Lúminaria
Lúminaria
Presented by Backstage Theatre
Written by Fionnuala Gygax | Directed by Maisie Lee
School shows in Backstage Theatre – Tues 18th & Wed 19th Feb 10am & 12pm €5 (please phone 0433347888 to make school booking)
Family shows: Fri 21st & Sat 22nd 5:30pm & 8pm Located in St John’s Hall as part of Longford Lights Festival Family show €5 (€15 for a family of 4)
*****
There is an emergency in the village of Lúminaria and only Lúna can save them.
Join Lúna on an adventure into the sky as she tries to find the light to protect her mother and the villagers from darkness.
With original music and an array of wonderful characters including a pair of mischievous Winds, a one-man-jazz band Cloud and Grumpy Uncle Storm, Lúminaria brings the audience on a hilarious and whimsical journey into the unknown.
*****
Audience praise for Lúminaria…
“I loved Lúminaria!!! An excellent show – so fantastic, it brought laughs, smiles and happy tears! What a treat!”
-Parent“I loved the stumpy grumpy cloud with all the sounds effects and all the lightning”
-Child“The show was absolutely fabulous. We enjoyed every bit of it from start to finish. We brought Junior Infants – 6th and we thought it mightn’t just suit all…but it absolutely did, fab fab!!!”
–2nd Class Teacher“We had a ball. My class loved the show and are still talking about the amazing light effects in each scene!!! Thank you”
-3rd Class Teacher
Families show for all ages
Schools show ages 6+
Full details of Longford Lights festival on longfordlights.ie
*****
Cast & Crew
Writer/Performer
Fionnuala Gygax
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Fionnuala is a Writer/Actor based in Dublin. She is a co-founder of Two Sparks production company and Chaos Factory theatre company.
For the theatre, Fionnuala has written a number of plays including Hotel Happiness (Project Arts Centre, 2022), Lúminaria (National Tour, 2022), Twenty Fifty (The New Theatre, 2021), Below Below (Smock Alley, 2017) and Hostel 16 (Smock Alley, 2016).
in 2024, she completed her short film The Island, as part of the Actor as Creator scheme, which premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh. She has also written a feature film, SONC, produced by Paddy Hayes (as part of the Cine4 scheme). This film recently received BAI funding and will be shot in 2025.
In 2017 she was awarded the Next Generation Award from the Arts Council. In 2016 she was nominated for the Stewart Parker writing award.
*****
Performer
Donncha O’Dea
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Donncha was most recently seen in the role of Bunty in Tom Murphy’s ‘The House’ (Druid Theatre). Other recent theatre credits include ‘The Haunting of Gusty Nook’ (MORB), ‘Somewhere Out There You’ (The Abbey Theatre) and The Blackwater Lightship’ (Verdant Productions). Donncha was nominated for Best Performer in the Dublin Fringe Festival awards 2017 for his performance in ‘Dummy’ (MORB).
TV & Film: RTE’s Storyland short ‘Wrapped’ (Alfonso films). Upcoming: ‘Power Ballad’ opposite Paul Rudd (Dir John Carney. Treasure Entertainment.) & ‘Fran the Man’ (Dir Stephen Bradley. Forty Foot Pictures.)
Other recent screen credits include: ‘Lu and the Bally Bunch’ (Brown Bag), ‘Disenchanted’ (Walt Disney Pictures), ‘Fair City’ (RTÉ) and ‘Hubble’ (RTÉ).
As well as numerous voice over credits, Donncha also wrote and presented the documentary ‘Extraordinary Éire’ (Newstalk)
*****
Performer
Honi Cooke
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Honi is from Co. Wicklow. She has a BA in Drama and Theatre Studies from Trinity College Dublin, and trained at The Lir Academy, graduating in 2021.
Recent credits include ‘Bodkin’ (Netflix), ‘Mayfair Witches’ Season 2 (AMC), ‘Taigh Tŷ Teach’ (Fishamble: The New Play Company), ‘On Such As We’ (Decadent Theatre at the Wexford Opera House), Viola in ‘Twelfth Night’ (Shakespeare Squared) in Waterford’s Viking Triangle for which she won the Greenroom award for Best Actress in March ‘24, and ’Tír Na nÓg’ (Macalla Teo and RTÉ Jr.)
*****
Director
Maisie Lee
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Maisie is an audio and theatre artist interested in work with a strong storytelling element. Her work spans radio documentary, radio drama, theatre for adults and theatre for young audiences.
Recent work includes the theatrical installation The Shape of Quiet Feelings and audio documentary Don’t Forget to Wash Your Hands (both commissioned by Baboró International Arts Festival for Children); Prickly (DLR Mill Theatre); The Dead House (Dublin Theatre Festival); Embargo (Fishamble New Play Company) and In Our Veins (Abbey Theatre and Bitter Like a Lemon).
She is Artist in Residence for Baboró International Arts Festival for Children and set up and facilitates their Children’s Panel. She has also previously held positions as Artist in Residence for Backstage Theatre Longford and Resident Assistant Director in the Abbey Theatre.
