John scoops School Playwright title as RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival begins

The 65th RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival is taking place in Athlone this week, with Arts Minister Heather Humphreys performing the official opening in The Dean Crowe Theatre.

Nine of the top amateur groups from around the country will stage plays nightly until next Friday, May 12. The gala presentation of awards takes place in the Radisson Hotel on Saturday, May 13, when adjudicator, Geoff O’Keeffe, will announce the winners.

The Festival, run by Amateur Drama Council of Ireland (ADCI), is the culmination of 36 local drama festivals nationwide. These took place from the end of February to early April, with some 30 groups taking part and the top nine qualifying for a place in the Athlone finals.

Philadelphia, Here I Come by Brian Friel is being staged by Leitrim’s Corn Mill Theatre group this Thursday, May 4 at 8pm. On Friday, Belfast’s Clarence Players stage The Mai by Marina Carr. Naas’s Moat Club are onstage on Saturday with The God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza, while Bunclody/Kilmyshall Drama Group from Wicklow will present Agnes of God by John Pielmeier on Sunday.

Conor McPherson’s The Seafarer will be staged by Cork’s Kilmeen Drama Group on Monday, and on Tuesday, Corofin Dramatic Society from Co Clare, will stage Martin McDonagh’s The Cripple of Inishmaan.

Bradán Players will be on stage on Wednesday with Blackbird by David Harrower and on Thursday, Dalkey players will present Dead Man’s Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl.

The final drama of the week will be The Play about the Baby by Edward Albee, presented by Prosperous Dramatic Society from Kildare.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.