This Halloween I'm going back to the 80s

"Ladies and Gentlemen, my graduating class from William Ocean High School. And that little dude... well that's me - Corey Palmer."

So begins my first major role on stage since the John Player Tops of the Town 1985 is the local village hall.

Yes indeedy, yours truly is joining the cast of Back to the 80s, a musical production happening in Kilkenny's Watergate Theatre on October 29, 30 and 31.



Darragh Doyle Corey Palmer is a thirty something American looking back at his time in High School during the 80s, a time

... when Michael Jackson and Rick Astley were the Kings of Pop, when bubble skirts and blue eye shadow were cool and when the Atari was cutting edge technology ...

Sounds like fun, eh? My role as narrator is quite simple, telling the story of how "the 17 year old Corey is madly in love with his next-door neighbour, Tiffany Houston, one of the coolest girls in the school. However, she barely notices this, as she is too busy mooning over Michael Feldman, the hottest guy around."

Throw in some energetic 1980s classics including Kids in America, Girls just want to have fun, Footloose, Mickey, Video killed the Radio Star, Man in the Mirror, Material Girl and 500 Miles, the talent of local children from the Starlight Stage School and me having to sing - yes, Darren, sing - a couple of verses from the Glory of Love, Total Eclipse of the Heart and You Give Love a Bad Name and you'll get some idea of what will be going on.

Those who know me know I'm rarely one to pass an opportunity to try something new go by. I can't act, I can't sing and my American accent leaves a lot to be desired, but it will be fun, I'll enjoy giving it a go and it's something I've wanted to try for a while. Even better, all profits are going to the charity Self Help Africa, so it's for a good cause too.

If you happen to be in the area on those dates, please don't drop in. It'll be difficult enough with me mammy in the audience wondering why I'm wearing make-up, without having bloggers throwing the rotten tomatoes that Niamh, budding entrepreneur that she is, has offered to stock up on to make some money.

Of course if your ideal night out is seeing people having fun, a Star Wars dream sequence, high-energy dance routines, the obligatory 80's party scene, copious amounts of blue eye-shadow, twenty cans of hairspray, as well as some of the most popular songs ever written and finding out if Corey ever gets the girl of his dreams or if one character's crazy idea that CDs will one day replace tapes will come true, then tickets are €12 and available on the door. You'll find more information on the show itself here.

Right now, I better go learn some lines.

Shot through the heart, and you're to blame
Darling you give love a bad name...

Here's a scene from one of the productions:



And to think, I could be dressing up in fishnets and seeing Rocky Horror in the Sugar Club instead... Ken McGuire has a lot to answer for!