A touching play written by the daughter of two Stardust survivors is having its first run since the onset of the pandemic.
48, which is written by and stars Gemma Kane, tells the story of her parents as a young couple, who were in attendance at the Stardust nightclub on the night of the fire. Kane’s parents both escaped the blaze and went on to get married shortly afterwards.
The play’s producer, Ali Fox, says she was nervous about how the play would be perceived by audiences because of its sensitive subject matter.
“Gemma’s a family friend of mine for years and I really wanted this story to come to light. There was a worry in me because when people think of the Stardust, they obviously and justifiably think of the terror and loss of it,” Fox says.
The play, a production from No Desserts Theatre company, has received recognition not only from audiences, but has had the backing of Stardust survivors themselves. Some have gone to see the production and have left moving messages behind in the guestbook praising the performance.
48’s current run was timed to coincide with the 41st anniversary of the tragedy coming up on February 14. The fire at the Artane nightclub is often described as one of the worst disasters in the history of the Irish State, leading to changes being implemented around fire safety. The play is named after the number of people who lost their lives in the tragedy, who were all young adults.
Fox says that the play’s success lies in its moving and at times witty depiction of the young, vibrant Dubliners present at the nightclub on Valentine’s weekend.
“Thankfully, Gemma has written such a nuanced and balanced play that really captures the romance of what it was to be a young person knocking around Coolock and Artane in the early 80s. It’s not coming from a political standpoint, it’s more about what it was like to grow up during this time,” she says.
The set itself shows impressive attention to detail, with the flooring of the stage being comprised of thousands of beermats. The set’s designer, Sinead Purcell, has also made a conscious effort to visually represent the early 80s on stage.
Fox hopes that it will entertain as well as move people who come to see the play in action.
She says it has been a pleasure for her to meet the real life people whose lives were affected.
“The Stardust nightclub really reflected a sense of hope and excitement in an economically depressed North Dublin landscape. We’ve come across some gorgeous people- family, friends, and neighbours of the people who died. It’s been wonderful to reconnect with them, and to have Gemma’s parents and their friends be included as well,” she adds.
48 is running in Bewley’s Café Theatre from the 7 th to the 26 th of February. Tickets are available through https://www.eventbrite.ie/
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