The theatre festival in which I have  accepted a part in the play that I have written, is looming. As the official launch is imminent we are not yet able to start advertising properly. It costs dirty cash to stage a play,  therefore fundraising is necessary. The table quiz for my play will be on Friday 7th April, in the BeerHouse on Capel Street. The festival will have been launched by then so full details about the show and its wondrous cast and script  will be available by then.

Another theatre group which I have had only peripheral involvement with since my play was accepted, are staging their play which has also been accepted into the festival. They held their fundraiser at Pantibar last night.

Being a fan of this theatre group (even though every time I attend their workshops I feel like a dirty trollop for cheating on my regular group) ; a patron of the arts; and a demon for a pub quiz, I was in attendance.

They are staging a musical called ‘The Paradise’ on the same time and dates as my play. This didn’t deter me from attending their fundraier. I like the people in the group. While I won’t see their play (as I’ll be chewing my knuckles waiting for my cue backstage at the Teachers’ Club) I can still be supportive.

In fact before my play had been accepted this rival group had held auditions. Perhaps they had already been accepted  (and quite right, considering their previous successes); or perhaps their logic dictated that they were going to stage their play regardless of acceptance into the festival. Who knows?

I had been to an audition for it. Not realising that it was a musical audition.

While I may be a game old hound, my singing voice is not the most musically melodious. It is – shall we say – quite atrocious. I was once cast as Riff-Raff in ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ but had his opening number cruelly snatched from me -quite sensibly – before the show. Richard O’Brien has a beautiful voice. I sound like a herd of cats. In a sack.

I was not cast in ‘The Paradise’. . I think I could have had a non-speaking role if interested.  However in the interim, my own magnum opus ‘An Unexpected Party’ was successful so my focus switched immediately to this play.

Another cast member from ‘An unexpected party’ was a team mate. We joined forces with a member of the other group and some of her friends. Our team was ready.

The quiz began. Compered by members of the group, we soon discovered (to my absolute joy) that it was a quiz with a focus on pop culture. This was right up my alley. You could say that I am slightly Rainman-esque in my knowledge of useless trivia. My fountain of knowledge when it comes to utterly irrelevant thrash is both a gift and a curse. It clutters the brain and prevents actual useful knowledge from sticking.

Tonight it was a boon. Our team romped home to victory. We finished in glorious first place. As our team consisted of fur members (only two of which are involved in my play, we cannot use the first prize as the first prize in our own quiz. We will have to consume it ourselves. Which is just as well – I really like the look of that ‘Las Tapas de Lola’ restaurant on Wexford Street. And with an eighty euro voucher in our grubby paws, we will have a lovely meal.

In a cunning move – worthy of Machiavelli –  we named our team ‘An unexpected party’. Every time the leading team was announced was a bit of subliminal promotion occurred.

I want ‘The Paradise’ to do fantastically well. At the same time my name is attached to ‘An unexpected party’.

Civilised people go to the theatre twice in the same week after all.