On my first trip to Ireland, I had a loose itinerary of what I wanted to see, places I’d planned to check out, and memories I’d hoped to make. How thrilled and excited was I that our host had purchased us up tickets to take in a production at the Tuar Ard Arts Centre in Moate, a mere hour outside of Dublin, and less than 10 minutes from our base in Athlone. 

Established in 1937, the players of the Rosemount Amateur Drama Society have delighted audiences with productions since their inception, originally staged in the ‘Old Hall’ in Rosemount. In 2010, the troupe held their first play in the Tuar Ard Arts Centre. And this is where we are on this mild, spring-like evening; a packed-house, with a buzz emulating from the crowd. 

Written by Sam Cree and directed by Jackie Madden, tonight’s production is Widows’ Paradise; “a farce in which five women travel to stay in a caravan in the Ards peninsula, some trying to get away from their male partners and others hoping to find some.” A dark, humour-filled three-act comedy, the first stage performance of the show was held Sept. 5, 1966, and produced by the Belfast Arts Theatre. 

We are welcomed to the theatre house with a string of hits from the ’60s, including Tom Jones and The Beatles. Jackie Madden greets the crowd at 8 p.m.sharp, thanking patrons for their support. Cut the stage lights, and the auditorium fills with Randy Newman’s “You’ve Got A Friend In Me.” 

The curtains open. 

Our one-set show features the inside of a caravan, complete with a dining area, a bunkie and a bed. To the stage-left is a toilet room. To the right, a cupboard. And directly ahead, a door banged on repeatedly, while two female voices shout over one another trying to urge it open. Suddenly, the door thrusts open, breaking the lock in the process. The owner of the destruction is Ruby, and she boldly declares she’s been capable of breaking down doors since her late husband used to lock himself in the bathroom after a night of drinking. Her comrades woefully follow her through, hoisting their luggage along with them. 

It’s early established that the five women are together at Ruby’s insistence of a “Women Only” caravan stay. They are widowers! They don’t need men! And they must stick together! (“I’m not a widower, Ruby!” squeaks out Lucy, much to our bold and brash Ruby’s chagrin.) 

The group is composed of our fearless leader, Ruby, clad in a modest dress and sensible shoes. She is joined by Vanessa, a childhood chum and presumed harlot of the group with her bold red lips and penchant for sarcasm and taunting. Rachel, seemingly the eldest of the five; modest and meek with a mop of grey hair and timid candor. Ruby’s daughter Sylvia, who, although already 20, is still anxiously trying to placate her mother by not dating and listening to what she’s told. And Lucy, the cheeky, lovelorn sunshine of the batch, whose quirky personality sparks and stirs the group with her naivety and hilarious jabs and interjections into the conversations. 

Ruby declares the women do not need men! With her robust proclamation upon the group, she launches into a tirade of her own experience with her late husband; testifying that each of them are better off alone! She demands each of them to stand and share their own stories! She decides this weekend will be one of many, as they celebrate being widowers, and avows they will continue to champion being single women with no use of men! (“I’m not a widower!” squeaks Lucy. “Shut UP, Lucy!” Ruby retorts.) 

Round we go with each of the women testifying their own experiences — Vanessa, with a flair for the theatrics, embellishes her wedding story before she’s rebuked by Ruby who reminds her they were there to witness a far different day than she’s retelling. Rachel, who bemoans that her Wilfred left her after months of her denying his advancements to consummate their marriage. She dissolves into tears, protesting they had a “partnership-only” understanding for their union, much to the amusement of Vanessa, who continues to tease her for her prudish-mentality. Lucy regales the group of meeting an air force sergeant (with a moustache that tickles AND excites the senses) after an all-night bonfire complete with a conga line, who’d promised to marry her just to already be married with children and leaving her at the altar. Ruby reminds Sylvia again that this is why to stay away from boys, lest they come to meet with her approval beforehand. 

As the group decides to retire for the evening, Ruby suddenly discovers a pair of men’s long underwear in one of the bunkies. Exclaiming in disgust, she realizes that they are not in the correct caravan, shouting at Lucy, who booked the weekend away. Sheepishly, Lucy remarks that it was dark when they arrived, and she could have made a mistake. Rachel, flurried and flushed, demands they all leave, but before any are able to make it through the door, it bursts open with three men back from a fishing trip, soaked from the rain. The two groups scream in horror. The audience responds in raucous laughter. 

Led by the tempestuous Harry, the men (including Harry’s brother-in-law, Ernie, and son, Alan) demand to know how the women arrived in their caravan. Despite being significantly shorter, Ruby stands to his stature (as a terrified Rachel shouts “brute!” while clutching her purse from the safe distance) and hilarity ensues between the pair in a rousing battle of the sexes. 

While the plot bops along in predictability (we learn that Harry is also a widower, some of the characters make eyes at one another, the weather forces the women to have to stay the evening with the men), Widows’ Paradise proves it’s not the destination but the journey. The audience knows before our characters where this night is headed. But what we can’t foresee — and what keeps us enchanted, laughing, and mesmerized — are the hijinks, the physical comedy, the bantering between the characters (did he really drop his pants!), all brought to life by the extremely talented cast. 

Helena Keena’s audacious Ruby matches wit with Enda Murray’s frenetic Harry. The captains of their respective troops, the pair duke it out tirelessly over men versus women; each staunchly opposed to the other until their ruthless disdain reveals itself as foreplay. 

Triona Cusack shines as the effervescent Lucy. From her white go-go boots to her cheerful smile, her comedic timing is nearly unmatched in the group; churning out a charming young woman who may have been scorned, but longs to love again. She commandeers the stage as the yin to Ruby’s yang, and the puzzle piece to the innocent (often dim-witted) Ernie, played by John Keenan. 

The unsung hero of tonight’s production is Eileen Kelly, who beseeches the unwitting and resigned Rachel to explore, grow, become and trust herself as a woman who is equally desirable as she is of wanting to be desired. Kelly masterfully protects Rachel’s character arc throughout the production, and contributes to one of the funniest, laugh-out-loud moments of the show. 

The show provides a 15-minute intermission between Acts II & III, where patrons are welcome to purchase refreshments in the adjacent cafe. The lilt of conversations between the tables speaks to the sheer enjoyment of the audience as they natter about the cast, and the Rosemount as a whole. The merriment is palpable. 

A standing ovation greeted the cast during their curtain call and final bows of the evening. The show is a smashing success, and a testament to the talent and tireless commitment the Rosemount Drama Group has made to continually entertain audiences alike. 

And for this theatre kid, who hopped a plane and visited Ireland during one idle week in March, the show proved to be what can only be described as paradise. 

Congratulations to the Rosemount Drama Group on a fabulous production. 

Widows’ Paradise
Presented by Rosemount Drama Group
Tuar Ard Ars Centre, Moate
March 12th – 16th, 2025