West side story with a happier ending

A West side story with a difference

A West side story with a difference. That's what a drama group promises in Galway this week when it takes to the stage for one night in An Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe.

The production on Thursday is called The Bowry Boys, and was written and directed by eight men aged between 21 and 47.

Members of the John Doe Men's Group, they are both settled and traveller and have a common bond, long-term unemployment.

The group was formed in December 1996, as part of the CAFE (Creative Activity for Everyone) initiative to develop community-based arts education and training.

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Based at the Westside Community Development Resource Centre, the group is funded through the Department of Arts, Heritage, the Gaeltacht and the Islands, with part EU support. It recently put together a video which gives a taste of life in Westside.

This new production was written with the support of a local arts worker, Siobhan Shine, and the setting is London in 1990. The play's theme is life in an Irish squat in the British capital.

A night with a difference is promised at An Taibhdhearc on Thursday at 8.30 p.m. Further information can be obtained from Tommy Gannon at (091) 528325.

Lorna Siggins

Lorna Siggins

Lorna Siggins is the former western and marine correspondent of The Irish Times