The Dean Crowe Theatre in Athlone
If you are not from Athlone or have never been to Athlone you may not be familiar with the Dean Crowe Theatre.
Located on the west side of Athlone (aka “the Left Bank”), the Dean Crowe Theatre hosts various types of performances and shows, ranging from music to plays, as well as comedy and film viewings.
The theatre has a capacity of about 450 seats and also has a bar and art gallery, where you can see temporary exhibitions.
The building itself has an interesting history, as it was initially a church, which was developed in the late 1700s and early 1800s, and used for religious activities until 1937 when S. Peter and Paul’s Church was built, becoming the main church for Athlone. The name of the theatre derives from a much loved priest in Athlone, named Dean John Crowe.
The Dean Crowe building was then used as a dance hall first and then as a theatre.
The current theatre manager, John McGlynn, was quoted in the local paper saying that the Dean Crowe is "an absolutely fabulous resource for Athlone and the surrounding areas".
A great tradition of drama on stage
Since 1953 Athlone has been at the epicentre of amateur drama in Ireland, thanks to the All Ireland Drama Festival (more on this in next week’s post).
Personally, I would like to see more venues like the Dean Crowe Theatre in Athlone, because currently we only have two theatres and in an ideal world we should have larger venues that can accommodate bigger productions.
Music acts have a small selection of venues to choose from, with options such as the nearby Radisson Blu hotel which has a slightly larger capactity than the Dean Crowe. In fact, in Athlone we really need a proper music venue to host concerts.
Going back to drama, there has been a lot of activity in local drama societies and musical societies, and there is definitely an interest in dramatic arts both from the perspective of getting involved in production as well as of going to see shows.
Shows I’ve seen at the Dean Crowe Theatre
It would be too long to list all the shows I have seen at the Dean Crowe, but here is a small sample:
plays such as “Radium Girls” and “The Bog of Cats”, which were part of the All Ireland Drama Festival;
music performances including local artist Robert Irwin;
book presentation by Cecelia Ahern, author of PS, I Love You;
film screenings during the seasonal Athlone Film Club which showcases international cinema.
PS, I Love You author in Athlone
Some of you, like me, may have watched the 2007 film that was adapted from Cecelia Ahern’s novel PS, I Love You.
Just listing these shows made me realise that I have missed so many events in the past! For example, Irish comedians have been on this stage. Other performances I didn’t get to see include musicals and recitals. I will make a point of going to see more of those!
Talking of seeing shows at the Dean Crowe, I hope that at some point the theatre will install a modern air conditioning and heating system, because on warm evenings it gets too hot inside the venue. No complaints from me about the heat during winter!
A final word on the team that works at the theatre: having seen them in action behind the scenes, I am impressed with their skills and dedication.