Che is another success for the Down Arts Centre

22 June 2016

BRAVO to Down Arts Centre; another special night in their intimate theatre.

Inspired selection by the team at Down Arts Centre brought Che Guevara to Downpatrick for two nights last weekend.

The deceased international revolutionary and world wide icon came back to life thanks to the innovation and creative talent of the Brassneck Theatre Company from West Belfast. Since their inception in 2007, Brassneck has quickly established a proven track record for bringing high quality and very entertaining productions to big and smaller stages.

The creativity of the arts is too often very much under appreciated. Brassneck are a very successful example of how live theatre can generate a total vibrant immediacy that the big screen and TV can never emulate. In addition, they, and others in the arts, are responsible

for employing much talent to great effect.

Very clever writing by Conor Grimes and Alan McKee and innovative direction by Tony Devlin, based on the little known 24 hour Shannon stopover in Ireland that Che Guevara had made, together with music (Pat Gribben and Ryan Molloy), comedy, drama, song, dance, clever lighting and stage management (Anne Marie Mangan) combined to produce a magical night of theatre.

Without having checked their CVs in the programme it was obvious that we were being treated to professional stage craft of the highest order. The night, in the early 1960’s, set in a small hotel bar in Kilkee, County Clare, centred on Che’s attempts to enjoy some relaxing time; attempts doomed to failure by his having to use his medical and engineering skills to calve a cow, reattach a severed finger tip, repair a motor scooter, mend a Guinness keg pump, never mind also having to avoid capture by CIA agents.

Ryan Molloy, as Che, gave us a three dimensional and clearly charismatic man very comfortable and courageous in his own skin. Connor Grimes, as the local Kilkee small town Elvis wannabe was the excellent comedic centre of the piece, ably supported by the other actors. Seamus O’Hara, as Galway student Fitz (Jim Fitzpatrick) pitched his playing of the story teller and the barman just right. It was the real Jim Fitzpatrick who went on to create the iconic image of Che that we all know.

The piece wouldn’t have worked without the skills of the other actors — Connlaith Pickering, Seainin Brennan and Paddy Buchanan who showed their extensive skills by seamlessly creating a range of totally credible characters such as air hostess, CIA agent, South American peasant, US tourist, keener at a wake, a corpse, and a Guevara family member. The entire cast exhibited their very considerable and proven, talents as actors, but also as singers, as the story telling effectively incorporated many songs and music of the period.

The amalgamation of music, song and dance, together with the clever , exhibited the creativity and innovation of writers, director and stage manager. All elements complimented each other creating a totally enthralling production and an amazing night of inspired theatre.

Congratulations again to all concerned and much praise for the sterling work of the Down Arts Centre team.

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