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Actor Bergin boosts Briery Gap's season

September 18th, 2016 7:10 AM

By Kieran O'Mahony

Patrick Bergin, centre, as Dr Philip Cross with Mary Laura Cross played by Stephanie Shine, left, and Evelyn Skinner, played by Geraldine Barry Murphy in Murder at Shandy Hall. (Photo: John Delea)

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Hollywood actor Patrick Bergin is helping to bring the famous Briery Gap in Macroom back to its former glory.

HOLLYWOOD actor Patrick Bergin is helping to bring the famous Briery Gap in Macroom back to its former glory.

Despite the premises being engulfed in a fire in May, the upcoming season is filled with superb attractons – including a performance by the famous Irish actor. 

Bergin – who starred in Sleeping with the Enemy alongside Julia Roberts – will be coming to Macroom for the musical murder mystery Murder at Shandy Hall.

This Briery Gap production is written and directed by Michael Sheridan and is based on his best selling novel, while the musical soundtrack was written by musical director Alan Kiely and Kevin Connolly, and contains some catchy numbers, with influences ranging from traditional to classical.

The entire cast, chorus and production of the musical came together at the Riverside Park Hotel in Macroom last Sunday for their first read-through of the script as a group.  Murder at Shandy Hall is Ireland’s first musical murder mystery and is described as a powerful and original period drama, based on a true crime in Victorian Cork in 1887. 

The cast of characters includes a cruel killer, a beautiful governess, a betrayed wife, a canny and clever detective, a brilliant pathologist and a notorious hangman. 

The opening night is October 13th and it is expected to be one of the greatest theatrical events Macroom has ever staged.

With the help of the local community in Macroom, the Briery Gap is continuing its cinema programme at the Castle Hotel, which has already started. 

They have also opened a new box office just four doors away from the Briery Gap building, and musicals and other shows will be held at the Riverside Park Hotel.

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