Local writers bring work from the page to the stage in rehearsed readings. The Girl Who Went To Pluto by Catherine McVicker, with actors Jordan Freeman and Fiona Kelly. Script developed with dramaturge Su Squire, supported by an Arts Council Agility Award.

Cast

Georgie: Bernadette Culhane

Greta:  Fiona Claffey-Kelly

Science Teacher: Suzanne Shine

Mother: Catherine McVicker

Isobel: Bella Aylward

Fiona Claffey-Kelly is an actress from the west of County Clare. She studied Drama and Theatre Studies at University College Cork, graduating in 2016. Since then she has worked variously in Film, Theatre and Radio including Theatre in Education productions with Cyclone Rep Theatre Company and has worked previously with Catherine McVicker and South Tipperary Arts Centre on a forum theatre play called 'Merry-Go-Round' which went on a regional 'Theatre in Education' tour. Most recently, she was seen on stage in 'Becoming Charlotte Brontë', a ensemble stage piece.

Bernadette Culhane, a Tipperary native who now lives in Carrick On Suir, has had a fascination for all things creative since her earlier years in school. Community Arts has always been at the forefront of her involvement in a diverse range of projects from ‘SouthTipperary Positive Mental Health Festival’ to local theatre groups like ‘Clonmel Theatre Guild’, ‘Dreamtime Theatre’, ChakraProductions’ Clonmel Applefest and ‘Clonmel Zombie Walk’. Bernadette has been very proactive in all areas of local theatre making from costume design to production and performance.  She has a lot of experience as a youth worker and is particularly interested in theatre projects that create opportunities for discussion around topics of interest and connection to young audiences. Bernadette has been involved in a number of charity well being initiatives and community projects playing Elsa from ‘Frozen’, Sarah Sanderson, one of witches from ‘Hocus Pocus’ and Harley Quinn.

A native of Cork, Suzanne Shine fell in love with theatre while participating in secondary school productions. Suzanne has been involved with several arts groups over the years, and has both directed and acted locally with the Clonmel Theatre Guild, Brewery Lane Theatre & Arts Centre and Carrick-On-Suir’s Tudor Artisan Hub, amongst others. Just prior to theatres being closed due to lockdown, in Feb 2020, Suzanne won the inaugural Green Room Award for Best Female Performance for her portrayal of Bella Manningham in Gaslight, produced by the Brewery Lane Theatre. In 2021, Suzanne directed Kintsugi, a Keep Well Radio Play, as part of a project championed by The Tudor ArtisanHub to keep the Arts scene active during the Covid pandemic. She also directed a further radio drama, The Value of Education, produced by the Hub for Culture Night, in 2021. Most recently, as theatres opened again, Suzanne was delighted to be invited to direct Don’tDress for Dinner for the Clonmel Theatre Guild (Dec 2021), and Present Laughter in Brewery Lane Theatre(April 2022) and is currently directing an original piece, by local authors, for the Tudor Artisan Hub’s And the BeatGoes On outdoor event (June 2022). Suzanne is excited to be part of The Girl Who Went to Pluto, in the 2022 Clonmel Junction Arts Festival, and is looking forward to continuing to be part of the vibrant Arts scene in Co. Tipperary.

Bella Aylward is 9 years old and really enjoys performing, singing, acting and dancing. When she was younger, she loved being involved with ‘A.O.K, lyrical dance’ and ‘Kool School’, gymnastics. At school, Drama is her favourite subject and she loves to perform in school shows. She has been involved in a few community projects with ‘Clonmel Zombie Walk’, ‘Clonmel Applefest’, ‘Chakra Productions’ and ‘Cruinniú na nÓg’ with ‘South Tipperary Arts Centre’. She is very excited to be involved with this project in the Clonmel Junction Arts Festival dome.

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