Christmas 2005

We did a great version of Oklahoma!  Complete with a pantomine horse and moving scenery thanks to 12 members of the cast with running shoes.  We also had our first fight scene.  The guy with the spoon lost.   With the masterful musical direction of Ms. Anderson the overture set a scene which saw stalks of corn as a background to a singing Polo Crosbie as Curly, (type casting if you ask me).  That was where the play took off or rather the scenery took off and Polo ran on the spot.  We then had Caroline Levis hanging up the title and Kate Ross in a rocking chair that wouldn’t rock.  The singing was excellent!  The acting was comic.... as intended of course.

Siofra Fizgerald did a great turn as a willing young lady and there was even dancing from Conor Day and his Horse (Shane Markham and Steve Flood-although not necessarily in that order).  The first act ended with the vegetarian hymn Cows with Guns, (with actions).

The second half included a spoon fight with Darragh Mathews taking the fall and a lot of tooing and froeing.  General concensus was that none of us should go to the American mid-west.

In 2004 Midleton College Drama Society tried something new when they put on a full-length musical version of the classic ‘The Wizard of Oz’. As befits the college this was a far more irreverent version.

Wonderful sets by Ms. O’Regan and the leaving cert art class really set the scene on a magical adventure.

Music was directed and lead by Ms. A. Anderson who for the first time led a full orchestra with strings and brass. The quality was excellent.

Another innovation much appreciated by people at the back of the hall was the use of radio microphones. This worked well despite the lack of any proper sound rehearsal. The new lights were also a vast improvement.

Even for all the backstage work the quality and energy came from those on stage. The singing acting and even a small amount of dancing were all done brilliantly. The show, which was directed by Mr. Neil Bronks from his own adaptation, just skipped along. Additional material from the cast, the Simpsons and Black Sabbath brought it all up to date. The sound of laughter was heard from start to finish.

All proceeds of the night went to the charirty that sends livestock of improved varieties to the developing world BOTHAR. Last year it was €905.

Many of the back stage staff also help out later in the year with the St. John The Baptist National school concert which is also performed in the College.