The Balor’s big summer musical – The Hit Factory – opens next Monday

A summer musical with a cast of young local talent has been a fixture in the Balor Arts Centre calendar for many years.

Productions such as Grease, Hairspray and All Shook Up have delighted thousands while showing the vast array of talent that resides in the Finn Valley. Now, after a four-year Covid-induced hiatus, the Balor’s summer musical returns with The Hit Factory.

The Hit Factory is a brand new show specially written for this summer's production by Balor manager Conor Malone. It’s a fast-paced romantic comedy featuring 23 songs from the golden age of 60s US pop such as True Love Ways, River Deep Mountain High, Big Yellow Taxi and California Girls.

It tells the story of small-town girl Melanie Gold who dreams of making it big in the music business. Her talent and moxie earn her a break at big city record label The Hit Factory and it isn’t long until the hits begin to flow.

Can Melanie balance career, love, big-city dreams and small-town roots?

A cast of over 30 has been put through their paces by director Caroline Bell, musical director Alice Gildea and choreographer Catriona McNamee for five days a week over the last month to bring this show together.

Tickets are selling quickly on the back of a number of promotional events such as last Friday’s flash mob in McElhinney’s Department Store and an appearance on Highland Radio’s Saturday Morning Rewind show with Rory Farrell.

The Hit Factory opens on Monday next, August 7 and runs until Friday, August 11 at 8pm nightly.

Tickets are €15 and available from the Balor Box Office at (074) 9131840 or online at www.balorartscentre.com