A slice of 1960's Ireland in Carrigallen

Leitrim theatre goers will be able to step back into 1960's Ireland next month.

The Mariettas, a new comedy by Cavan playwright Niamh Gleeson, is back on the road this autumn with Pothole Productions, following a hugely successful summer run which saw packed houses and standing ovations.

The show will come to the Cornmill Theatre, Carrigallen on October 10th.

The show is a celebration of rural Ireland, strong women, community, music and the colourful world of the Irish showband era, with plenty of laughs along the way.

At the heart of the production are five actresses. Niamh Hanley, Louise Callan, Vanessa Galligan, Eimear Heaslip and Louise Ballesty between them take on an astonishing 20 different characters, with each actress playing four parts.

And they don't disappear backstage to do it.

Instead, the five remain on stage throughout, moving seamlessly from one character to another as the story unfolds. With no traditional set, the audience is invited to use a little imagination, while sound, lighting, music and the performers themselves create the world of the play.

There is music and dancing, plenty of comedy, but also some wonderfully human stories at the centre of the show. The characters come from different walks of life and, as their stories unfold, the audience gets a glimpse of the Ireland they knew – and the Ireland that was beginning to change.

The autumn tour comes at a particularly appropriate time, as 2026 marks 175 years of Jacob's, with the Marietta biscuit itself having become such a familiar part of Irish life. The production has embraced that little slice of nostalgia as part of its 2026 journey.

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