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theatre · Thursday 15 October 2026 · 8:00pm 
The Chastitute
At Backstage Theatre · Farneyhoogan, Longford, Co. Longford
At Backstage Theatre · Farneyhoogan, Longford, Co. Longford
Backstage Theatre Group, the venue’s own local company, stage John B. Keane’s comedy drama The Chastitute across three nights from Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 October 2026. Keane’s play follows John Bosco McLaine, a rural bachelor in his fifties, as he enlists a local matchmaker in his hunt for a wife and discovers that courting, at his age and in his circumstances, is a trickier and more competitive business than he expected.
The Chastitute is one of Keane’s best-loved comedies, built around the stock figure of the confirmed bachelor farmer and the small dramas of rural courtship, but it carries a streak of real melancholy underneath the laughs as McLaine’s hopes repeatedly come up against reality. Backstage Theatre Group, the resident amateur company at the venue, bring their own staging to the piece across all three performances, with this production presented in memory of Gus Hanley. Expect the broad comic set pieces Keane is known for, matchmaking mishaps, awkward introductions and small-town gossip, alongside quieter moments that give the comedy some weight. As with most amateur productions at Backstage, the run is short, so early booking is worthwhile for anyone keen to see a local cast take on a classic of Irish rural comedy.
Backstage Theatre is at Farneyhoogan on the edge of Longford town, a short drive from the town centre with on-site parking. The box office can be reached on 043 3347888, Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm.
A run of John B. Keane at the local amateur theatre is a good reason to explore more of Longford town around the show. There is more to see in Longford and across Co. Longford.
Heading to Backstage Theatre in Longford? Longford has plenty more to see. Read the Longford area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.