Two Annies in new production by choral society

Two Annies in new production by choral society

17 February 2016

FINAL rehearsals are underway for the award winning St Patrick’s Choral Society’s upcoming production of Annie.

Over the past three months the 70-strong cast has been rehearsing three days a week to bring this much loved family tale to life. And with less than a week until opening night they are adding the finishing touches to what promises to be another great show at the Downshire Estate’s Great Hall.

Rehearsals began with two weeks of auditions in November last year, with the production team setting out to find a child star to play the lead role of Annie. Instead they ended up with two Annies.

Musical Director Matthew Campbell explained: “We had so much interest that we had to split the auditions over two days for the orphans alone, and the talent we witnessed was so impressive that in the end we actually cast two Annies who will perform three shows each.

“The title role of Annie will be played by both Maebh Barnes and Grace McCartney. The society had over 60 applications for orphan roles and parts were in such high demand that they were able to cast two orphan ensembles.”

Another challenge the company faced was finding a talented dog to complete their cast line up. Only once before has St Patrick’s used live animals on stage and this was in 2013 for their production of the Wizard of Oz. Once again they began a search for a talented dog who could work alongside their actors comfortably and naturally on stage, holding auditions and even call back auditions where the animals got to work with the cast.

After a few weeks a decision was made, and the society is delighted to welcome Jay Jay on stage with them next week.

“It is amazing to think this is the first time that St Patrick’s Choral Society has ever produced this show,” said chairman Brian McElroy. “St Patrick’s has been performing musicals in Downpatrick for over 50 years, however this is the first time they have ever produced Annie. 

“St Patrick’s Choral Society really is a family organisation. We have had so many generations of families passing through our doors and even in a metaphorical sense we all come together like one giant family. 

“Everything we do is home grown. Our production team all started out as members from very young ages and worked their way up through the ranks. Our sound and lighting, our scenery, props, costumes and all other aspects of our productions come from within our ranks. This allows everyone to get involved even if they do not wish to be on stage. There are so many other aspects where people can help us, and that’s what St Patrick’s Choral Society is all about.”

Annie opens on Tuesday, February 23 and runs for six performances culminating with two shows on Saturday, February 27, in the Downshire Estate’s Great Hall in Downpatrick.

Tickets are on sale and available from Downpatrick Tourist Information Centre on 028 4461 2233. Availability for weekend performances is limited.