Quarry Players Limerick - Founded in1969
The Beauty Queen of Leenane, by Martin McDonagh, was presented at the University Concert Hall, Limerick, from Thursday 22nd to Saturday 24th November 2001
Directed by John Anthony Murphy
Talk of the Town - Limerick Leader - Saturday November 17th, 2001Big challenge for the Quarry Players FOR the first time in their 30 year history The Quarry Players have failed to get a suitable date for their autumn play at the Belltable. They had no option therefore but to go to the University Concert Hall and they will present their critically acclaimed production of Martin McDonagh's play "The Beauty Queen of Leenane" at this famed venue for three nights only on Thurs 22, Friday, 23 and Saturday 24 November next. The group previously presented this play earlier this year but acceded to widespread public requests to stage it again. Anyone who was fortunate enough to see the first production will remember it for the strength of the play, the quality of the acting and the uniqueness of the settings. This is a major undertaking for this very adventurous group and they deserve the support of the public who will not be disappointed because they will see one of the best plays staged by a local group in Limerick for a long time.
An Focal - University of Limerick Student Magazine - November 2001A review of the play in the University of Limerick student magazine, in November 2001. "...The UCH was the host last Thursday night to a powerful performance of Martin McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Written by the Anglo-Irish McDonagh while still in his early twenties ‘The Beauty Queen’ is part of a trilogy, of which the remaining component parts are ‘The Lonesome West’ and ‘ASkull in Connemara’. Originally presented in 1996 in a joint production by Druid Theatre Company and the Royal Court Theatre, by 1998 the play made its way to Broadway where is subsequently won four Tony awards. Set in a kitchen high in the hills of Connemara around 1989 ‘The Beauty Queen’ tells the story of a forty-year-old virginal Maureen Folan and her selfish, calculating mother Mags, both enslaved in a feeling of shared antipathy of the other. It is Mags intrusion in the life of the lonely Maureen’s only chance of a loving relationship, that sets in motion the trail of events that leads inevitably to the plays conclusion. In the process mother and daughter travel to savage depths to portray the infinite black humour of McDonagh’s imposing narrative. Mutual spite permeates continually throughout the play, which opens the plot perfectly, especially once the character of Pato Dooley enters the foray. The outright vulgarity at stages makes the audience cringe in their seats but the prose of McDonagh somehow manages to navigate perfectly to reveal the characters, their feelings and histories. The dishonesty, scheming, and above all the gross sexual overtones between mother and daughter has the audience downwards. The remaining cast member, Mark Prendergast, plays the part of Ray Dooley, brother of Pato. His performance as a ineffective messenger boy between Maureen and Pato is adequately portrayed. However one can’t help feeling that the Limerick accent was somewhat incompatible for a strong rural setting. The Quarry Players production confirmed ‘The Beauty Queen of Leenane’ as a great modern Irish play. In doing so they provided the audience with an extremely impressive and highly entertaining two hours." Bernadette Sexton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
