Summer Theatre at Fanshawe Pioneer Village in London, Ont.

MEDIA RELEASE

July 3, 2012, London, Ontario

The Donnelly Sideshow is a true story of romance, faction fighting

and murder set in and around Lucan Ontario (just outside of London),

where writer-performer Jeff Culbert grew up.

Five members of the Donnelly family were brutally murdered in  
their homes in 1880, and over 130 years later, the story continues to  
inspire artists and scholars and to fascinate the general public. Many  
people know the family as “The Black Donnellys”, because of the 1954  
novel by Thomas P Kelley, but the term is now considered to be  
derogatory in Lucan.

One of the key characters in the Donnelly story is Johnny O’Connor,  
the 13-year-old boy who hid under a bed during the attack and  
witnessed the whole thing. In The Donnelly Sideshow, Jeff Culbert  
plays a grown-up Johnny O’Connor, who is out to tell the true story of  
the Donnellys. (Johnny was also a Lucan boy; in fact Jeff and Johnny  
grew up on the same street in the village.)

In the spirit of his mentor and hero Will Donnelly, Johnny doesn’t  
mind using a little showmanship, and in addition to the storytelling  
and dramatization, he sings four original songs about the feud. And in  
spite of the gruesome core of the story, he tries to tell it with good  
humour and spirit, because “you gotta keep up your ent’usiasm” or  
you’re finished. He is out to entertain, but also to find whatever  
form of justice he can salvage, seeing how the legal justice system  
failed the Donnellys so badly.

The Donnelly Sideshow, a play by Jeff Culbert will be the summer  
theatre feature this July at Fanshawe Pioneer Village.   Performances  
will take place Tuesday to Thursday, July 10 to 12 and again the  
following week, Tuesday to Thursday, July 17 to 19 at 7:30 pm.   
Tickets are  $15.00 each and can be booked on-line at   
www.fanshawepioneervillage.ca.  Advance booking is required.

Sponsored by Lerners LLP


Shows:
Tuesday, July 10th , Wednesday, July 11th and Thursday, July 12th
Tuesday, July 17th, Wednesday, July 18th and Thursday, July 19th


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Don’t miss these upcoming events…


Fanshawe Frolic: 1812 Dance Weekend at the Village-Saturday, August  
4th & Sunday, August 5th
The whole Village is coming to the 1812 ball!  Come learn the social  
dances of the Regency Period with Dance Mistress, Mme. Stephens on  
Saturday afternoon.  Enjoy a country supper in the evening, followed  
by a period ball with live band, Childgove of Ann Arbor, Michigan. All  
dances will be easy to learn and to do.  Period costumes are  
encouraged but not required.  Bring your whole family back on Sunday  
afternoon for Family Frolic; more dancing and afternoon tea.

Program:
Saturday:   10:30 – 12:30pm    Introduction to the Regency Era Dances
  2:00 – 3:30 pm  Regency Dances: Beyond the Basics

  6:00 – 7:00 pm  Period Supper
  7:30 – 11:00 pm Regency Ball

Sunday : 1:00 – 3:00 pm  Family Dance
  3:00 – 3:30 pm  Period Tea

Tickets:  $50.00 + HST per person for the 1812 Ball and supper. Family  
Frolic on Sunday with regular admission.  Book on-line at  
www.fanshawepioneervillage.ca.  Advance booking is required.


Fanshawe Agricultural Fair - Saturday, August 18th and Sunday, August 19th
Experience all the pleasures of a 19th century rural fair with  
threshing demonstrations, exhibits, rare breed displays, musical  
entertainment and classic cars.

For more information, contact:
Sheila Johnson
Executive Director
sjohnson@fanshawepioneervillage.ca
519.457.1296

Fanshawe Pioneer Village                                        FPVMuseum

Hayley Clarke
Administrative & Marketing Assistant
Fanshawe Pioneer Village
2609 Fanshawe Park Rd. E.
London, ON  N5X 4A1
Ph:  519-457-1296  Fax:  519-457-3364
BIG ON HISTORY.  BIG ON FUN!