Carol Moore Films

1974: The End of the Year Show by Damian Gorman (Lyric Theatre) 2006

Director: Carol Moore
Set Design: Niall Rea
Soundscape: Neil Martin
Lighting Designer/Photographs: Conleth White
Cast: Maggie Cronin,, Jimmy Doran, John Kazek, Martin McCann, Enrique Fonseca, Gordon Fulton)

"It was Christmas in the drunk tank, not the Fairytale of New York,but the Allegory of Ulster. Damian Gorman's new play is set in what the inhabitants of an alcohol dependency clinic dub the "limbo" time between Christmas and New Year...The tragicomedy is set in 1974...a horrendously violent year, which culminated on December 30 in the tragic death on mudflats of 17 year-old student Maurice Knowles from Rathcoole, who was out duckshooting at Whiteabbey.

The action teeters between black despair and light-hearted messing around between four alcoholics in for treatment.... It is the most compelling production to have been on show at the Lyric theatre recently...Director Carol Moore has extracted some very fine performances...including a poignant portrayal in a bruising role for Newry actress Abbie Spallen as well as a mesmerisingly edgy performance by John Kazek, who inhabits, rather than plays the world weary role of Frank the journalist. Now that's theatre.
Liz Kennedy (News Letter, Jan 26, 2006)