On Friday 18th September The Fireflies made their debut performance at the Round ‘O’ as part of this year’s Culture Night, funded by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council. Year 14 Performing Arts devised an original piece of drama for Culture Night inspired by the poetry of Frank Ormsby, Seamus Heaney and the music of John Field.
The Promenade performance, directed by Luca Quinn, took the audience on a walk around the park, guided by Adrianna Hurst in her role as Firefly narrator, and underscored withoriginal compositions by Harry Rees and Calum Smith. Sarah Kirke wrote her own piece in response to the poem Mrs Watters and performed with Lukas Maciulevicius. The audience watched from the waterside as Adam Dilworth performed Heaney’s My Personal Helicon. The final sharing of the evening was a sombre response to another poem by Heaney, Mid Term Break and Requiescat by Wilde, with the Nadine Curtis and Tomas Roma in the roles of Mother and Son, relaying their grief at the loss of young child. A poignant and magical atmosphere was created by Chloe McKelvey, with fairly lights bedecking the trees, jetty and playground, and the characters carrying their own jars of ‘fireflies’ aloft in the final procession. Equally , enchanting was the costume design by Isabelle Martin who transformed Adrianna into a ghost like playful firefly.
The two performances were excellently attended, with the audience relishing the opportunity to enjoy live theatre again albeit at safe, social distance.
Also included in Culture Night programme was a further opportunity to listen to Erne Emergency, the radio play written and directed by Mrs McDowell, performed by Junior Drama Club.
Watch out for the next live performance from the Drama and Music department as part of Halloween on The High Street, on 31st October, in The Diamond at 4pm.
