Lifford writer's play to debut this Saturday evening

A hilarious new play will get its debut outing in Donegal this Saturday as part of the Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter’s Literary Festival.

Now in its third year, the three-day festival features a series of events throughout Letterkenny and Gweedore including photo exhibitions, music recitals, re-enactments, plays and tours.

On the calendar this year is Eva’s Folly, a comedy penned and directed by local author Collette Bonnar.

A regular columnist with the Donegal News, Eva’s Folly is very much in the style of the short punchy and witty stories that have prompted magazines like Ireland’s Own to snap up Collette Bonnar’s work.

Set in West Clare, the 20-minute play follows bolshie landlady Eva Boyd Donahue, played by Collette Bonnar, and her side-splitting running battle with local yokels Knuckles McCarthy (Pauric Duffy) and Mossy McNally (Cormac Scully).

Insults are exchanged and the one-liners fly as Eva repeatedly has to turn Knuckles, the bane of her life, away from her fine establishment.

All is not what it seems though and true to Collette Bonnar’s writing style, there is a late twist in the tale when not Knuckles or Mossy but the snooty Eva gets her comeuppance in the cruellest possible way.

As well as Eva, Knuckles and Mossy, a series of other characters come and go from the bar, all adding to the colourful narrative.

The character of Tilly Mahon is played by Geraldine Perez, Rosemary McDermott appears as Peggy Moran, Betty Devenney as Philip Boyd Donahue and Mamie Quigley as Audrey Funston-Reid. Extras include Marie Donaghey, Kathleen French, Ann McHugh and Annie Mae Harte.

Collette Bonnar as Eva Boyd Donahue going to toe-to-toe with Pauric Duffy’s alter-ego, Knuckles McCarthy.

Many of the cast are members of the Lifford-based Gateway Writers, famous for their annual anthology of stories and poems.

“For personal reasons we decided this year that instead of doing an anthology, this would be our project,” said Mrs Bonnar.

“A lot of my stories are set in pubs and this play is a mixture of some of the characters I have conjured up over the years.

“I’ve written it with a view to extending it to a three act play and hopefully the audience enjoys it.”

Eva’s Folly will be centre stage in No 58, upstairs in the Central Bar on Letterkenny’s Main Street this Saturday evening at 6pm. Entry is free but early arrival is advised.

Check out Facebook for further details of the Letterkenny Cathedral Quarter Third Annual Literary Festival.

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