The game of hurling is the focus of new TADS play

Tullamore Amateur Dramatic Society (TADS) is proud to present ‘The Incarnation of the Prodigal Son’, written by award-winning playwright Patrick Fogarty from Monday, May 13 to Thursday, May 16 next in Esker Arts Centre.

With rehearsals well underway and the production crews hard at work, the countdown is on for this new production from TADS, which centres around the game of hurling and its impact on the lives of everyone in a small rural parish.

Patrick Fogarty, who hails from Tipperary, is an emerging talent, having recently been the recipient of the prestigious P. J. O’Connor Radio Drama Award. We are delighted to have the honour of being the first Drama Group to take Patrick’s plays to the stage, right here in Tullamore.

‘The Incarnation of the Prodigal Son’ is a play for anyone who has held a hurl in their hand and for those who love hurling above anything else in the world, and those who love good theatre.

With flowing comedic dialogue, interlaced with shattered dreams, poignant moments and the eternal flame of hope, the play is a haunting tale of regret, missed opportunities and the quest for the ever elusive redemption. It give the mundane a deeper meaning, in a style that Patrick Fogarty is making his own. Instantly relatable, this drama brings together a community full of colourful characters for that chance of redemption from the regret of missed opportunities.

Hurling unites this small parish - with past and present trials and tribulations of the local hurling team being exposed and explored in detail. We are introduced to the players’ perspective, the management team, the supporters and the ever present ‘hurlers on the ditch’ who are eternally full of caustic suggestions and ‘invaluable’ wisdom, with old ghosts raised and laid to rest.

The play explores the effect of regret, doubt and uncertainty on intergenerational relationships, fractured friendships and strained marriages. A chance to lift hanging heads, straighten broad shoulders and redeem one’s standing in the local community becomes possible in this new play.

Follow TADS on their social media channels for more information or book your tickets now on the Esker Arts website.