The Woolgatherer brings audience on rollercoaster journey

The Woolgatherer by US author William Mastrosimone, which was staged at the Town Hall Theatre Studio space in May, will return next month when it will be staged for two nights in the Town Hall main stage.

This ‘dramadey’ from ORion Productions in association with Blue Moon Theatre Company is written by the winner of two daytime Emmy and sold out a two-week run in Dublin prior to being staged in Galway.

Set in South Philadelphia, it centres on Rose and Cliff, two neurotic people searching for love. Rose lives in a dingy apartment with boarded-up windows, and is in a state of total anemia and terminal humourlessness. She works behind the sweet counter of a local shop and dreams of meeting her ideal man one day, a guy “with a smile you can hang onto”.

Enter Cliff, a foul-mouthed, wise-cracking transcontinental truck driver who gets stuck in Philadelphia when his truck breaks down. He is the most exotic guy Rose has ever met, a constant traveller. To him Rose is a home bird who could well be the perfect anchor for his lifelong drift.

The Woolgatherer is performed by Sinéad O’Riordan and Michael Hough who both deliver “knockout performances”, according to The Sunday Times.

Sinéad O’Riordan, of ORion Productions, has produced the play as well as appearing in it, while it is directed by David Byrne, Artistic Director of Blue Moon Theatre Company.  Sinéad has put her money where her mouth is on this production, having raised all the finances herself.

There is a strong Galway involvement as the assistant producer and lighting designer, Becky Gardiner and the assistant director, Donna Patrice both hail from Loughrea.

For more see this week’s City Tribune