Youth theatre focus on Famine

A FILM and play telling the true story of the 4,000 Famine orphans who were transported from Irish workhouses to Australia between 1848 and 1850 will feature in Limerick this week.

Voyage of the Orphans, a film and three-act play by the County Limerick Youth Theatre, will be screened and staged at The Belltable on Wednesday and Thursday following a successful three-night run at the Honey Fitz Theatre in Lough Gur (Co Limerick) in December.

Work on the project commenced in March 2009 and involved over 50 members of the local community in east Limerick, including 28 full-time members of the Youth Theatre. The idea to explore migration developed out of a series of workshops, facilitated by drama and arts specialist Fiona Quinn.

“During the premier staging and screening of the play and film in the Honey Fitz Theatre, the audiences were visibly moved by the power of this true story of famine orphans being re-enacted by 21st century adolescents. Voyage of the Orphans also has attracted significant interest from other youth theatres who have heard about the sheer scale and authenticity of the project,” according to Ms Quinn.

“Arising out of the workshops was an interest and keenness among the Youth Theatre members to make a film and devise a play on the theme of migration. We successfully applied for a Youth Initiative Grant under the European Youth in Action scheme to help them research and produce the film and three-act play,” she added.