A Handful Of Stars

2024 marks the 35th anniversary of the first professional production of A Handful Of Stars, the first play in Billy Roche’s famous Wexford trilogy. The play explores how thwarted ambitions can both destroy dreams and shape character in small town Ireland. It was described at the time by The Guardian as ‘one of the year’s great theatre events.’ Three and a half decades later, Four Rivers, in partnership with Wexford Arts Centre, is delighted to have had an opportunity to revisit this powerful work.

Audiences and critics alike gave this new production the thumbs up as evidenced by its sell-out run in Wexford and Dun Laoghaire. Reviewer Jackie Hayden said ‘To judge by the standing ovation from the full house at the end, this was another triumphant night for Roche, for Four Rivers and for Wexford Arts Centre which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.’

Directed by Conall Morrison and designed by Liam Doona, with lighting by Paul Keogan and costumes by Jeni Roddy, A Handful Of Stars will surely go down as one of the theatrical highlights of the year.

Small Things Like These

‘This production plays to the versatility in Claire Keegan’s language, with which she fills her simple tale with maximum drama.’ Jackie Hayden.

Four Rivers is delighted to once again bring to the stage in December and January Claire Keegan’s Booker Prize-nominated novel Small Things Like These. It has been described as ‘an unforgettable story of hope and heroism. As last time, the role of storyteller goes to actor Andrew Bennett (Seán in the Oscar-nominated The Quiet Girl/ An Cailín Ciúin) with an original score written and performed by singer-songwriter Eleanor McEvoy (A Woman’s Heart).

Described as ‘resonant and deeply moving’ by Hilary Mantel, Small Things Like These is set in an Irish rural town in the 1980s in the run up to Christmas: as coal merchant Bill Furlong does his rounds, he discovers a girl locked away in terrible conditions in the local convent. Unlike the silent majority, he decides to do something about it.

This staged reading of Small Things Like These is performed masterly by Andrew Bennett. One of the finest actors of his generation, Andrew recently completed Small Town, Big Story, a new series for Sky Originals, and Blackshore for the BBC. Eleanor McEvoy performs original music she composed for Small Things Like These. Her
critically acclaimed canon of work spans sixteen albums, with numerous cover versions of her songs by Emmylou Harris, Mary Black, Phil Coulter, Eliza Carthy, Jack L, and Saint Sister.

Presented by Four Rivers, Small Things Like These is directed by former Artistic Director of the Abbey Theatre, Ben Barnes. Recent directing credits include The Last Stand (Four Rivers), Madama Butterfly (INO), Lights Out (Four Rivers) and Jim Nolan’s new play Castel Gandolfo (Four Rivers).

Performance dates:
Dec 12 – 14 at Wexford Arts Centre
Dec 17 – 18 at Pavilion, Dun Laoghaire
Dec 20 – 21 at Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith, London
Jan 10 at Mermaid, Bray
Jan 16 -17 at Garter Lane, Waterford