Double dose of comical antics in Fuengirola

The Costa del Sol has a thriving amateur dramatics scene, boasting several English-speaking companies that use their performances to raise funds for charity. The fact that it is also home to the only English-language theatre in Spain attracts visiting theatre companies and individual entertainers; among them are the Portumna Players, an Irish company that will be marking its 80th anniversary next February.

The Portumna Players amateur theatrical group will make their long-awaited return to the Costa this weekend, when they present their latest comedy production at the Salón Varietés Theatre in Fuengirola. Written by Jimmy Keary, a dramatist whose plays have been performed all over Ireland, along with productions in Canada and the USA, Marrying Mike has already received rave reviews in the group's hometown of Portumna, a market town in the south-east of County Galway, Ireland.

Their latest production centres on a bachelor farmer who has land and money, but is reluctant to reveal his fortune. The farmer announces his intentions to marry to his "scheming friend", who, not one to let an opportunity pass, decides that his sister, a woman with a "certain reputation", should become the farmer's wife.

The drama company was formed in 1945, when a group of like-minded friends saw a need to raise funds for the Portumna Tennis Club, which led to a decision to produce a play. The first production, in February 1945, was written by George Shiels, an Irish dramatist who had enjoyed considerable success both in his native Ulster, and at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. The company have since performed more than 90 plays all over Ireland.

SUR in English spoke with the company's director, Pamela Sellars, prior to their arrival on the Costa del Sol. Pamela, who has been with the amateur theatrical group since 2018, said the company was "very much looking forward" to returning to the south of Spain after more than six years.

"The Portumna Players performed For Better For Worse, which was also written by Jimmy Keary, to a sell-out audience at the Salón Varietés Theatre in October 2018. That trip is fondly remembered and is still spoken about today," she explained.

The group were due to return to the English theatre in Fuengirola in 2020, a trip that had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, so, the idea to bring their new production to the Costa was suggested by the company's secretary.

"We were booked to bring A Wake in the West to the Salón Varietés in 2020, but Covid put a stop to that. We had a hugely successful run with Marrying Mike in Portumna in 2023, along with another sold-out show in the Birr Theatre, Co Offaly in February 2024. As a result, our secretary, Aileen O'Mahony, who is also one of the cast in Marrying Mike, suggested we approach the Salón Varietés about performing it there, and they were delighted to welcome us back once again," Sellars said.

Sellars said she had "no background in theatre" prior to 2018, "unless you count a small chorus part in my school musical".

"I joined Portumna Players when I moved back to my hometown in 2018. I had attended a lot of their plays over the years and thought it might be good to take up amateur drama. My acting debut was in April 2019, with a role in A Wake in the West, but I always wanted to take on the director's role," she said.

And this she achieved in April 2023, when she made her directing debut with a play (Widows' Paradise) by Sam Cree, a Northern Irish playwright who established himself after writing several long-running plays for celebrated comedians James Young and Jimmy Logan. She then directed two one-act plays during Portumna's 'heritage week' in August 2023, after which, she took over the role of directing Marrying Mike last year.

"I'm very proud of what I have achieved in such a short time frame, however, I could not have done it without the incredible casts, backstage crews and support from the members of Portumna Players," she added.

Sellars and her dedicated cast are now looking ahead to their two performances at the Salón Varietés, which she said will offer "laughter, surprises and two great nights out at the theatre".

"We are excited and very much looking forward to bringing Marrying Mike to the Salón Varietés Theatre. We hope the audiences will love it and enjoy watching it as much as we enjoy performing it for them," she concluded.

Tickets for the performances, which take place at 7.30pm tonight (Friday) and Saturday 19 October, cost 20 euros and are available from www.salonvarietestheatre.com, or from the box office on the night.