PHOTOS Limerick production ‘Connie’ at historic Theatre Royal, Cecil Street from October 18 to November 9

Limerick production ‘Connie’ to premiere at historic Theatre Royal, Cecil Street from October 18 to November 9. Photo: Maurice Gunning

World premiere of Connie written and created by Joanne Ryan and Ann Blake staged in the historic Theatre Royal, Cecil Street from Saturday, October 18

Staged in Limerick’s historic Theatre Royal, Connie will be the first public performance in the building for almost 30 years. The new Limerick play is a bold, immersive theatrical event that reimagines the incredible life of Limerick-born Hollywood actress Constance Smith.

Born on Limerick’s Wolfe Tone Street in 1929, a series of incredible events led Constance Smith to Hollywood fame in the 1950s when she starred in over 30 films and presented at the 1952 Academy Awards.

Her defiant stand against the pervasive casting couch culture in an era of systemic abuse ended her career and she died finally in obscurity and poverty, her ashes thrown on an unmarked scatter ground, her legacy – even in her hometown – overlooked.

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Inspired by Constance’s remarkable life and enraged by her brutal mistreatment and erasure, Limerick theatre makers Ann Blake and Joanne Ryan, have spent almost six years in the research, development and planning of a landmark production that will unravel the complex journey of this overlooked Hollywood icon and challenge the airbrushing of so-called “difficult” women from history.

Connie will be staged in the old Theatre Royal; the only city cinema still standing that originally screened Constance’s films in the 1950s. Abandoned and inaccessible for decades, its art deco design and faded, forgotten grandeur beautifully mirror her story.

Written and created by award-winning Limerick playwrights, Ann Blake and Joanne Ryan, Connie blends live performance, archival film, and an original score recorded with the Irish Chamber Orchestra to give audiences a thrilling and unforgettable experience. With an all-female cast and a striking site-specific setting, Connie is a haunting, lyrical journey through memory, identity, and the cost of being forgotten.

Ann Blake & Joanne Ryan said, “Constance Smith’s incredible story is an important, forgotten piece of Irish and Hollywood history. We hope that Connie will bring her legacy to life while also asking deeper questions about fame, identity and erasure. Like most Limerick people, The Theatre Royal is a building that both of us have very special memories of from our childhood and teens and we’re thrilled that Connie will bring this historic landmark back into use after almost 30 years. Connie is more than a show; it’s a cultural homecoming.”

Tickets are available from €28/€25 with showtimes at 7:30pm evening shows, and 2pm Matinees. Connie runs from Saturday, October 18th to Sunday, November 9th, with previews October 18th, October 19th and October 21st at 7.30pm ahead of opening night on October 22nd at 7.30pm.

Running from October 23rd-9th November with shows at 7.30pm (except Monday 27th) with matinee performance on Saturday 25th October at 2pm, Connie was commissioned by Ormston House and is presented by Joanne Ryan in partnership with Ormston House, Lime Tree Theatre, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Film in Limerick, Dance Limerick, lyric fm, Piquant, Limerick City and County Council, Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board, Mary Immaculate College and No 1 Pery Square Hotel and Spa.

Connie is made possible with the support of The Arts Council of Ireland / An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Limerick City and County Council, Limerick Arts Office, Limerick Festivals and Events, and the International Music and Art Foundation.

Pictures: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick