Jets and Sharks go head to head in Gaffney Hall

Ever since the Broadway debut of Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story in 1957, theatre companies, schools and other community drama groups across the world have viewed it as one of the most challenging works in its genre, not only in terms of acting, but also singing and dancing. The St Finian’s College TY students of 2025 approached the mammoth task with great dedication.

From the opening scene, the gang rivalry between the Jets and Sharks was demonstrated with striking choreography and dance. A mixture of gentle ballet and unapologetic fist-fighting excited audience members from the get-go. The singing and dancing were executed with accuracy and style throughout.

From the thrilling ‘Jet’s Song’ to the entertaining ‘Mambo’, the TY students had great fun delivering a show that was packed with amusement and extraordinary storytelling.

Students had the difficult task of taking on a wide variety of personalities. Characters ranged from the quirky Anybodys (played by Hazel O’Grady), who desperately wants her place in the Jets gang, to the sleazy detective Schrank (Callum Quinn) and his fellow police officer Krupke (Oisín Kehoe).

Other characters include the awkward Glad Hand (Cillian Carey), the old shop owner Doc (Ross Govan), the shy but passionate Sharks gang member Chino (Txema Lozano) and the hot-tempered Jets gang member Action (Max O’Keeffe).

Niamh Darcy’s performance as Maria was as sweet and musical as it was powerful and emotive. Her famous meeting with Tony (Seán McDonnell) after the ‘Dance at the Gym’ and the opening of the second act with the beloved ‘I Feel Pretty’ brought smiles to the faces of many in the audience.

Darcy showed her talent in being able to capture the raw emotions of her character in the duet ‘Somewhere’ with Tony. Seán played the lovable Tony with suave, showing his character’s innocence in musical numbers like ‘Something’s Coming’ and ‘Maria’, while also capturing his brokenness and humanity in the ‘Rumble’ scene and dramatic ‘Finale’.

In a wonderful ensemble cast, Seán stood out with his incredible performance as the earnest and passionate Tony. He shows a lot of acting potential, and will be playing the titular role in the upcoming The Phantom of the Opera at Mullingar Arts Centre.

Chloe Cahill’s performance as Anita showed her talent as a beautiful singer and also as an exceptional actor and dancer. Chloe made the fiendishly difficult ‘America’ look like a walk in the park as she took control of the stage in bringing this well-known musical number to life, and did so again with great aplomb in her final scene, confronting the mob of angered Jets in a heartfelt demonstration of sisterly love.

Ben Smith played the role of the charismatic Bernardo with great elegance and humour. Ben delivered his lines with clarity and captured the personality of the leader of the Sharks gang with marvellous confidence.

Jamie McDonnell played the role of Riff, the leader of the Jets, with great vigour. His dancing and singing were equally magnificent. He executed the choreographed dances and fight scenes with superb athleticism, emulating great leadership among his fellow actors on stage. One of his gang members, Big Deal (Ben Gilsenan), thrilled audience members leading the challenging choreography of ‘Cool’.

Aside from the comedy of musical numbers like ‘Gee Officer Krupke’, silence gripped the hall during several scenes throughout the show where characters expressed true vulnerability and passion, entering the tragic retelling of the Romeo and Juliet love story.

The cast delivered a mature performance, keeping audience members on the edge of their seats in songs like ‘A Boy Like That’, a heartbreaking duet between Maria and Anita, right up to the ‘Finale’, where the bitter feud between the Jets and Sharks comes to a gut-wrenching end.

The immersive set – designed by the students – brought the streets of New York City to Gaffney Hall in St Finian’s College. From Maria’s balcony and towering apartment blocks to the playground fences and galvanised gates, audience members were transported to the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

As if all of that wasn’t impressive enough, the entire production was choreographed by two fifth-year students, Haley Mulvany and Fiadh McColgan, with precision and skill.

The dedication to high standards showed in the enthralling dances seen on stage all week. Both Haley and Fiadh dedicated a great deal of time and effort to ensure the TY students were up to scratch for their big performance, and they did not disappoint.