Acclaimed Irish playwright Donal O’Kelly’s award-winning play CATALPA tells the tale of a band of Irish expatriates in Massachusetts, in 1875.  This true story of the daring rescue of six Irish rebels follows their hair-brained scheme to sail a whaling ship to the colonial Prison in Fremantle, Australia to free six Fenian prisoners.  CATALPA was first produced in 1995 by Red Kettle Theatre Company at the Garter Lane Arts Centre (Waterford, Ireland), starring Donal O’Kelly, himself. The production toured to Edinburgh the following year, where it won the 1996 Scotsman Fringe First Award. It has since played at festivals and theatres around the world, including Kennedy Centre Washington DC, Melbourne, London, Chicago, New York, Toronto, Paris, Copenhagen, Glasgow, and Geneva always to enthusiastic audiences and rave reviews.Other awards include:  Best Event Award, Melbourne International Festival and a maximum four star review in the Washington Times. London Fringe Festival Awards Include: Best Solo Performance, London Fringe Impresario Award.