THE SOCIAL NETWORK:Senator Fiach Mac Conghail was taking a trip down memory lane at the opening night of the new musical Alice in Funderland at the Abbey on Wednesday evening. The Abbey director told me that his wife, Bríd Ní Neachtain, "starred in the last musical which was staged in the Abbey, 20 years ago".
The date was disputed by Rosaleen Linehan, who said it was 30 years ago. She should know, as she starred in it, and she and her husband, Fergus Linehan, were the playwrights. “It was based on The Charwoman’s Daughter, by James Stephens,” said Linehan.
Alice in Funderland is loosely based on Alice in Wonderland, and Philip McMahon of Thisispopbaby, who produced the play, got a slap on the back from Mac Conghail in the foyer before the show, Mac Conghail noting: “These are the next generation.”
The director of the City of a Thousand Welcomes project, Trevor White, was smiling at everybody in his immediate vicinity. White is the proud new father of baby Marty – named, he said, “after my wife’s father, and not Marty Whelan”.
There was a late cast change: Debbie Kiernan stepped in to perform the roles of Funderbird 3, a Hooker and part of the ensemble in place of Aoibhinn McGinnity, who had sustained a hand injury during a preview performance. It is hoped that McGinnity, who stars in the RTÉ drama Love/Hate, will return to the stage in a few days. She did attend the opening performance, however, and caught up with the actor Nick Lee, a neighbour of hers from Monaghan who is filming The Fall for the BBC.
It wasn’t just the lyrics that stood out on the night. Philip Connaughton, previously of the Rex Levitates Dance Company, gave a new meaning to the term dirty dancing. Katherine O’Malley from that company took some time out from her MA in contemporary dance performance at the University of Limerick to watch the show.
Brendan Courtney told me that he is looking forward to judging the most-stylish- lady and the “Who wants to be a milliner?” contests at the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Monday. He will be joined by the former Miss Ireland Rosanna Davison.
Enda McGrattan said his new EP, Transphibian, under his alter-ego Veda, is due out in May.
Dominic MacHale came up from Cork for opening night. He’s starring in The Irish Canon at the Half Moon theatre in Cork on Tuesday.
Who we spottedThe agent Aude Powell, over from London to support Kathy Rose O'Brien, whom she represents; the actors Domhnall Gleeson, Nick Dunning and Susan Loughnane of Love/Hate; the author Caroline Grace-Cassidy; the designer Peter O'Brien; Arts Council chairwoman Pat Moylan; Culture Ireland's Eugene Downes; Mary Maguire from Clontarf; Ciaran MacGonigal from Edgeworthstown
