan – pictured on the set of ‘Moll’ with the model of a church he made for the staging in 2014. ©Photograph: John Reidy 08/02/2014

It’s full steam ahead for the Knocknagoshel based Spike Players with their production of the Bernard Farrell play Happy Birthday Dear Alice.

Stage manager, Noel Murphy is still collecting bits and pieces and adapting what they have in terms of props and the like.

“This is our first play for a while without our late friend and group member, Michael Finnegan from Brosna. Michael passed away at the end of November last year and we got his family’s permission to dedicate these coming performances to his memory,” said Noel.

Two-Act Comedy

Happy Birthday Dear Alice is a two-act comedy set in the kitchen of her home in Ireland. In act one comes the celebration of Alice’s 17th birthday and in act two her seventy-first.

See what changes, if any, a year can make!

Due to a tragic accident, Alice was widowed at an early age and left to raise a son, Barry, and a daughter Barbara, on her own. Barbara now lives in San Francisco with her husband Cormac and Barry lives in England with his new girlfriend, Sandy.

The late Noelie 'Spike' Roche in whose memory the Knocknagoshel drama group is named. ©Photograph: John Reidy
The late Noelie ‘Spike’ Roche in whose memory the Knocknagoshel drama group is named.
©Photograph: John Reidy

Alice Lives Alone

Alice lives alone except for the company of Jimmy Heffernan – her neighbor for many years.

Her children return each year to ‘celebrate’ her birthday and present Alice with plans to place her in an ‘old peoples’ home, however, this is Alice’s greatest nightmare and they have not counted on her determination not to go through with their scheme.

The story and the plot will all unfold on stage at Knocknagoshel Community Centre on Friday, March 31st. Saturday, April 1st. and Sunday, April 2nd. Curtain up nightly at 8pm.

Spike Players Drama Group

Spike Players Drama Group was formed in the spring of 2010 after members took drama classes for adults in the community during the previous autumn.

These classes were part funded by the Kerry Education Services and were facilitated by Padraig Dennehy.

Props and Stage Management

There are about 20 people involved in the group including those involved in props and stage management.

The late and local publican, Noelie Roche, affectionately known as ‘Spike’ in his native Abbeyfeale,  was one of the founding members of the group.

As a result of his untimely death in 2009 it was decided to keep his memory alive by naming the drama group in his honour.

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