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From the Wimbledon Finals to a death row cell, the true and terrible tale of Irish sporting legend Vere St. Leger Goold. "A hangover may have kept him from the Wimbledon prize, but a decapitated head in a hat box almost sent him to the gallows..."
The electrifying new Theatre Company 'Cheery Wild’, have starched their whites, re-stretched their racquets and are ready to take you on a rapid-fire homicidal ride of Victorian melodrama.
And if you’re lucky you might even get strawberries and cream…
Clonmel Junction Festival. 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 July 2011
Who we are?
Cheery Wild comprises myself (Tadhg Hickey) and fellow actress/writer Aideen Wylde. We’re Drama/Theatre graduates and since leaving college both of us have worked extensively in Irish theatre, TV and radio. We met around a year ago and found we’d something to go on: I’d a fondness for scones, Aideen liked to bake them: result. More importantly we shared a desire to be proactive about the work situation for actors/theatre people, believing that sitting around doing nothing was useless, no matter how good the scones were. We also shared an interest in creating theatre based on forgotton or hidden histories presented in a manner people could simply, enjoy. A note in an early brainstorming session read: ‘none of that esoteric nonsense...bores me to tears.’
The Project
‘Love All’ became our vehicle. At the beginning all we really had was each other. Initial rehearsals took place in parks. Undetered, we soon realised that as well as each other we’d a great story that needed telling. Aideen’s initial interest in Tipperary native and Wimbledon champion Lena Rice led us to the tale of Waterford man Vere Goold: Ireland’s first Wimbledon finalist (1879) and brightspark of the fashionable Victorian lawn tennis scene. Years later Goold and his wife Marie Violet found themselves embroiled in a murky world of gambling, alcoholism and murder. We had found what we were looking for.
What we’ve already done.
First and foremost we convinced a leading Irish theatre festival to believe in us. We’re indebted to the Clonmel Junction Festival for co-producing our play and championing us in their ‘emerging artists’ series. In the spirit of proactivity the piece will be presented in a disused space within Russell’s court retail mall in Clonmel! Secondly, we sourced a regular rehearsal space and a car load of fantastic props from supportive family and friends. Thirdly we recruited a veritable dream-team to complete the ‘Love All’ line-up. We were overjoyed to land the services of leading director, Donal Gallagher (Asylum Productions). We headhunted exciting costume and set designer Deirdre Dwyer, and also enlisted cork based electronic musician Darqhorse to write an original score.
What we’ll do with the money
Assistance from the Clonmel Junction Festival together with prospective box office, covers around 40% of our overall costs. With your help we can make up the other 60% to cover fees and costs of production and put this amazing story on stage.
