'Spice of Life' promised by Ratoath Musical Society

Ratoath Musical Society is back with another challenging and entertaining show. Following on from the much-enjoyed panto, Sleeping Beauty, in January, the society thought it time the adults had some fun and explored emotions through the decades - love, loyalty, dreams, strength, murder, endurance and adultery. Contemporary themes, woven through exerpts from Broadway and West End musicals 'Sweet Charity', 'Chorus Line', 'Chicago' and 'The Hired Man'. In 'Sweet Charity', Charity Hope Valentine is a young dance hall hostess with not much more than her shoulder bag and a heart tattooed on her arm. She believes that "without love, life has no purpose". But how does such a person survive in a world that is cynical and opportunistic? This Broadway classic features hits such as 'The Rhythm of Life', 'If My Friends Could See Me Now' and 'Big Spender'. 'Chicago' is a story of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery - all those things we hold near and dear to our heart. It is jurisprudence-as-showbusiness and trial by publicity. It is a tale of the sensational murderess Velma Kelly, the reigning queen of the Cook county Jail, and Roxie Hart, the newest of the merry murderesses, who, of course, haven't really committed any crime - their men had it coming! The jailhouse matron is a regular agony aunt and for a small bribe, tips Roxie to Billy Flynn, the legal Mr Fix-it, who knows everything about women, juries and how to weave sympathy into the press conferences he holds for his clients. 'The Hired Man' is the story of Melvyn Bragg's grandparents and their journey from land labourers to colliers and back to the land. Set against the Cumbrian background of working class hiring fairs, hunting, drinking bouts, the musical brings alive that cavalcade of British history which swept us into a new century and a war to end all wars. It is also strongly resonant of Irish history - spailpin fanachs, landlords and the struggle to survive on the land. At Crossbridge the labourers work the hard ground. John enjoys his work. But Emily, his wife, who has given birth to a daughter, May, tells her new-found friend Sally, she is dissatisfied with the life. What lies ahead, what drama will envelop the Tallentire and Pennington families? Can it end in happiness? 'The Spice of Life' runs from Thursday 16th to Sunday 19th June at the Venue Theatre, Ratoath.