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theatre · Friday 11 September 2026 · 8:00pm 
The Mariettas - Pothole Productions
At Ramor Arts Centre · Main Street, Virginia, Co. Cavan
At Ramor Arts Centre · Main Street, Virginia, Co. Cavan
If you have any fondness for the showband era - or for sharp comedy about women making things happen against the odds - The Mariettas is worth the trip to Virginia. Pothole Productions, a Cavan-based company supported by Cavan Arts Office, brings this full-length original play to Ramor Arts Centre on 11 September 2026. It is funny, fast-moving, and genuinely Irish: the kind of theatre that gets made when a group of performers decide to do things their own way.
The Mariettas follows five women from wildly different backgrounds who end up forming an all-female showband in 1969 - an idea that starts with an idle conversation during a shift at Jacob’s Biscuit Factory in Dublin. The story tracks how the band comes together: the auditions, the rehearsals, the clashes of personality and the unexpected turns along the way. Characters include nurses, factory workers, rival Northern Irish showband members, teachers, and a few mother-daughter relationships thrown in for good measure.
What makes the staging unusual is that each of the five cast members - Vanessa Galligan, Aoife Shalvey, Louise Callan, Saidhbh O’Reilly, and Eimear Gilsenan - plays four different characters, switching live in front of the audience using changes in voice, accent, movement, and props. There is no traditional director; the cast shares those duties between them, with Louise handling costumes and Aoife leading choreography. The result is described by the company as “a bit of an experiment” - one that toured earlier in 2026 to strong response. The Ramor date is part of a continuing run.
Ramor Arts Centre sits on Main Street in Virginia town, right in the middle of Co. Cavan. Virginia is roughly 50 minutes from Dublin on the N3 and about 20 minutes from Cavan town on the same road. There is street parking on and around Main Street; the town is small enough that getting from car to door takes minutes. There is no direct train service to Virginia, but Bus Eireann routes connect Cavan town and Dublin to the area - check times on the Bus Eireann website before travelling.
Virginia sits beside Lough Ramor, and the lakeside is an easy walk from the town centre before or after a show. Virginia Park and its surroundings make a pleasant stop if you are coming from Dublin and have time to spare. There is more to see in Virginia and across Co. Cavan.
Heading to Ramor Arts Centre in Virginia? Cavan has plenty more to see. Read the Virginia area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.