Local man Darren O'Hara to debut new musical play

A new musical play by Athlone man Darren O'Hara will be staged for the first time this afternoon (Thursday) as part of the RTE All Ireland Drama Festival Fringe.

The musical drama, entitled 'Borrowed Time', will tell the story of Marc Bradley, "a fallen sixties pop star who desperately needs to face his demons in order to start over and find himself again."

It will be performed in Athlone Little Theatre today at 4pm.

The music will combine pop anthems, such as 'Walking In Memphis' and 'Take Good Care of My Baby', with musical theatre hits like 'Once Upon A Dream'.

Darren is currently working towards his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre at American College Dublin, and he said 'Borrowed Time' had its origins in a college project.

"It started out as a one-person show that I created as a college project, but I just fell in love with the idea of making it into a bigger production," he told the Westmeath Independent.

"Adding very talented cast members to portray the essential characters has been a dream come true. I wanted to write about something that I really cared about, and that also reflected history, and I am very proud of the result."

The role of Marc Bradley will be played by Darren, while Sam Gilmartin will play Sam Lomas and Brian Toolan will play Doctor Tilman.

Darren said he was delighted with the cast, as Brian was "Little Theatre royalty" and Sam, a student of American College Dublin, was "a spectacular talent".

During the last year, Darren has toured Ireland with the renowned British tenor Russell Watson, and he recently collaborated in the production of the 'Whisper of Hope' concert in Athlone's Franciscan Friary.

He is really looking forward to 'Borrowed Time', which he described as "a musical play for classic pop and musical theatre fans alike."

He was hopeful that there would be good turnout for next week's production. "I always have those butterflies about who will come to see the work, but even with those nerves I am optimistic," he said.

* 'Borrowed Time' will be performed in Athlone Little Theatre on Thursday, May 10, at 4pm. Admission: €10. Tea will be served afterwards.