Wexford playwright and musician Billy Roche will be joined by a host of singers and musicians to celebrate his music on stage and screen.

he intimate Jerome Hynes Theater of the National Opera will be the setting for Friday 20 May at 7:30 p.m. “By Billy Roche”, a unique evening celebrating the writing of one of Wexford’s most famous writers.

The program will include a collection of musical performances by Tony Carty, Aileen Donohoe, Mike Odlum, James McDermott, Terry Byrne and Peter McCamley who have long been collaborators with Roche and have recorded his songs and starred in his theater and film works during the years.

The show presented by Ad Personam Cultural Productions will be under the musical direction of David Gray (piano) who composed arrangements of Roche’s music and will also feature musician Louise Malone (reeds) with special guest Odi.

South East Radio’s Alan Corcoran will be the evening’s emcee and interview Billy Roche against a visual backdrop of film stills, photographs, theater memorabilia and images capturing snapshots of his life, as he tells stories of his work and enjoys his music as it is performed on stage.

Speaking about the event, Billy said, “It’s news to me that my plays and work are peppered with enough songs to fuel an evening of music. It all happened organically – or unconsciously I should say. As far as I know, Poor Beast In The Rain was the first when a song called One Way Love crept into the story and became something of a recurring motif. And it continued like this throughout the canon of my work: From I Let My Hair Down in Amphibians to Love Makes a Fool of You in Trojan Eddie.

“A song can capture the essence of a story in a few short lines. Its melody can provide the feeling and emotion that is buried somewhere in the text. It’s a shortcut to the heart, you might say. .”

The event is supported by Wexford County Council and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Live Performance Support Scheme.

Tickets cost €22.50 To book, go to www.nationaloperahouse.ie, call the Opera House box office or phone 053 912 2144