Sinbad
Christmas Pantomime 2023
30th November - 3rd December
Our Production Team
Ann Kelly
Director
Ann is one of the founding members of An Nuadha Players, helping to launch the group in 1999, so it is very fitting that she is directing our 20th Christmas Pantomime! Since then, as well as being part of the group’s committee at different times over the years, she has been involved in nearly every single show An Nuadha Players have performed; she has either been in them, directed them (sometimes both at the same time), been part of the stage crew or helped on front of house. On top of that, Ann is extremely handy with a drill and is the go-to person when it comes to set building for all of our shows. Her creativity and imagination shine through in so many of our shows with the brilliant ideas she comes up with for the set or props; this show is no different so keep an eye out! Ann is a fantastic person to work with, always so positive and willing to lend a hand - no task is ever too big and you can be guaranteed she will have a solution to any issue.
Ann was also a member of Thurles Drama Group for many years, she performed with the Irish Theatre Workshop in Munich, and has been involved in several productions with our neighbouring theatre group, Insight Theatre Celbridge. We’re delighted to have Ann as the director for this year’s Christmas Pantomime, Sinbad, and would like to thank her for everything she has put into this and all of our shows.
We wish Ann, and all the cast & crew of Sinbad, a fantastic run!
Grace McGrath
Choreographer
Grace trained at the National College of Dance, Phil Ryan Dance School and Morisini Whelan School of Dance and has studied Musical Theatre with the Brendan Smith Theatre Academy.
She has been choreographing for over 20 years and has worked with many musical societies namely Kilcock, Trim, Portlaoise, Ratoath, Naas, Birr Stage Guild and Clane MS. Some of the shows she has choreographed – Sweeney Todd (Best Overall), Titanic (Best Overall), Ragtime (2nd Best Overall), Jekyll & Hyde (2nd Best Overall), Hello Dolly (2nd Best Overall), Michael Collins – A Musical Drama (3rd Best Overall), Rock of Ages, Man of La Mancha, Pippin, Cabaret, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sweet Charity, Singing in The Rain, Crazy for You, All Shook Up, Fiddler on the Roof, Beauty & the Beast, Annie, Brigadoon, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, Oklahoma, The Hired Man, Guys & Dolls, Anything Goes, The New Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore & Oliver.
She has choreographed many pantos over the years for An Nuadha Players and loves the community spirit with this wonderful group.
She also choreographs for many theatre groups such as Down at Heel Productions, Camille Music Productions and several school productions with Hartstown Community School and Kings Hospital.
Her work also includes Theatre Dance Workshops, concerts and plays.
Future productions for Grace will be 9 to 5 The Musical with Naas MS in March 2024 and The Addams Family Musical with Clane MS in April 2024.
Thank you An Nuadha Players and the wonderful cast & crew of ‘Sinbad’ for all your hard work, patience and so many laughs.
To Ann & Colin, it has been a pleasure working with you both on such a happy production.
Colin Sloan
Musical Director
Colin is delighted to be invited back by An Nuadha Players for another production, having been MD for the inaugural production, Jack and the Beanstalk, and many many shows since then.
Colin is in high demand both as a musician and as an arranger, and performs regularly with The Essential Big Band (an 18 piece band specialising in the Big Band repertoire from the early 1900’s through to the swing era), his own band, Astorbar, and numerous other function bands.
Over the past 25 years, Colin has been Musical Director for numerous societies and variety groups throughout Ireland. Favourite shows include Copacabana, Victor Victoria, Hot Mikado and Jesus Christ Superstar. More recently, Colin has been Musical Director for the UK Bublé by Candlelight series of concerts.
For the past three years, Colin has been Musical Director and Arranger with Rush Musical Society @HomeHarmonies, a choir which began life as a remote, online project in 2020 but has since grown into a hugely successful choir with an eclectic repertoire including modern pop and rock. The choir has performed in premier venues throughout Ireland, including The Helix Theatre, and attended many choral festivals throughout the country. The choir won the Waterford International Festival of Light Opera Shield at the AIMS Choral Festival in 2022 and proudly retained the title again in 2023.
Colin is passionate about developing young talent, and he has been teaching in Electra Stage School since 1999. As a vocal coach, Colin’s students have achieved numerous national awards and some have gone on to work in professional theatre.
Colin is delighted to be working with Ann and Grace on this production, and would like to thank the committee (some of whom appeared as members of the cast for the first production back in 2001) for the tireless support, and of course the cast for making this all so much fun!
Martin Higgins
Writer
Martin first came to prominence as a comedy writer/director in the John Player Tops variety competition in the 1990s. He scripted Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre panto for ten years covering all the traditional themes, and wrote the annual panto for the Everyman Palace Theatre in Cork for over a decade.
Martin has written for radio, TV, and advertising and has acted as script consultant on many touring productions including Dirty Dusting and Defending the Cave Man and Grumpy Old Women. He is also an accomplished after dinner speaker and speech writer.
He has been in involved in some capacity in every An Nuadha Players production since the group formed. He has written all of the group’s pantos and also scripted a special musical production, Twisted!, to celebrate An Nuadha Players’ 20th anniversary.
Amy Douglas
Producer
Amy joined An Nuadha Players in 2003, for their panto 'Cinderella', as a young teenager excited to be a part of a pantomime ensemble. Since then she’s been involved in many pantomimes with An Nuadha Players including, Aladdin, Sinbad, The Snow Queen, Robin Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Jack and the Beanstalk, Beauty and the Beast and Snow White. She has loved being a core dancer in many shows and enjoyed taking on a variety of roles on stage. Amy has also been on stage in other productions with An Nuadha Players, namely, Cecily, The Importance of Being Earnest and she most recently played the part of Truvy in our Summer production, Steel Magnolias.
Amy has been a member of the committee at An Nuadha Players for 7 years now, taking on the role of secretary in the past, and is currently the Chairperson.
While she is sad not to be taking to the stage for this production, Amy has thoroughly enjoyed working behind the scenes with such a fantastic, enthusiastic cast and dynamic, supportive production team. It has been a joy to watch the show's journey from auditions to now and she wishes everyone in the cast the most amazing time as they bring a wonderful panto to the stage!