Eden: "Home at last"

"It's home, at last." Those were the words of Edenderry playwright Eugene O'Brien on the opening night of a four week run of his play "Eden" in Larkin's Pub in Edenderry. Not only was last Tuesday night the first time in its ten year existence the play was performed in front of the writer's home town audience, it was also the first time Eugene O'Brien saw the Dublin Theatre Company production of it. At the interval, Dublin Theatre Company founding member and Eden director Ronan Wilmot admitted he was more nervous than the writer. Neither writer nor theatre company had anything to be nervous about however, with the play going down a treat with an audience of approximately seventy. Not for a second did it matter that both stage and seating area were actually part of what is usually Larkin's restaurant. Actors Ben Mulhern and Hazel McLynn took everyone to the fictitious Edenderry-esque town the play is set in and wrapped us up in their lives for just under two hours. Described on Larkin's website as "a play about Edenderry, set in Edenderry, written by Eugene O'Brien born in Edenderry and never performed in Edenderry", this play's homecoming was always going to be a big deal. The fact that both lead roles were played by actors from the west of Ireland rather than the midlands was in no way noticeable from their fantastic Edenderry accents. After the play's conclusion, and the standing ovation that followed it, director Ronan Wilmot said he had to put on production as it "represents a lot of things about Ireland". The idea to bring the play to its home town was brought to fruition, he said, with great support from Offaly Arts Officer Sinead O'Reilly and Denise and Patrick Larkin. "They came with us," he said. "They embraced our vision." "I honestly and passionately believe that the cooperation and support I got is the very support that this country needs at this moment to lift itself out of the terrible situation we've got ourselves in," he added. "It's really moving to be with such positive people. We have no grant or anything behind us, so I'm asking you to spread the word about this play." Writer Eugene O'Brien gave his stamp of approval to the venture, saying that though he has seen his play performed in many countries and languages "this totally stood up". "I was delighted with the production," he said, asking people to spread the word so others would see it during its four week run. The project is certainly a daring one, looking to sell tickets for shows six days a week (Tuesday to Sunday) until August 14. It's encouraging to see something like it coming to Edenderry however, and certainly a €12 ticket is not much to support the project in the hope of other similar projects visiting in the future. Shows start nightly at 8.30pm in Larkin's of Edenderry. For more information and to book see www.larkinsbar.com or call 046 9731594.