Grease is the feeling at Athy's Ardscoil na Trionóide

SHOWING a diligence and determination not usually seen in teens, the students of Árdscoil na Trionóide in Athy rehearsed for three months to put on just three performances of the musical ‘Grease’ last week, but to great acclaim.

“They loved it so much, the kids were begging me on the last night to add one more night to the run!” smiled the producer Isobel Brady who runs the Shooting Stars Stage School in the town.

The show ran for three nights last week (26-28 November) “to a full house every night” in the Catherine McAuley auditorium in the school.

“That’s 225 seats every night,” said Isobel.

“It was just the TYs, and they were absolutely fantastic, they were brilliant,” she said.

“The whole process began in August when we held the first auditions, and then a full-on couple of months of rehearsals - three full months.

“There’s 110 students in the TY year, and they were all involved in the cast, the band or backstage somewhere.

“There were a brilliant bunch of kids,” she emphasised.

Danny was played by Bobby Donnelly, and ‘Sandy’ by Emily Brennan, while the choreography was marshalled by Katie Conlon from KNC Performing Arts in Newbridge.

“That’s how it worked, they’d have the choreography on one night then week, and rehearsals the other nights. They even came in some of the Sundays!

“The whole thing, it was great for kids who aren’t necessarily really sporty, and they made some really great friendships out of it, in cliques that normally wouldn’t have crossed paths.

“The entire cast were a delight to work with, and a credit to themselves."