Exhilarating and emotional tale of Ireland at Crawley's Hawth

It plays The Hawth, Crawley, on Tuesday, March 8 (01293 553636).

Spokeswoman Jacky Burton said: “Inspired by true events and spanning three decades, this uplifting musical tells the story of one man’s love for his Irish homeland. The story follows the extraordinary journey of the strong-headed Sean Dempsey, who at the end of World War Two leaves behind his childhood sweetheart Cora and his beloved homeland Ireland, in search of a better life in the Big Apple.

“Can their love survive the Atlantic Divide? Will Sean be able to resist ‘Ireland’s call’ as he embarks on an adventure full of danger, tragedy and lost love? Only fate will tell.”

Creative director Ged Graham believes 2016 is the perfect time to launch the show: “We are really looking forward to bringing the show to stages across the world, starting with some of the UK’s most prestigious venues in 2016, a year set to be a huge celebration of Irish culture to commemorate the centenary of The Easter Rising.”

Ged was born in the Liberties in Dublin and remembers moving to the UK when he was nine.

He says: “Everyone has been separated from loved ones and their homes at some point in their lives, so this is a story that people can really engage with and relate to, myself included.

“The audience is drawn in to the story and swept on a journey that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. It is set against a backdrop of key historical events, including America’s introduction to rock ’n’ roll, the rebuilding of London post World War Two and John F Kennedy’s historic presidential visit to Ireland in 1963.”

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