LAY ME DOWN SOFTLY Plays the Project Arts Centre

Set in rural Ireland in the year 1962 Lay Me Down Softly takes us into the burlesque world of Delaney's Travelling Roadshow and its Boxing Booth. The audience is invited to dip down the shadowy ropey avenues to the sound of the churning calliope, to literally step inside the carnival, to experience, close up, the comings and goings of this wayward troop as this powerful myth unfolds. The staging of the audience closely placed around the boxing ring and placed in the centre of the Academy Boxing Booth of Delaneys Travelling roadshow allows the audience to Smell it, sense it, feel it, hear it, and become part of this dark and dangerous and colourful story, a mythic tale of love and loss and pain. Meet Theo, the charismatic, violent ringmaster and his Carmen-like lover Lily. Rub shoulders with Peadar, Theo's old tried and not-so-trusted sidekick, and Dean the vain and bragging prizefighter, and the gentle, handsome, limping Junior. Say hello to Emer, the wounded waif of a girl who has come in search of her long lost, run-away father.

Prizefighter Dean takes on all comers on a nightly basis. That is until a challenge from a professional fighter upsets the apple-cart... Inhabiting a forgotten world that is nonetheless brimming with all too-familiar passions and human foibles, Lay Me Down softly is another slice of vintage Roche following on from his acclaimed Wexford Trilogy and other much-loved tales of small-town Ireland.

First seen in the Abbey Peacock Theatre in 2008 this brand new production of the stage play Lay Me Down Softly had a sell out successful run at the Wexford Art Centre during Wexford Opera Festival in October 2010. The play is written and directed by Billy Roche and saw the playwright reunited with the Wexford actor Gary Lydon (The Wexford Trilogy, The Cavalcaders, Pure Mule, The Clinic) once again played the role of Theo which he so vividly brought to life on the Peacock stage. In fact Wexford talent was in abundance in this special production with Bui Bolg designing the set and costumes along with Wexford natives Anthony Morris playing the part of Dean and newcomer Dermot Murphy in the role of Junior. Michael O Hagan (End of Days, Midnight in Garden of Good and Evil, Coronation Street, Darling Buds of May ) as Peadar and Leslie McGuire (The Bill) as Lily and Pagan McGrath as Emer complete the cast alongside Award winning Lighting Designer Paul Keogan who designed the lights on the Dublin premiere at the Peacock and will also be reprising the role on this production.

Wexford Arts Centre produced Tales from Rainwater Pond at Wexford Arts Centre which later toured to New York for the 1st Irish Festival in 2009. It is almost 25 years since Billy's first play The Boker Poker Club ;was produced at Wexford Arts Centre in 1986 later to be renamed A Handful of Stars and produced at the Bush Theatre as part of The Wexford Trilogy. This was a welcome return for Billy Roche's play in Wexford Arts Centre where his grandfather -Jem Roche also fought and who was also the first Irish boxer to fight a World heavyweight title holder French Canadian Tommy Burns back in 1908.

This also marks a welcome return for Billy Roche to the Project having previously appeared as a frontman musician with the Roche band who supported Clannad at gigs in the old black box Project back in the 80's.

MOSSHOUSE is a new emerging company, formed to bring first class professional theatre to Wexford. Lay Me Down Softly is its first production.

 

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