Moynalty Drama Group 'Caught on the Hop!"

Moynalty Drama Group is back on stage next week with 'Caught on the Hop", a comedy farce written by Derek Benfield. The drama is directed by local parish priest, Fr Joe McEvoy, and features a cast of Pat Smyth as George, Terry Nevin as Phil, Geraldine Wilson as Mrs Pouffett, Mary Gilsenan as Julie, Joan Donegan as Maggie, Phelim Clarke as Brassett, Rosemarie Lynch as Greta and Tony Smyth as Alan. The action revolves round Phil, a husband who likes to wander, and his best friend George, who is always expected to pick up the pieces when things go wrong (as they inevitably do!). Phil tells George that he has fallen madly in love again and intends to divorce his wife and live in the empty house next door with his girlfriend. Phil has elected George to tell his wife the news, but before this can happen his girlfriend arrives and the confusion begins with the prospect of mistaken identities, plots, counterplots and much hilarity! In 2007, Moynalty Muintir na Tire Community Council celebrated its golden jubilee. The Community Council has been very active over all those years and has been the seed bed of a great number of events and happenings. Among these happenings has been an active drama group over many years. This group fell into abeyance, and in 2007 to mark the jubilee year, the community council re-ignited the drama flame in Moynalty. First tentative meetings were held and towards the end of the year the group began to research a possible drama to perform. Last year, the group staged a successful production of Jimmy Keary"s play 'Love Thy Neighbour". This year"s production is by recently deceased Derek Benfield, who was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, the son of a journalist. He was educated at Bingley Grammar School before serving in the army during the war. He then trained for the theatre at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Benfield appeared in several plays in the West End and had many years of TV experience the most recent of which was in the popular crime drama 'Hetty Wainthropp Investigates" where he played the role of Patricia Routledge"s husband. He produced many comedies. 'Caught on the Hop" stages in the Muintir na Tire Hall, Moynalty, on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th April, at 8pm.