Community enthralled by play on the dangers of cannabis use

A PLAY centred on the dangers of cannabis use was performed in a local school and a community centre last week – with the audiences being so enthralled that you could “hear a pin drop”.

Titled ‘Cannabis – Conversations Through Drama’, the play follows on from a wider theatre event hosted by the Jobstown-based Tallaght Rehabilitation Project (TRP) last year.

TRP clients Peter Monahan and Ruth McCluskey performed the play to schoolchildren in Mount Seskin Community College last Wednesday morning, March 29.

This was followed by a performance later that evening for the community in the Jobstown Community Centre, with both events attracting audiences of more than 100 people.

Pat Daly, manager of TRP, told The Echo: “We did the drama piece for 100 children in Mount Seskin and it went across very well.

“The whole objective was to put a message out in a different way, and in a different context that was unique.

“I think we got the message across. You could hear a pin drop, there wasn’t a sound in the hall once the drama piece started.”

The play was similarly well received in the Jobstown Community Centre later that evening, with a varied audience including parents and many young people.

“About 110 people came in for that, which we were delighted,” said Mr Daly. “Again, once the drama piece started, you could hear a pin drop – everyone was very clued in.”

Grace Hill, the coordinator of the Tallaght Drug and Alcohol Task Force (TDATF) praised the successful impact of the play.

“The performances were both very different but, individually, well received in their communities,” she commented.

“It was a great start to rolling this drama out in the community, first of many we hope!”

The play is based on real events, and it was devised after Professor Bobby Smyth, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, reached out to TDATF.

He reached out as a patient’s father had written a piece about his child’s cannabis use, which Prof Smyth then passed on as he thought it would make an interesting basis for a play.

The play informs audience members about the dangers of taking cannabis, but also imbues the importance of realising there is help out there.

“The whole thing is to give the message that if you’re making the decision to smoke weed, then you need to be aware of the side effects and be very careful,” added Mr Daly.

“But there is help there, and there are support mechanisms, but the best thing is just to avoid it – don’t smoke it at all.”

For more information, visit the Tallaght Drug and Alcohol Task Force website.

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