Craic Theatre Podcast

Oul Han Shane Coleman former Clonoe sportsman Tommy Corr as they dander down The School Rampart in Derrylaughan Co Tyrone Tommy was a Gaelic footballer for Clonoe O'Rahilly's GFC as well as Tyrone minors and under 21's He was a six times All Ireland senior boxing champion representing Ireland at tournaments all over the world. He won bronze medals at Commonwealth Games and World Championships as well as representing Ireland at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984

MARIA CONNOLLY

Maria Connolly trained at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in

London 1991-1994, where she received The Kenneth Branagh Renaissance

Award for most promising actor from Northern Ireland. She was awarded an

Irish Times Best Actress nomination for her performance in PROBLEM

CHILD for Prime Cut Productions.

Maria began acting when she was 15 with the Ulster Youth Theatre under the

leadership of David Grant. She performed in The National Theatre of London

when she was 16, starting a career that has lasted over 30 years. Maria has

worked extensively in Northern Irish theatre, particularly focusing on new writing

creating roles in productions that have been revived and returned to audiences

in Northern Ireland and further afield.

After an extensive Irish tour and selling out the Lyric Theatre Belfast and then

The Grand Opera House, Maria performed internationally the solo show TWO

SORE LEGS by Brenda Murphy for Green Shoot Productions. She performed

Two Sore Legs in New York at the Cuala Festival and was chosen to perform in

Brussels by The Arts Council representing NI’s best of the arts in the EU. She

performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2015 where she was Lorna Diamond’s

(The Scotsman) pick of the festival.

Maria performed the role of ‘Alice’ in Patrick J O’Reilly’s critically acclaimed

THE MAN WHO FELL TO PIECES, for Tinderbox, which hopes to have it’s

third revival in the near future.

Maria has collaborated with many theatre companies and writers in Belfast.

She works extensively with Paula McFetridge from Kabosh Theatre Company,

most recently on Vincent Higgins’ ‘A Bellaghy Tale,’ celebrating the work and

‘Homeplace' of Seamus Heaney. With Paula, Maria also created the role of

‘Lady Annie’ at Hillsborough Castle, developing collaborations and connections

and strengthening her passion for site specific theatre.

Maria played Arlene Foster in Rosemary Jenkinson’s ‘Michelle and Arlene’ series

of satirical comedies. Maria is delighted to be performing in Rosemary’s

new play this year ‘Dream, Sleep, Connect’ with C21 theatre company.

Maria has worked extensively with and continues to collaborate and create roles

by playwright Martin Lynch performing in ‘Dancing Shoes,’ History of The

Peace,’ ‘We’ll walk Hand in Hand’ and ‘Meeting at Menin Gate.’

Maria has just completed recording a 6 part sitcom for BBC Radio Ulster written

by up and coming Northern Irish writer Ciaran Bartlett. Maria recently

filmed a new Sitcom ‘Familiar,’ for Hare and Tortoise, directed by Simon Delaney.

Maria attended script writing for the theatre, training under the direction of

Jackie Doyle, formally of Prime Cut Productions. There she trained in script

development with Graham Whybrow, formally from the Royal Court Theatre in

London and Patrick Marber, the award winning writer of ‘Closer.’ She participated

in a series of workshops organised by Replay Theatre Company designed

to train emerging writers from Northern Ireland to write for children/ young

adults. Maria’s participation on the course led to the commission of 2 plays

from Replay Theatre Company.

Maria since went on to write for Tinderbox Theatre Company, Kabosh Theatre

Company, BBC Radio 4 and Radio Ulster.
Craic Theatre would like to acknowledge the support of Mid Ulster Council and the Arts Council NI with this podcast

Mark shields is a member of the Craic Theatre Board. He is head of drama at St Patrick's Academy Dungannon. He has acted in numerous plays over the years for all the local companies and in recent years has had several of his own plays on the Craic stage including Inheritance, Extra Time and Coalisland Tales, Grafted, Crafted Woven and Spun. He is currently writing his first novel.
Craic Theatre would like to acknowledge the support of Mid Ulster Council and the Arts Council NI with this podcast

This is an extract from a stage play written by Mark Shields to celebrate the Industrial heritage of Coalisland Co Tyrone. It features members of the Craic Theatre Players It was produced by The Craic Theatre in association with Lough Neagh Partnership.
The Cast
Tommy McIlvenna
Patrick McLernon
Stacey Hetherington
Ronan Hamill
Liam McIlvenna
Tracy Timlin
Aoife Corr
Decky Kelly
Tony Gervin
Declan McGrath
Ronan Johnson
Claire McCrory
Shane Coleman
Holly Foy
Frank Fee
Malachy Quinn
Directed & Written by Mark Shields
Produced by Oliver Corr
Music by Cuig, Blackwater Ceili Band, Lee Lynch, and Micheál Ó Súilleabháin

Teacher, playwright, and actor Mark Shields takes a dander with us down the Coalisland Canal from the Moor Bridge on a March morning to chat with Oul Han Declan McGrath recorded and produced by Oliver Corr