Tonight at the drama festival, we welcome Balally Players and their production of ‘Alone It Stands’ by John Breen.
Alone It Stands tells the story of the 1978 rugby union match at Thomond Park between Irish provincial side, Munster, and the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. A multitude of different, fictional, made- up fairy tales interlink to convey the hype and, indeed, “pashun” running up to and during the big match. Stories of birth, tragedy and building bonfires prevail, as the play charts the personal stories of various characters and their whereabouts on the momentous day. In the play, six actors play 62 roles including the Munster team, the New Zealanders playing on the All Blacks team, the two coaches, the ref, the crowd, the press, a pregnant woman, Bunratty singers, several children, a dog and even the ball itself.
The Balally Players Theatre Company was founded in 1982 and is based in Balally, located between the villages of Dundrum and Sandyford in Dublin. Most years, the Company produce one-act plays for the Festival Circuit, a Christmas Variety show, one or two full-length productions, and an outdoor summer Shakespeare production. Our productions cover a wide range of genres and have enjoyed considerable success nationally on the One-Act Festival Circuit and internationally having been performed in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Monaco and the USA.
