Repertoire of Navan Pioneer Players in the 1940s and 1950s

 

Year                         Play                                  Playwright                      Producer
1941                      The Camel’s Back               Lionel A. Cranfield               Arnold Helsby
1942                      Cupboard Love                   Lionel A. Cranfield               Bernard Duffy
1943                      The New Gossoon
(Performed in association with O’Growney GAA group outside Navan)         George Shiels

1944    One act comedy sketch for the Pioneer concert in Navan

1945/46     No specific record noted

1947    The Money Doesn’t Matter                   Louis D’Alton

1948    They Got What They Wanted                Louis D’Alton

1948    After Hours

1949    They Got What They Wanted                Louis D’Alton

The plays noted below were referred to by Stapleton but it was not possible to ascertain the year of production, although it was thought they were produced in the 1940s or early 1950s.

Drama at Inish                                        Lennox Robinson
The Tempting of Dermot O’Hurley
On the Race Course                                Lady  Gregory
Bishop’s Candlestick                               Norman Mc Kinnel

Year

Play

Playwright

1950

The Rising of the Moon

Lady Gregory

1950/51

Bugle in the Blood

Bryan McMahon

1952

City of Kings

Rev. Urban Nangle

1952

The Able Dealer

J. B. McCarthy

1952

Cassidy’s Chair

Seamus Burke

1952/53

The Far Off Hills

Lennox Robinson

1954

Home is the Hero

Walter Macken

1954

Fledged and Flown

Longfellow (adapted)

1955

Blood Is Thicker than Water

John McCann

1955/56

Is the Priest at Home

Joseph Tomelty

1955/56

The Shadow of the Glen

Sean O’Casey

1955/56

The Will and the Way

M. J. Molloy

1957

Crabbed Youth and Age

Lennox Robinson

1957

All Souls Night

Joseph Tomelty

1957/58

A Leap in the Dark[1]

Hugh Leonard

1959/60

Sive

John B. Keane

1959/60

The Country Boy

John Murphy



[1] An interesting note in the advert for A Leap in The Dark (Meath Chronicle, April 13th 1957) stated that this was a three act play by Hugh Leonard based on recent events in Northern Ireland.  The advert outlined that this was the first amateur production after a long run in the Abbey Theatre Dublin.

Repertoire of Navan Pioneer Players in the 1960s

Year                              Play                                                  Playwright

1959-1963                     Sive                                                 John B. Keane
1959-1963                     The Country Boy                               John Murphy
1961/62                         Many Young Men of Twenty               John B. Keane
1962                              The Dark is Light Enough                   Christopher Fry.

1963                              The Honey Spike                               BryanMcMahon
1963                              In Wild Earth                                    James O’Donnell and                                                                                                                     Joseph Cassidy.
1963                              The Rising of the Moon                      LadyGregory
1963/64                         The Man From Clare                          John B.Keane
1964                              A Priest in the Family                         John Synge and                                                                                                                      Kieran Tunney
1964                              The Plough and the Stars                   Sean O’Casey
1965                              Some consideration given to producing The Colleen Bawn but this                                         was not  pursued.

Group also planned the amateur premier of: The Wooing of Duvesa Dion Boucicault, but this did not take place.

1966                              A Light in the Sky                              Donal Giltinan
1966                              The Irish Woman of the Year               John Power
1967                              Big Maggie                                        John B. Keane
1967                              The Wood of the Whispering; The Paddy Pedlar       M. J. Molloy
1968                              The Year of the Hiker                          John B. Keane
1969                              The Poker Session                              Hugh Leonard


Repertoire of Navan Pioneer Players in the 1970s

Year

Play

Playwright

1970

The Visit (Considered but not produced )

Frederick Durranmatte

1970

Tarry Flynn

P. J. O’Connor’s stage adaptation of Patrick Kavanagh’s novel

1972

Double Door

Elizabeth McFadden

1973

Juno and the Paycock

Sean O’Casey

1975

The Field

John B. Keane

1975

Miss Julie

August Strindberg

1975/76

A Man for All Seasons

Robert Bolt


Repertoire of Navan Players in the 1970s

Year                             Play                                       Playwright

1970                 Love From a Stranger  / Producer: Bobby Byrne      Frank Vosper
1975                 The Whiteheaded Boy  / Producer: Bobby Byrne      Lennox Robinson
1975                 Lovers                    / Producer: John Murphy          Brian Friel
1975                 Bedtime Story              / Producer: John Murphy     Sean O’Casey
1975                 The Bear                                                              Anton Chekhov
1976/77/78       Us and Them                                                        David Crampton
1977                 The Cheviot, The Stag & The Black Black Oil           John McGrath
1978                 The Death of Cuchulainn                                       W. B. Yeats
1978                 Liam Liar                                                             Hugh Leonard
1978/79            Lovers - Losers                                                     Brian Friel
1979                 A Scent of Flowers                                                James Saunders
1980                 Equus                                                                  Peter Shaeffer

[ The plays from 1975 were produced by Padraig Walshe.]

 

Repertoire of Navan Theatre Group from 1991 to 2006

 

Year       Play                                          Playwright                   Director

1991       Juno and the Paycock                 Sean O’Casey                Billy Goonan
1992       Mick and Mick                            Hugh Leonard                Billy Goonan
1993       The Communication Cord            Brian Friel                     Billy Goonan
1994       I Do Not Like Thee Doctor Fell     Bernard Farrell              Billy Goonan
1995       A Doll’s House                            Henrik Ibsen                 Billy Goonan
1996       See How They Run                     Philip King                     Billy Goonan
1997       The Plough and the Stars            Sean O’Casey                Billy Goonan
1998       Big Maggie                                John B. Keane                Billy Goonan
1999       All In Favour Said No                  Bernard Farrell               Billy Goonan
2000       The Field                                   John B. Keane                Billy Goonan
2001       Bernadette (cancelled)

2002      Don’t Dress for Dinner                Marc Camoletti                Padraig Browne
2003      A Tomb with a View                    Norman Robbins              Padraig Browne
2004      Play On                                     Rick Abbott                     Padraig Browne
2005      Juno and the Paycock                 Sean O’Casey                  John Grant
2006      An evening of One Act Plays

A Talk in the Park                       Alan Ayckbourn                Caitríona Heslin

Mother Figure                            Alan Ayckbourn                Catriona Heslin

Distracted Globe                        Nick Warburton                 John Grant


SOLSTICE ARTS CENTRE, Navan


2006    Sive                                         John B. Keane                                        John Grant

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Go to navantheatregroup.com for more information for 1991 to date.