Last two shows and schools out forever

The final two shows of the Corn Mill Theatre Group’s production of The Dead School takes to the Carrigallen stage in the coming days.
This production of Pat McCabe’s play, adapted from his acclaimed novel by the same name is directed by Ronan Ward and won a host of awards on the amateur drama festival circuit this spring, but sadly missed out in giving the group the chance to reclaim the All Ireland title in Athlone.
The Dead School follows Raphael Bell, an old-style national school teacher whose life is haunted by images and memories from his past. He has devoted his life to upholding his school’s rigorous core curriculum but by the late 1960s, parents and students have begun to question Bell’s inflexibility on corporal punishment and mandatory school prayer. Bell’s attributes such criticism to the baleful influence of TV, rock music, and American movies. His rage finally finds a focus in Malachy Dudgeon, a first-year teacher who seems to embody all the worst features of the counter-culture. The two are soon locked in a power struggle that can only end in disaster.
Catch The Dead School on Sunday, April 26 and Monday, April 27. Contact: 049 4339612 or bookings@cornmilltheatre.com