LIMERICK’S NEW state-of-the-art Lime Tree Theatre will stage a major Abbey Theatre touring production to mark its official opening.
The 510-seat theatre, situated in Mary Immaculate College, launched its first season programme yesterday and will officially open with the Abbey’s production of Seán O’Casey’s The Plough and the Stars in October.
It will be the first main stage production from the Abbey in Limerick for more than 20 years and is seen as an important cultural milestone for the city which has not had a venue suited to this type of production.
“In recent years the Abbey have toured to all major Irish cities but have not performed in Limerick with a main stage production in over 20 years,” said the theatre’s manager, Louise Donlon.
“This will be the first step in realising our ambition to attract the most exciting productions from local, national and international levels.”
A native of Longford, Donlon left her position as director of Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise, Co Laois, to take up her new role in Limerick.
She has extensive experience in the Irish arts sector, having previously worked as administrator with Island Theatre Company in Limerick and general manager of Druid Theatre Company in Galway.
A member of the Arts Council, Donlon believes this gives her a bird’s eye view of what is happening in the arts around the country and describes her latest challenge as a “high-wire act”.
“You are moving into an area where you have absolutely no guarantee of any kind of State funding. At the moment it [Lime Tree] is completely dependent on philanthropic funding through the Mary Immaculate Foundation but, that said, I don’t see it as a complete obstacle.”
Donlon sees the size of the stage at Lime Tree Theatre, which is 12m deep and 20m wide, and the scale of the seating, as the main attractions for touring companies with large-scale productions.
“The very fact that we have the Abbey Theatre opening this building is exactly the epitome of where I see us going,” she said.
“I don’t underestimate the challenge at all. It’s not easy… I know there will be a lot of people out there where the idea of being able to go to the theatre is just gone from them right now and that’s extremely sad and frustrating… For me I see it as almost a human right that people have access to really good art.”
The first season at the theatre ( limetreetheatre.ie) begins September 19th with a Tom Barry play, Guerilla Days in Ireland.
The venue will go on to host a wide range of performances, including Steel Magnolias, starring television actor Mischa Barton, for two days in October.
The Plough and Stars will run from October 30th to November 3th.