Capacity crowds enjoy comedy drama in Nobber

Capacity audiences filled the local hall over three nights last week for Nobber Drama Group's production of comedy drama, 'Close to Nobber'. Written and directed by Dudley Farrell, the play is a hilarious take on rural life in the village. After weeks of rehearsals, the newly formed Nobber Drama Group's production opened on St Patrick's night to a full house and, such was the demand for tickets, that an extra night was staged on Saturday night. The group, formed just seven weeks earlier, put on a very professional production with top-class performances from the cast, many of whom had never acted before. The lead role of Benny Daly was played by Dudley Farrell, who has certainly not lost any of his comic acting ability since his days on stage with the Kilbeg Show. The play begins in Keogan's Pub in Nobber on St Patrick's night with Anna Hughes behind the bar as 'Peggy' and four local men enjoying a few pints and a game of cards. Benny Daly's three drinking partners are played by Dermot McCormack, Tom Lambe and Bernie Gaffney, and there was banter aplenty and lots of local gags that had the audience in stitches. When Peggy eventually gets them out of the pub, Benny comes a cropper on the way home, crashing his car and ending up in Navan Hospital. The rest of the play is set in the hospital where Benny strikes up a friendship with the patient in the next bed, played by James Casey, who he discovers is his neighbour and recounts a falling out with his only son. His wife, played by Anna Hughes, comes to visit once she's finished the milking, and his sister Bernie from Dublin, played by Eddie Kerrisk, adds plenty of glamour when she arrives at the hospital. There is lots of mystery surrounding the third patient in the room who has the curtains pulled around his bed. Let's just say Benny gets quite a shock when he overhears the conversation with the doctors and an even bigger shock when he realises who the patient is! But there is a happy ending in store for all and the play concludes with two songs from the cast, accompanied by James Casey on guitar. The cast consisted of Dudley Farrell, Dermot McCormack, Tom Lambe, Eddie Kerrisk, James Casey, Anna Hughes, Bernie Gaffney, Susan Wakely and Jacinta Casey. The play received a tremendous reaction from the audience with rapturous applause and a standing ovation every night. All proceeds from ticket sales went to the Irish Kidney Association.