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Spotlight Stage School Presents The Dream Catcher

Children at Spotlight Stage School pictured in character for their big performance The Dream Catcher. Photo: Katie Glavin/ilovelimerick

Spotlight Stage School Presents The Dream Catcher

Spotlight Stage School’s annual show and end of year big performance this year is The Dream Catcher which will be performed at the Lime Tree Theatre on May 20 and May 21.

Dream Catcher

Pupils of Spotlight Stage School in costume for their upcoming production of The Dream Catcher. Photo: Katie Glavin /ilovelimerick


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This is Spotlight’s 31 year in business. Judy O’Connor and Margaret Hock met through the drama circuit and when there was an opening in Limerick, they decided to give drama a shot. Both Margaret and Judy gave up their permanent jobs and came together to create Spotlight Stage School which has been a success ever since it’s opening. Margaret spoke about their business saying, “We’ve never looked back! Even through 2 recessions, the people of Limerick remained faithful to us and kept us going”

Pupils of Spotlight Stage School have been rehearsing since Christmas for their latest production, The Dream Catcher.

The idea for this new production came together through Judy and Margaret. The Dream Catcher is based around topical children’s media such as recent movies like ‘Trolls’ and ‘The BFG’. The Dream Catcher is essentially a sweet story turned nasty. The first half of the performance surrounds the BFG blowing dreams into children’s bedrooms and their dreams come to life through the children’s on stage performance. The character Sofia appears in the show and she has a bunch of friends who are the Trolls. A change of events comes to light when of the deep dark forest come the nasty beasts and giants who threaten the lives of Trollville, Sophie, and her dream-world.

Margaret spoke about what it was like to teach the pupils at Spotlight Stage School saying, “It’s fantastic! Judy and I are here 31 years. Judy is the dance and choreography teacher and I do the drama and we both teach singing. We overlap then sometimes when it comes to the show and we take the younger classes too.  We have great teaching assistants who come in for work experience too and they tend to be past pupils of stage school.”

Dream Catcher

Pierce O’Neill, who will be performing in The Dream Catcher pictured with Margaret Hock of Spotlight Stage School. Photo: Katie Glavin/ilovelimerick

There are four productions of Spotlight Stage School’s The Dream Catcher, one on the night of May 20 and another on the night of May 21. There will also be a matinee and a daytime show. All these shows will be held in The Lime Tree Theatre.

There are over 300 children involved in the production of The Dream Catcher. Margaret spoke about having so many people involved in one production stating “it’s a big undertaking at times, like trying to get costumes for everybody. Some groups have 2 and 3 costumes and then others have individual costumes, but we have a great workforce that helps us out with that.”

Peirce O’Neill, Pupil of Spotlight Stage School who is involved in the production, The Dream Catcher, spoke about his experience of The Dream Catcher saying, “The dances were really fun and our lines were easy enough to learn. You do put in the work but it doesn’t seem like work when you’re doing what you enjoy”.

Peirce went on to speak about his experience with spotlight stage school. He said, “I was about five years old when I started so this will be my sixth year. My mum just asked if I wanted to do it and I said yeah. She was just trying to get me into hobbies when I was young, I was doing karate and rugby but this is definitely one of my favourites. When I came in I liked it from the first moment I was here, it was just really fun.”

For more on Spotlight Stage School click here

For more on the Lime Tree Theatre and to book tickets click here

Check out previous stories on Spotlight Stage School here

 

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.