Sheila Flitton began her writing career with over 30 radio talks for RTE and a string of one-act plays for Women’s Groups, reflecting her continuing interest in women’s issues. In 1975, her first full-length play ‘Harbour Nights was produced to critical acclaim. Subsequently, ‘Money is the Root’, a farce, was staged in Dublin, and RTE subsequently commissioned a six-part adaptation.
In 1982, the three-act ‘For Better or For Worse’ won a Listowel Writer’s Award. The play was premiered in Sacramento USA, and in 1984 was directed in Dublin by Barry Cassin, before touring widely. In 1988, ‘Voices from the Past’, a radio play, was produced by RTE. ‘Harbour Nights,’ directed by John Cook, and ‘Money is the Root,’ directed by Mary Casey were staged in Dublin and both toured Ireland. Several of Sheila’s one-act plays have been performed by amateur drama groups in Ireland and abroad.
Sheila’s one-woman stage-play ‘Beezie’ opened in Dublin in 1984. Written and performed by Sheila and co-written and directed by her son Dave, ‘Beezie’ has played at the Edinburgh Festival and, altogether, has had 17 production runs in Ireland, the US and the UK. A radio adaptation of Beezie was twice broadcast by RTE as ‘Play of the Week’ and a South African tour in February 2002 was critically acclaimed. Recent productions of ‘Beezie’ include Listowel Writers’ Week, the Skibbereen Arts Centre, the Powerscourt Theatre Dublin and Bewley’s Cafe Theatre at the Dublin Theatre Festival in August 2019.
Between 1992 and 1999, Sheila published three novels, ‘Notions’, ‘More Notions’ and ‘Whispers’. Sheila Flitton has been, for many years, a council member of the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters’ Guild, and a member of the Writers’ Union. She has been a Committee member of Irish P.E.N. and a member of the Actors’ Council of Irish Actors’ Equity.
Dave Flitton, Sheila’s son and co-writer is an award-winning writer, director and producer of international television documentaries. As David Ahern, he is the author of the Madam Tulip mystery novels.
BEEZIE THE PLAY PRODUCTIONS AT THE ARAS REVIEWS ACTRESS WRITER
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