Midlands drama group will return for one more night after successful run

RATHCABBIN Players enjoyed a very successful four night run of their 2026 production 'I'll Get My Man' in Rathcabbin Hall last weekend and they will be back for one more night next weekend.

They will be back on stage with the Philip King play on Saturday night next February 7^th at 8pm, so if you missed it last weekend, this is your chance to catch it.

The full houses which turned up for the play last weekend were treated to a night of great entertainment with plenty of laughs and lots of fun and games.

'I'll Get My Man' is a farce set in a country vicarage and provides plenty of opportunity for funny situations and Rathcabbin Players made the most of those comedy opportunities. It isn't a play that has featured regularly on the local drama circuit, but it's certainly one that other groups could consider in the years ahead.

With a mix of experienced actors and a few newcomers, Rathcabbin had a strong cast and they performed to a high level under the expert guidance of director Paul Spencer. The audience certainly went home with a smile on their faces after a very enjoyable couple of hours entertainment.

The play was written in the late 1960s and is set in a vicarage in a small village where the slightly befuddled vicar, Rev. Arthur Humphrey, is about to have his life turned upside down. His domineering sister Harriette dismisses his long time housekeeper Mrs Carter which leads the vicar to place an advertisement in the papers for a wife but the wording of the ad leads to consternation.

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Into the picture comes the vicar's nephew Peter, a star of TV, who is seeking refuge in the vicarage from all the women who constantly pursue him, in particular Pixie Potter, who the papers report is about to marry him. As the vicar receives sackloads of answers to his ad and Peter tries to disguise himself to protect his identity from the press, who are keen to speak to the vicar following the publication of his advert, confusion reigns as a series of eclectic characters come and go. The arrival of the Bishop of Lax doesn't help the situation and there is a lot of to-ing and fro-ing before the finale.

Paul Spencer is one of the most experienced directors on the drama circuit in this area and many of the local drama groups have benefited from his guiding hand over the years. This is his second year working with Rathcabbin and once again he has come up trumps. It is good to see different plays and this one was new to most of the audience. He had the cast well drilled and characters were well defined and they interacted well together.

There were a few issues with missed lines on the opening night but that didn't detract duly from the overall enjoyment of the play. The set was clever and made good use of the space and the props and furniture were authentic. Credit to whoever collected the huge amount of envelopes and letters to fill the postman's sack as replies to the vicar's ad!

Hubert Hogan played the quentessential country vicar Rev. Humphrey and did a great job. He captured the character perfectly, his delivery and timing was spot on and he made the most of every comedy opportunity.

His sister Harriette was played by Darina Kelly, who depicted this bossy and overfussy character very well. Harriette tries to run the vicar's life but on this occasion he is taking things into his own hands.

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The vicar's housekeeper Mrs Carter was excellently portrayed by Fiona Maher O'Brien. Not afraid to speak her mind, Mrs Carter is an assertive character and Fiona displayed that with conviction. She had a strong stage presence and did very well overall.

The vicar's nephew Peter was played by Paul Cahalan, who was making his debut with the Players. And what a debut it was. Peter oozed confidence and was very comfortable on stage. He brought the role to life and held attention when he was on stage in an impressive performance.

The role of Winifred Barrington-Locke was played by Fiona Kennedy, who depicted the flirty widow with great success. She brought a bit of spark to the role and she had a commanding presence on stage and played the character with gusto.

Josephine de Brissac was one of the many women who descended on the vicarage in response to the the vicar's advert. Marguerite Walsh played this eccentric and bohemian character with great verve and panache and as she recalled events from “the mists of time” she brought great energy to the role.

Maria Maher played the role of the singer Pixie Potter who is in search of 'her man'. Maria makes a dramatic impact when she arrives on stage but undergoes a major transformation before the end of the play. Maria depicted both parts of the character with great effect and made a very good impression.

The role of the Bishop of Lax was played by Pat Kennedy, who portrayed him with authority and conviction but becomes more bemused with the antics going on around him. He had a strong presence on stage and did a good job.

The minor role of the photographer was played by another of the newcomers, Mel Kennedy, and he did a good job and hopefully we'll see more of him in the future.

All in all, it will be marked down as another success story for Rathcabbin players. And remember, if you didn't get to see it last weekend, there is another chance to catch the play on Saturday night next February 7^th in Rathcabbin Hall.

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Cast

Rev. Arthur Humphrey – Hubert Hogan; Mrs Carter – Fiona Maher O'Brien; Harriette Humphrey – Darina Kelly; Winifred Barrington-Locke – Fiona Kennedy; Peter ('Venture Man') Graham – Paul Cahalan; Photographer – Mel Kennedy; Josephine de Brissac – Marguerite Walsh; Pixie ('I'll Get My Man') Potter – Maria Maher; The Bishop of Lax – Pat Kennedy.

Production Team

Director & Set Design – Paul Spencer; Set Construction – Tadhg Nevin, Barry Noyce, Ray Kennedy, Mark Kennedy, Mary Dermody, Mel Kennedy, Gabrielle Duffy, Barbara Tierney, William Reddin; Stage Manager – Michael O'Meara; Sound Equipment – Ray Kennedy; Lights/Sound – Reuben Noyce; Continuity – Andrew Dagg.

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