THE SHOW

"Dancing on Dangerous Ground" is loosely based on the Celtic legend "The Hunt for Diarmuid and Grania" which is found in the Fiannaiocht, the story cycle which relates the exploits of Finn McCool, the leader of the Fianna. The Fianna were the fearless standing army charged with defending Ireland against foreign invasion and upholding the authority of the High King of Ireland, Cormac MacAirt, though their oath of allegiance was given to their leader, Finn.

Diarmuid is the finest warrior of the Fianna, a handsome, dashing man and a trusted friend of Finn's. In the legend, Grania is the High King's nubile daughter, renowned for her beauty and also her willful nature, whose hand in marriage is sought by the much older Finn McCool following the death of Finn's second wife, Manissa.

Mindful of Finn's heroic status and of a filial duty to maintain and develop the bond between the houses of MacAirt and McCool,  she agrees to the marriage but is unaware that the handsome hero she recalls from a childhood meeting is now an elderly shadow of his former self. At Finn's and Grania's wedding banquet elements of magic and sorcery conspire which result in Grania becoming overwhelmingly smitten with Diarmuid who reluctantly agrees to elope with her.

Their elopement triggers a ceaseless pursuit by Finn and the Fianna and an epic saga of magic and murderous mayhem subsequently unfolds during which Diarmuid's initial reluctance is transformed into a reciprocal passion for Grania. Although, in time, Finn calls off his ruthless quest for bloody vengeance and Diarmuid and Grania are allowed to happily settle down, a final act of treachery by Finn shatters their contentment.

The Irish oral tradition of mythic story-telling has resulted in many versions of the legend of Diarmuid and Grania.  "Dancing on Dangerous Ground" has taken various strand from several versions of this epic romantic myth.

At The Court of Finn McCool
We enter the court of Finn McCool, leader of The Fianna, the Irish military force, and meet Diarmuid who is revered as the finest of The Fianna.

Grania's Arrival
Grania arrives at Finn's Court to meet her intended husband for the first time.

The Gift Of The Bodyguards
To show his love for Grania,  Finn presents her with four of the elite Fianna force who are sworn to be her escort of personal bodyguards.

Diarmuid & The Fianna
In another part of Finn McCool's fortress home Diarmuid puts the elite Fianna force through their paces in a training session during which Diarmuid demonstrates the skills which make him matchless amongst his peers.

The Women of The Court
The women of Finn's Court take center stage in a dance celebrating the forthcoming ceremony.

The Meeting In A Late - Night Bar
Out on the town for an evening, Diarmuid's encounter with a musician leads him into a late-night bar where he joins a boisterous session of music and dance amidst which he is unexpectedly drawn into a passionate tryst with another man's bride-to-be.

ACT II

At The Wedding of Finn & Grania
Finn & Grania are now husband and wife and the celebrations are well under way in the Great Hall at the Court but take an unexpected turn when Grania conspires with the women of the Court to ply Finn and the Fianna with adulterated wine.

The Awakening
It is the morning after the wedding and the Fianna struggle to shake off their drugged stupor as they prepare themselves to respond to an enraged Finn's cry for vengeance.

The Cry For War
The women of the Court dutifully assist the Fianna in their preparations before demonstrating the military side of their nature as they similarly prepare themselves for the hunt for the fugitive lovers.

The Pursuit
The chase after Diarmuid and Grania follows them deep into the forest where the pursued lovers have fled in the hope of finding sanctuary from the forces of Finn's rage. For a time it appears they have found a safe retreat.  But Grania has a nightmarish premonition of impending disaster which all too quickly becomes realty.

The Capture And A Death
At the height of the pursuit Diarmuid and Grania become separated and Diarmuid is cornered by the Fianna. With every possible escape route closed his pursuers close in on Diarmuid with fatal consequences.

Grania's Lament
The terrible and tragic events in the forest are now in the past and Grania is found alone in her grief, bereft of her one and only true love.

Epilogue
Their story told Diarmuid, Grania and Finn return to the mythic past from whence they came. 

THE CAST

Grania - Jean Butler

Diarmuid - Colin Dunne

Finn McCool - Tony Kemp

Troupe - Glenn Simpson (Dance Captain); Mary Ann Bakke; Aisling Barr; Angela Burns; Cara Butler; Marc Daniels; Michael Donegan; Colleen Farrell; Jo Ellen Forsyth; Bobby Fox; Sinead Gibbons; Roisin Alana Gilfedder; Joel Hanna; Tara Hegarty; Caitriona Kelly; Maria Kirby; Leanna Leonard; Ciaran Maguire; Ryan McCaffery; Sorcha McCaul; Laura Minogue; Ronan Morgan; Mark O'Donnell; Aisling O'Dwyer; Martin Percival; Stephen Scarriff; Brian Swanton; Martina Stewart; J. R. Vancheri