Richard Bodin
As Record Store Day approaches tomorrow, I’m pleased to share that award-winning Limerick playwright Mike Finn is set to premiere his latest work, Wreckquiem, at the Limetree Theatre from June 25th to July 5th. I had the chance last year to attend a public reading of the play, featuring the star of the show, Pat Shortt. Saying that I’m excited would be an understatement.
Few playwrights have captured the spirit of Limerick with the same talent as Mike Finn. With acclaimed works like Pigtown and Bread Not Profits, Finn has shown a remarkable gift for telling stories grounded in the city’s history—stories shaped by the voices of its people, its working-class roots, and its evolving identity.
A Record Shop at the Heart of Change
Wreckquiem will be no different. This time, the story explores history as it unfolds today: how ‘progress’ and urban change are impacting local communities. The play takes place in Dessie’s Discs, a second-hand record shop in a town centre. The face of progress is embodied by Finton, a former plumber turned property developer, who is buying out buildings and businesses to build a brand-new commercial complex. Dessie’s shop is the last one standing.
Dessie is a man of conviction, and refuses to let go of the shop he has poured his heart and soul into for more than 20 years. His store is meticulously organised with sections like “Overrated Bollox,” “Utter Shite,” “Relaxin’ Shite,” and “Young People’s Stuff.” I’m sure every record-shop owner has dreamed of such an honest classification system. Though not exactly a commercial goldmine, Dessie’s shop attracts a small crowd of fiercely loyal customers—each more endearing than the last.
Progress, Spotify, and the Soul of Music
The play unpacks the idea of ‘progress’ in all its contradictions. One of its recurring themes is the eternal debate: “Why do you need records when you have Spotify?” Or, as Finton puts it: “Unless you’re a hipster with a beard down to your belly button, why would you buy a record?” Which, personally, gives me the ick (as people say these days)… Music isn’t something you just consume. It’s something you live. But Dessie says it best: “Music expresses everything it means to be human. To be alive. Everything. Our hopes and dreams and fears. (…) Ya see, nuthin’ happens without music. Nuthin’. (…) And without music, we’re nuthin’.”
A Tribute to Independence—and the People Who Keep Cities Alive
But mostly, as Mike Finn puts it, Wreckquiem is a celebration of independence. The independence of all the small shop owners who breathe life into city and town centres across the world. People who form the fabric of their communities, leaving a mark on the lives of neighbours and loyal customers alike. Remove them—replace them with impersonal franchises and anonymous shopping centres—and you unravel the most vital part of a town.
Wreckquiem has all the ingredients of another memorable play by Mike Finn, directed by Andrew Flynn. Dessie will be played by Pat Shortt in a role that feels perfectly suited. He’ll be joined by Sade Malone, Mark O’Regan, Pat Ryan, and Joan Sheehy. The show will be playing at the Limetree Theatre from June 25th til July 5th. Make sure you get your tickets soon.
A good opportunity to celebrate Record Store Day in Limerick
Mike Finn will be reading parts of the play in Steamboat Records in Limerick during the shop’s celebration of the Record Store Day, tomorrow, April 12th at 1pm. The shop will be hosting gigs and DJ Set all day from 9am til 9pm. Limerick’s other independent record shop, Downbeat Records, in the Wickham Way will also be playing live music from 3pm til 6pm.
