The 2020 Letterkenny Pantomime Society’s annual production is moving from An Grianan Theatre to the Aura Leisure Centre next January.
While no official comment has been forthcoming from the pantomime society, it is believed the change of venue has been under consideration for the past two years.
The Tirconaill Tribune today reports the move is due to cost overheads and the economics of scale for the production of ten community shows aimed at delivering maximum return in line with the workload and efforts of the many groups who make the production viable every year.
For many, this is their only fundraising avenue and the panto committee is acutely aware that without the efforts of the voluntary groups, their shows would be in serious financial difficulties.
It is estimated that to date the Letterkenny Pantomime society has donated in the region of €400,000 to a range of voluntary groups.
Regarded as one of the most popular family shows in Donegal, the pantomime history is steeped in legend; not only in entertainment value but in the huge input it has established as a major fundraiser for so many voluntary groups.
For many who visit the panto, they are amazed at the level of the professionalism brought to bear on the presentation and are astounded that this is a fully amateur show and nobody on stage is paid.
The 2020 show is ‘Cinderella’ which is one of the most popular productions in the world of pantomime.
The show will run for five nights in the Aura in the third week of January and plans are at an advanced stage to create a one thousand seater theatre with professional stage facilities to match.
Rehearsals are due to get underway in the coming weeks and the search to find ‘Cinderella’ and the leading man is already underway.
The Letterkenny pantomime is steeped in the legend of the town dating back to the days of the Devlin Hall and some of the great characters from that era are now long dead.
Patrick Doherty has been the show’s director since it was revived over thirty years ago.
In recent years it has embraced the concept of charitable groups including the Donegal Hospice, sports: SVP: Pieta House, Mary’s Meals, the Little Angels school, sport clubs the national school committees sponsoring the main nights of the show.
This has proven to be a huge success… but at the same time it involves them selling the seats and ensuring the show is a sell-out.
From humble beginnings in the Devlin Hall, the production has had a number of homes in the intervening years: the Literary Institute: St. Eunan’s College: the Community Centre: The Mount Errigal Hotel: An Grianan Theatre… and now the Aura Leisure Centre.
After a lull in productions following ten years in the Community Centre, the show moved to An Grianan in 2000 and has played there for nineteen seasons.
Noel O’Connell of the Hospice committee backed the initial production in An Grianan since there was no funding to bankroll the show.
The production team guaranteed they would deliver £5,000 to the Hospice Funds and Mr. O’Connell put his own money on the line to ensure the show would go ahead.
In the event, a sum of more than £16,000 was donated to the Hospice and so began a very successful era of truly great shows.
Auditions for Cinderella are scheduled for the coming weeks and all roles are up for grabs.
