The Co Laois capital of Portlaoise reaches a milestone in its cultural development next week with the opening of the Dunamaise Theatre and Centre for the Arts. The official opening next Tuesday will be performed by the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands.
Located in the centre of the town, on the site of the old gaol and adjacent to the courthouse, the opening will fulfil a need which one of Ireland's fastest-growing towns has felt down the years. It contains a purpose-built 220-seat theatre, exhibition space, workshop space, meeting rooms, a restaurant and a bar for cultural and other activities.
The theatre is equipped to an extremely high specification, with retractable seating allowing greater flexibility. There are two exhibition spa ces. The main gallery upstairs is a large, open and bright space and will be available to professional artists to promote and exhibit their work. The second space, downstairs in the restaurant area, will feature touring exhibitions as well as work from the local community. The restaurant will be open six days a week. There is also provision in the restaurant for a cyber-cafe, which will provide at least five terminals for Internet access.
According to Louise Donlon, former general manager with the Druid Theatre Company in Galway, who has taken over as manager of the centre, the arts programme for the centre is impressive.
The Abbey Theatre will stage Love in the Title by Hugh Leonard, on May 7th and May 8th, in June it will be the turn of the Fishamble Theatre Company and another company to perform will be Belfast's the Big Telly Theatre Company. The centre will become the home of the now well established Bealtaine 1999 Literature festival of Laois, which will run from May 14th-16th. The opening night, according to Laois Arts Officer Muirin O'Connell, will feature readings by Marsha Hunt, Anthony Cronin and Rita Kelly, with music by Noirin Ni Riain and Theotokos, the ensemble from the Mater Dei Institute in Dublin.
Communications expert Terry Prone lectures on "Refining the Image" on Saturday 15th May and later, in Emo Court, there will be readings by Colm Toibin, Janet Sahafi, Katie Donovan and Tony Curtis.