Blood in the Alley in association with the Arts Office of Cork County Council present the 2017 Blackwater Fit-up Festival.
The Fit-ups were very popular in the 1940’s and 1950’s when actors as popular as Harold Pinter and AnuMacMaster would regularly visit small villages in Ireland and perform theatre plays in a tent or on the back of a truck.
In 2009 Blood in the Alley, with financial support from Cork County Council, revived the old tradition of the Fit-ups in West Cork and since then have brought 36 productions to 16 different locations in that area. In 2016 the Festival was extended to cover the Blackwater Valley region and the Blackwater Valley Fit-up Theatre Festival was introduced.
The Festival was an unqualified success with audiences flocking to seeThe Man in the Woman’s Shoes, Those You Pass On The Street and the classic Under Milk Wood.
This year’s programme opens in Youghal on the 31st of January with a double bill of two one-woman shows; Tara McKevitt’sGrenades and Noni Stapleton’s Charolais. Grenades won the RTE Radio P’J O’Connor Award for new plays while Charolaiswas awarded the Bewley’s Little Gem Award and the Stewart Parker Prize for new plays 2015.( 31st January-5th February)
After the success of Those You Pass on the Street in 2016 Kabosh theatre company, from Belfast, return to present Laurence McKeown’s new play Green& Blue, which explores the painful and humorous realities faced by the individuals who patrolled the border during the height of the conflict.( Feb7-12th)
Eoin Colfer is best known for the Artemis Fowl series of children’s books but the festival is delighted to present his new play My Real Life to Blackwater audiences. Starring the very talented Don Wycherley the play was a huge hit with audiences at the West Cork Festival last year. ( Feb 14-19)
The festival runs in seven different venues on the river including Youghal, Charleville, Mallow, Fermoy, Rockchapel, Watergrasshill and Dromtarriff.
Tickets 15 euro 12 euro concession.
Tickets are on sale at the venues on the night. Doors open at 7.30pm.
The productions are suitable for 14+ Audiences.
www.fit-uptheatrefestival.com
Further information from Geoff Gould – bloodinthealley@gmail.com or on 0860454458.
This project is funded by the Cork Municipal Districts Creative Communities Scheme.
