Review: Curtains - Boyle Musical Society

*Public Adjudication by Ciarán Mooney

Boyle Musical Society

Curtains

21^st of November 2025

Boyle Musical Society drew a full supportive crowd to St. Joseph’s Hall, where the lively murder mystery of Curtains unfolded in style to an eager community audience who responded warmly throughout the night. During the interval, when asked who they thought had dunnit, several audience members took a stab at guessing, though none predicted the correct culprit. Gasps rose at key plot turns, including Georgia’s slip of the tongue, the revelation of the killer, and Carmen’s final moments in front of the curtain. The show won the audience over with its mix of clear characterisation, enjoyable singing, and controlled staging, making for a polished and engaging production.

The direction by Karen Gordon was confident, steady, and detailed. The opening Kansas scene, which must pivot mid-action into a different visual perspective, could have been cumbersome, but here it unfolded cleanly. The house curtains were used with purpose, expanding the playing space while hiding the more complex scene changes behind. Placing Aaron’s final verse of I Miss the Music in front of the closed curtain allowed the next scene to be prepared in secret. Having the dancing girls begin their number in front of the curtain also bought time and blended the action seamlessly. Characters, many of them archetypes from old show-within-a-show traditions, were well-drawn and visually distinctive. The choice to use an actual dead body during The Woman’s Dead gave the moment a novelty, and a shadow sequence behind a sheet in He Did It was fun and crisply executed. Overall, scenes landed with the tone and intent required from a solid directorial turn by Ms. Gordon. 

Some clump-creating with the crowd work in parts of The Woman’s Dead created occasional sightline issues. Use of levels helped, but some additional attention to spacing might have eased the cognitive load that occurs when some faces cannot be seen. The fantasy sequence between Cioffi and Niki had charm but just fell short of Broadway-esque dream-like spectacle. This is the sort of moment that could depend on budget as well as creativity. The simpler approach here, though clear, lacked some old-school theatrical magic, such is its intention. Even so, the show as a whole benefitted greatly from Ms. Gordon’s careful control and understanding of the material, and her work was met with clear appreciation from the audience.

Musical Director Anne Kielty, doubling as pianist, guided the musicians with ease while providing cues to the singers and musicians with subtle gestures, head-nodding and spine-swaying. The overture was played at a lovely comfortable level as it moved through the various motifs of the show in dream-like fashion. Balance of volume between the band and the stage was excellent throughout, a potential challenge in a venue of this kind. Piano underscoring beneath Cioffi’s end of Act One pontifications added tension beautifully. Principal vocal performances were consistently strong, and the harmonies in the various In the Same Boat segments were tight and expressive. In keeping with tradition, Ms. Kielty did not take the Act Two opening solo intended for her alter-ego Sasha, giving the opportunity instead to a capable ensemble member.

The male vocals in the show’s opening felt comparatively light beside the stronger and more numerous female voices, though this may have been a sound balance issue rather than a musical one. Later moments, such as the saloon scene, showed the men in much stronger vocal form. A few ensemble entrances in the A Tough Act to Follow sequence at the end of the show were arguably suspect, but these moments passed quickly in an otherwise impressive musical evening. Ms. Kielty’s experience and commitment to the show’s musical direction were evident throughout.

Choreographer Eimear Mulvey offered movement that matched the ability of the cast while still adding theatrical flair. Storytelling was kept in focus, and humour was allowed to shine through. The men’s ‘chairography’ in the saloon sequence underlined the innuendo of the lyrics. Adding extra dancers to the end of that number ensured everyone’s involvement, though it did perhaps diminish visual and contextual clarity, without much explanation about where they had come from. Niki and Bobby gave lovely shaping and pirouettes in their much-anticipated dance moment.

Cioffi and Niki’s dance duet was sweet and sincere, though the first half felt a touch long without new movement ideas to develop it. Shortening the musical section might have enhanced momentum. During the final In the Same Boat sequence, some oar carriers blocked the back row of floor performers, creating a slight visual bottleneck. Reordering the groups might have helped to ease this. Still, Ms. Mulvey’s work delivered a confident ensemble that danced with precision and enthusiasm.

Iain Howard presented Lt. Frank Cioffi with the aesthetic of a Hollywood movie star in a time gone by. He looked every bit the old-school detective, with all the charisma, charm, and warmth required to create an engaging Cioffi. With some very nice vocalising when he sang, he moved well in his dance with Niki. This is a beast of a script, with long passages of dialogue that receive little support from the action surrounding them. As a result, there were noticeable script-memorisation issues, but Mr. Howard’s likeability and commitment went part of the way to make up for it. His lines were spoken with great intention, nonetheless.

Kelly Collins as Carmen Bernstein showed very good timing and rhythms of speech, with a pitch-perfect New York squawk. The line when she calls her husband a “low life” was an example of how she was able to get great laughs from the audience. We saw a slightly unhinged side to her when she threatened to sue everyone in The Show Must Go On. This manic side of her grew in Act Two, where we got a kooky and somewhat unhinged introduction to It’s a Business. The introduction to this number always feels slightly too long, only taking off when the male dancers join. In this version, we got something of a nervous breakdown at the beginning, bringing it to another level, making the character more interesting and lifting what can be a slow-to-start number. This was an excellent turn by Ms. Collins.

Janet Glancy as Georgia Hendricks gave an effectively gentle foil to Carmen’s sharpness. The nervousness at the beginning of Thinking of Him was well measured. She had a lovely, rich, and rounded voice. She harmonised very well with her fellow In the Same Boat ladies. She sang beautifully and her dancing was great. Surrounded by crazy characters everywhere, her acting was sincere, filled with warmth, poise, and an understated strength that anchored the story.

Lizi Hannon was characterful and committed as Niki Harris, capturing the slightly ditzy, endearingly bonkers charm essential to Niki’s purpose as the ingénue who keeps both Cioffi and the audience guessing. Her accent was delightful, and the timing of her “I would imagine” was perfect. She harmonised excellently and moved well in In the Same Boat, rounding out a warm, engaging performance.

Danny Leonard was honest, sincere, and understated as Aaron Fox. He brought a nice sense of realism to a story filled with whacky characters. He sang I Miss the Music with tenderness, and his opt-up at the end of his solo showed off his voice. He really came into his own during his sung moments, where we had good energy, articulation, and projection. His musical assurance stood out, though weaving that same intensity into his spoken scenes could elevate the role further.

Brendan Reid was camp and leery as Christopher Belling, swigging from a hipflask or glancing at Johnny. His somewhat drunken entrance was a nice touch, his puffing the crowd into their places for the acting exercise was fun, and his moment where he asked Johnny to move the piano was a treat. Very good characterisation overall, and essential comedic moments were provided.

Stephen Tighe as Oscar Shapiro, the show’s practical and business-minded producer, was steady and humorous, adding to the very good quartet of What Kind of Man? Always there by Carmen’s side, he provided consistent characterful support to his fellow actors. A solid turn from Mr. Tighe.

Ceara Conlon delivered sharp, lively energy and confident dancing as Bambi Bernét. She balanced ambition and vulnerability, capturing a young performer desperate to prove herself—especially to her mother. She ably fulfilled Bambi’s purpose as an underestimated talent whose determination and flair inject both humour and heart into the story. Harmonies were super in In the Same Boat.

Jason Kenny as Bobby Pepper really matched Bambi’s energy during the planning of the dance routine, creating a harmonious pairing of the two actors. Dancing in the square dance number was convincing and well executed, with lovely shaping and an impressive pirouette. His confession about his feelings for Georgia was effective.

Enda Regan had very good presence in the part of Johnny Harmon, with a great comedic moment of throwing the clipboard on the floor to take Sydney’s coat, and his hilarious “Say again?” line. Always making the most of his time on stage, his carrying on of the mic and his speaking into it was very funny. This likeability factor was highly effective, and the audience were genuinely sorry to see him die.

Conor Hamil was excellent as Darryl Grady. His weasel-like character (typical critic) made a good impact in his cameo appearances. Accent lessons should be made available from this actor, with the accent itself getting the right kind of laughs from the audience. The psycho moment at the end was brilliantly acted, and the production benefitted from having such a strong actor in this pivotal moment.

Aoife Tighe as big-name, no-talent Jessica Cranshaw gave us over-the-top squeaky singing, sparing no subtlety in her signalling that Jessica Cranshaw was rubbish on stage, fulfilling the role’s comedic purpose and all of Cranshaw’s ineptitude.

When Conor White stepped forth from the ensemble as Randy, he did so with confidence and competence. Special shout-out to Harve, also, who had a very nice low country-and-western speaking voice.

The ensemble burst onto the stage for the opening number of the show-within-the-show, and we knew we were in the hands of a committed cast who wanted to sock this musical to the audience. Acting in the opening sequence was suitably over the top, considering the slapstick required. The committed crowd reactions were noticeably strong throughout and were clearly well-rehearsed. Whoopin’ and hollerin’ in the saloon scene never faltered. There was excellent commitment by all as they gathered round the briefcase, and the torch work in He Did It was super. Special shout-out to Harve, who had a very nice low country-and-western speaking voice.

Set design by Wayne Handy embraced the nostalgic theatricality of the piece. The red curtain and golden footlights immediately set a vintage stage picture, and the shadows cast on the curtain later added atmosphere. Charcoal and gold art deco flats framed the story elegantly. The Kansas scene was strongly established, with tall western facades and a bullseye motif, and when the Robbin Hood set cleared, the brickwork behind it provided a backdrop that soaked up the light beautifully. The saloon interior worked well (being the other side of the Robbin’ Hood set), though additional decoration (such as shelves with bottles etc.) might have added some additional detail. The waves and boat for the In the Same Boat finale were visually impressive, despite being needed for a split second.

Lighting by Indigo Lighting (and operated by Nigel Cleary and Tom Cleary) supported the production with well-timed cues and atmospheric colour choices. Stabs of light during sudden changes to the music added intensity and the gorgeous Broadway-style bulbs on the flats enhanced several lively moments. A blue wash for Coffee Shop Nights effectively suggested Cioffi’s solitude on lonely evenings, and the special on Aaron’s final verse gave the moment its own space in front of the curtain. A slight tardy lights-up for Georgia’s rehearsal scene was noticeable but minor and made me wonder for a second how the cueing was working. 

Sound, provided by Vinny Higgins of Red House Productions, maintained welcome clarity throughout. Musicians and singers blended well, and levels were comfortable at all times. Recorded applause in Coffee Shop Nights (by Brendan McGee) evoked the storytelling nicely and the evening’s proceedings were always comfortable and clear to the ear. 

Costumes strengthened the show’s period feel with a myriad of gloves, tuxedos, gowns, and gorgeous signature pieces. There was a slight feeling that the principals evoked the era better than some of the chorus, with approximations of the era used to clothe some of those nestled in the background. The saloon girls’ red and black designs were particularly striking and well matched to the complimentary reds in set and lighting. Niki’s dress for A Tough Act to Follow captured the dreamlike quality of this romantic Broadway-esque number. Hair and make-up successfully evoked the era and impressively added age where needed. Props, especially the crisp broadsheet newspapers, canes (many canes), and oars, complemented the action effectively.

Stage management under Enda Commons ensured smooth transitions, with the curtain used cleverly to facilitate offstage movement. The placement of the square dance set was achieved quietly mid-scene and caused no distraction from those speaking on stage. A delay with the rolling sky had a minor technical hiccup, suggesting that it might have been acting up on the night. Front of House operations ran calmly, with efficient crowd flow and well delivered voiceovers, including a very welcome cúpla focal. 

The production suited the company well, allowing strong principals to lead while the ensemble supported with commitment and energy. If they continue selecting shows that showcase their particular strengths, audiences will be well served. The performance provided a highly enjoyable night, warmly received by a community clearly proud of its musical society. The production team did a super job. Characterisation among the principals was crystal clear, singing was lovely and the dancing was well-rehearsed. The ensemble were hugely committed and added significantly to a strong frontline. They did it. They did it. They did it very well indeed.