You won’t see anything like this anywhere else this year,” says Kathy Murphy, administrator of Blue Teapot Theatre, about the company’s new production of Shakespeare’s comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream which runs in the city from June 18-26.

She’s right. Blue Teapot, which is 14 years in existence, has a troupe of nine actors with learning disabilities, who have staged many previous productions as well as taking part in Galway’s St Patrick’s Day Parades and last year’s Volvo Ocean Race opening ceremonies.

The cast has been in rehearsal for this show – where the worlds of fairies and humans collide in a tale of mischief, magic and love – for several months under the directorship of Petal Pilley, who has worked with companies including Footsbarn and Macnas and has extensive experience of community drama.

Blue Teapot was established under the auspices of the Brothers of Charity and with its first producer/director Niamh Dillon, it established a reputation as a place where people with learning difficulties could go to explore their creativity through drama.

Under Niamh’s stewardship, they performed in the Special Olympics and staged shows from their base at the Holy Family School in Renmore, as well as having a strong community element.

When Niamh moved on and Petal took over as director she felt that a city centre venue would allow Blue Teapot to become more integrated into Galway’s artistic community. Now Blue Teapot is based in Munster Avenue in the former Silke’s Fruit and Vegetable market and its core actors are professional in the sense that they get paid for performances. There’s a community and drama programme called Bright Soul, which runs on Monday nights, involving about 18 people with members regularly taking part in street parades and community events.

“We are constantly adding to the Munster Avenue space, to make it more viable, not just for us but to work in conjunction with other groups and organisations,” explains Kathy. “It’s a home to us, but we want other members of the arts community to know it’s not exclusive. We already have a Storynight there and we are talking about a few other collaborations.”

For the actors, it’s liberating to be in a space that is primarily about theatre and where people are recognised purely on the basis of talent, she says.

“It’s a place where they can learn and let talent blossom and are given the time to do that; to learn in their own way.”

Recently the actors completed a FETAC Level Three module in Performing Arts, involving drama, music, dance, mask making, lighting, sound and other stagecraft “because we felt it was important that the actors knew what it was all about and could see what interested them”, says Kathy.

“Drama is the primary focus of the group, but all the other training helps them enhance their talent, as it does with any actor; it’s their drama school.

“We are setting up a Performing Arts School in September because there is a need to. If the opportunity is there, people will come to it.” That’s happening in September.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.