Fancy a frolic or two?

This will be a special and nostalgic year for the brilliant Frolics Show in Ballyjamesduff as this talented community stage their 65th show with live backing music and a professionalism that leaves many other shows across the land in the shade.

The co-producers of the show are Leonie Duignan and Susan Willis and rehearsals are currently in full flight.
Leonie recalls being in her Frolics show in 1982. Since then, she has progressed up the ranks from being a member of the cast to a production role.
“Over the years, you just learn so much – you just want to do it again and again – it’s infectious.”
The entire community gets involved for the love of the show and the professionalism blew her away from the outset when she came down from Dublin.
“It is a brilliant way to integrate yourself into the community,” said Leonie.
“For the 65th year we have decided to do a tribute scene to one of the co-founders of the Frolics Musical Society – that’s John McBreen – we will be bringing his music to a new generation. That will be a very special part of this 65th show,” she revealed.
“Our joy is that we are passing on the great tradition of the Musical Society created by John McBreen to the whole younger community, including the new people in the town.”
Susan Willis has been involved with the show since the late ’70s and joined when she was a teenager. “Back in those days I was a chorus girl in the show. The show had a huge impact on us back then because television was new to us.”
Susan had performed many roles over the years, including make-up and ticket office and is now producing her sixth show and the third together with Leonie.
“We have never been short of talents over all those years and every year new stars are born in the show and each person is an important part of the production,” said Susan.
“We are very proud to carry on the great tradition that was set by John McBreen.”

Comedy

Comedy is always an important element of the Frolics show in Ballyjamesduff and one of the writers/producers of the sketches, Joe Moynagh, told The Anglo-Celt that the crowds come for a laugh.
While there may be some emphasis on modern comedy routines, they always like to take a sketch that was performed 20 or 30 years ago and re-work it, with an up-to-date twist.
“It is a family show, so the emphasis is on good funny scripts and nothing over the top in terms of language etc,” said Joe.
He says there a huge influx of talented young people into the show this year. “Going on stage gives young people great confidence and being part of a show featuring dancing, singing and comedy is brilliant for them.”
Joe says he came into the Frolics back in the ’60s and the talent that it has showcased over all those decades is amazing. “You won’t get a show like the Frolics anywhere in the country – people that seen it over the years could not believe it was an amateur show.”
He looks back over the shows down through the years with great fondness and revealed that people like the Cusacks and Johnny McBreen gave the show a great impetus and a professional approach from the outset.
The show has always been blessed with a great team of musicians and Gene Bannon from Cootehill has been on board since 1993 and finds it very enjoyable. He plays the clarinet, tenor saxophone and the flute and the band also features base, drums, piano, lead guitar and keyboard. The live music brings a great vibrancy to the show.
Gary Burns on the drums has been involved for about 34 years and he points out that it is one of the few shows that does not use backing tracks. 
Jimmy Horan from Mullingar has been part of the action for about 20 years. He was in the showband business for years and played with Joe Dolan and the Swarbrigg brothers, Jimmy and Tommy, and did the Eurovision with them. Gene Bannon was also with him in the Times Showband and the Swarbrigg Brothers.
He added that there was always a great tradition of performing in Ballyjamesduff and the late and great, Larry Cunningham, also was part of the Frolics for a term.
Of the live backing music, Fergus Kearney says: “It is essential to have the vibe created by the live band. In my opinion, there is something synthetic about the floppy disc back track.”
He added that the young people are up for the show and the experience is “worth five years behind the school desk, as far as confidence, teamwork and sharing is concerned. It is good for the CV and you can only be enhanced by the stage experience”.

Bookings

The show this year runs over two weekends and commences on Wednesday, March 1, at 8.15pm, and continues on the Thursday and Friday nights and there is a matinee on Sunday, March 5, at 5pm. It will also be staged on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 9-11, nightly at 8.15pm.
The booking office opens on Monday, February 20, call 049-8551000.