New year, new highlights at Roscommon Arts Centre

Roscommon Arts centre"s spring 2009 programme of events has just been launched so here"s a little sneak peek of the treats in store for you in the new year! As always, the arts centre"s programme offers plenty of theatre, music, comedy, classes and workshops to keep you and yours occupied and active over the dark winter months. T heatre lovers will be delighted to hear that Roscommon Drama Festival returns for nine jam-packed nights from March 6 to 14 showcasing some of the very best of the country"s amateur drama groups. This year"s adjudicator will be Mr Dara Carolan and promises as always to be a fantastic and magical Festival. Local playwright Margaret McKenna Mullin, writer of the hits Let"s Twist Again and The Sleveens returns to the Roscommon stage with her new comedy Promises, Promises on January 9 and 10. Telling the story of two widows, the audience follows the story of man-mad Roseleen and her daughter Winifred. Junior up-and-coming Oscar winners from Clooncagh NS will delight audiences with their original and hilarious Cinderella and Rockerfella, a take on a traditional fairytale on Thursday and Friday, January 22 and 23. Big Telly Theatre Company perform the hilarious Puckoon by Spike Milligan on Tuesday 3rd February. An hilarious and irreverent look at rural community life when the Boundary Commission decides to plan a new border between the North and South of Ireland, a task finally achieved when everyone grasps the pencil and carves a line through the middle of the town of Puckoon, dividing house from outhouse, man from wife, pub chairs from bars, and church from cemetery. Those ladies looking for a night out and a little January pick-me-up can check out "Life, Shop Til You Drop!", the laugh out loud comedy on Saturday, January 16, a cautionary tale and a wickedly fun spoof on our love of going life shopping. If you"ve over-done it at the Christmas party and were wondering exactly what do the people behind the counter think of it all then come along to see Shakers Re-stirred on Saturday, January 24. Four long-suffering waitresses take us beyond the pina coladas, cosmopolitans and paper umbrellas into their world promising out loud laughs. Those of us who were disappointed at the postponement of Roscommon Drama Groups performances before Christmas should pencil in the new performance dates for The Memory of Water in your brand new calendars from Thursday January 29 to Saturday. Three sisters are re-united for their mother"s funeral. They recall their childhood, but find that personal grievances have coloured their memories, which differ greatly and cause immense friction. Those looking for something a lot different and just a little irreverent should check out the Double Bill of Love, Peace and Robbery and Thailand: What"s Love Got To Do With It? Based on real life adventures this is one night at the theatre on Wednesday 11th February not for the light-hearted! Much loved local seanchaí Vincent Pierse will charm listeners with a night of storytelling on Thursday, February 5. All proceeds will be in aid of Roscommon-Mayo hospice. Missed the sold out show for The Panel"s Neil Delamare last time? The fear not as he returns with his brand new show Crème Delamare on Tuesday, February 10. They say that Friday 13th is unlucky for some but anyone coming along to see Man in Black - the Johnny Cash Tribute will definitely count themselves as being one of the lucky ones as they are brought back in time to the hits of the Man in Black. Featuring American singer Terry Lee Goffee. Phil Lynott fans will have an opportunity to commemorate him on Thursday 15th January with a tribute night of music and more called Remembering Philo featuring local acts and musicians and special guests. Castlerea Musical Society celebrate their 40th birthday this year and after some long and hard thinking they decided to re-locate to Roscommon this year. They will perform the hit Honk! from February 23 to 28. Honk is the world famous Hans Christian Andersen tale of the ugly duckling re-hatched and reborn as a full-on musical. A new season of classes and workshops continue in the new year. If one of your resolutions is to get a little exercise and shed a few pounds then why not try out Jumpstart Dance Classes with dancer-in-residence Catherine Donnelly on Wednesdays (from January 14 to February 25). Yoga classes continue with Kristy Verenga (Tuesday, January 13) and another term of tin whistle and fiddle classes for children kick off again on Wednesday, January 14. Catherine Simon returns to the arts centre with Theatre Time drama classes for children aged 4 to 13 on Thursdays and with Roscommon County Youth Theatre every Sunday afternoon. Tickets are now on sake for all Spring 2009 events at the box office. For more details of the spring programme go to www.roscommonartscentre.ie or call 090 66 25824.