drama on near

Black Cherry is written by Krystal Sweedman and directed by Anna Nugent. The play is the latest in Near FM’s New Drama Hour series of plays by women playwrights.

In Black Cherry a catalytic event ripples through the generations. There’s Paul, who was accused of a raping a young woman, when he was a teenager, and is still dealing with the consequences. Leonie, who married him, knowing this. A sex coach who has everything she believes challenged when something happens to her daughter. April, their daughter, who is navigating her sexuality despite her mum’s interference, and Jade, April’s best friend, who is dealing with the consequences of being told nothing about sex but who’s longing for connection. Black Cherry contains themes of sexual politics, consent, sex education, violence and autonomy.

Cast – Abdul Alshareef, Gina Costigan, Jessie Doyle, Mo O’Connell, Eoin O’Sullivan, Paul Nugent and Fiana Toibin.

Made with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the Television license Fee.

Black Cherry is written by Krystal Sweedman and directed by Anna Nugent. The play is the latest in Near FM’s New Drama Hour series of plays by women playwrights.

In Black Cherry a catalytic event ripples through the generations. There’s Paul, who was accused of a raping a young woman, when he was a teenager, and is still dealing with the consequences. Leonie, who married him, knowing this. A sex coach who has everything she believes challenged when something happens to her daughter. April, their daughter, who is navigating her sexuality despite her mum’s interference, and Jade, April’s best friend, who is dealing with the consequences of being told nothing about sex but who’s longing for connection. Black Cherry contains themes of sexual politics, consent, sex education, violence and autonomy.

Cast – Abdul Alshareef, Gina Costigan, Jessie Doyle, Mo O’Connell, Eoin O’Sullivan, Paul Nugent and Fiana Toibin.

Made with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the Television license Fee.

Cast – Abdul Alshareef as Farajh, Imad, Morris, Farmer; Tim Casey as Paddy; Gina Costigan as Air Hostess, Attendant 2; Jessie Doyle as Ryanair Hostess, Attendant 4, Bereavement Counselor; Mo O’Connell as Joanna, Attendant 1; Eoin O’Sullivan as John Beag, Tom Murray, Dermot; Paul Nugent as Jack, Cillian, Radu, Captain and Fiana Toibin as Eilis.

Made with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the Television licence Fee.

Featured Music:

“Dhaka” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

“Mystery Bazaar” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Paddy Goes to Petra is written by Aine Ryan and directed by Anna Nugent. The play is the latest in Near FM’s New Drama Hour series of plays by women playwrights. The play follows the story of middle aged farmer Paddy who, dealing with profound grief following the unexpected loss of a loved one, decides to travel to the ancient city of Petra hoping to escape the heartache which consumes his life. Directed by Anna Nugent

Cast – Abdul Alshareef as Farajh, Imad, Morris, Farmer; Tim Casey as Paddy; Gina Costigan as Air Hostess, Attendant 2; Jessie Doyle as Ryanair Hostess, Attendant 4, Bereavement Counselor; Mo O’Connell as Joanna, Attendant 1; Eoin O’Sullivan as John Beag, Tom Murray, Dermot; Paul Nugent as Jack, Cillian, Radu, Captain and Fiana Toibin as Eilis.

Made with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the Television licence Fee.

Featured Music:

"Dhaka" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

"Mystery Bazaar" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Near FM presents another in our New Drama Hour series, audio dramas exclusively by women writers.

“Allie Down the Boghole” by Megan McDonnell.

The story follows Allie, a young girl in rural Ireland who is something of a latch-key child. She is, more often than not, left alone by her noticeably absent Mam and joined by her one friend, Jo, who keeps her company and tries to get Allie out of her comfort zone. Through Allie and Jo we meet the sometimes strange characters of the village and we discover the darker undertones of this isolated life. Mam’s presence is always looming in the background and there is a growing sense of unease which turns quite sinister as Allie grows closer to finding out certain truths about her life.

NOTE: Contains scenes some listeners may find distressing.

Written by Megan McDonnell,

Cast: Megan McDonnell & Bláithín Mac Gabhann

Made with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the television licence fee.

Near FM presents Kipper by Gemma Doorly.

Kipper – Tormented by an unjust past and reeling from past experiences Kerry seduces drunken Sam at a wedding. It seems like an innocent one night stand but Kerry has other ideas which will implicate Sam in a serious allegation. Will the police believe her story?

Written by Gemma Doorly, Directed by Nicola Murphy, Sound design by Gavin Byrne, Script Advisor is Clare Monnelly, Series producer is Paul Loughran.

Cast – Ciara O’Callaghan, Fiana Toibin, Mike Sheehan, Kwaku Fortune

Made with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the television licence fee.

*Listener advisory – this audio drama contains strong language

All honey is a dark, modern day farce about a group of friends forced to face each other’s deadly sins. The play takes place in the apartment of Ru and Luke, a couple in their early 30’s, who are throwing a housewarming party. However, their guests seem more interested in whispering in the box room than joining the festivities.  Infidelities, secrets and an uninvited guest mean that Ru & Luke will have to clean up more than red wine stains and glitter. This piece is strongly concerned with people indulging in their sexual desires and letting their egos take over. All honey is about seeing your closest friends for the depraved individuals they really are.

Starring Finbarr Doyle, Clodagh Mooney Duggan, Maeve O Mahoney, Keith Jordan and Ashleigh Dorrel

Directed by Jeda de Brí

Script advisor is Clare Monnelly

Written by Ciara Elizabeth Smyth

Made with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the television licence fee.

Near FM launch a new season of the New Drama Hour. A series of darkly funny, challenging and innovative audio dramas from up and coming women writers.Becn

Following on from season 1, this new collection will bring some of the best new writing to the airwaves brought to life by a cast and crew of seasoned Irish actors and directors.

New Drama Hour gets underway on International Women’s Day (Sunday March 8th at 5pm), with Benched by Siobhan Callaghan:

“Karen, a young homeless woman down and out on her luck meets Isabelle, a student from Oxford on a park bench in Dublin. When two women from polar opposite worlds collide in search of the same thing they find they have more in common than they think.”

[powerpress]

Director: Olivia Songer

Isabelle: Niamh Mcallister

New Drama Hour is made with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the television licence fee.

Concluding Near FM’s series of new audio drama written exclusively by women, we present ‘We Can’t Have Monkeys in the House’ by Ciara Elizabeth Smyth.

We Can’t Have Monkeys in the House is a dark, absurd comedy about a family divided by lethal maternal misogyny. Four sisters are reunited shortly after their mother has had a near fatal heart attack. Mammy is on life support and her daughters have to decide her fate.

Estranged daughter John returns to her Dublin home, following a 15-year absence working in Belfast. Her three sisters are all still living at home. The family now faces the dilemma of whether or not to turn off the machines that are keeping their elderly, dementia-suffering mother alive. Eldest sister Leslie has taken over the position of matriarch and is uncomfortably displaced by John’s return. Twins Cinnamon and Neil are in equal parts excited by John’s presence. An argument ensues over the merits of keeping their mother alive and answers are revealed to questions long forgotten.

The play is presented as an absurdist dark comedy told over 60 minutes. This is a comedy about family, featuring outlandish conflicts and bitter sibling rivalries, but it has a dark heart that beats insistently behind the laughs. The comedy is sharp and plentiful allowing the play to deal with heavy issues such as betrayal, injustice and inbred misogyny.

Cast:

Directed by Olivia Songer

Music from https://filmmusic.io

FIRST BROADCAST – 1st November 2019

Made with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the television licence fee.

Continuing Near FM’s series of audio drama written exclusively by women, we present ‘The Tea Lady’ by Tara Maria Lovett.

The Tea Lady is a black comedy and tells the Story of Minnie, an ordinary woman with an extraordinary secret. Minnie and her daughter Amber have been kidnapped by a man called Dermot.

Why have they been kidnapped? What secrets lie in Minnie’s past?

Featuring:

Written by Tara Maria Lovett

Made with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the television licence fee.

(Originally broadcast 27/9/19)