Festival 2020

South Wicklow Drama Festival will host the All Ireland Confined Drama Finals in 2018

South Wicklow Drama Festival are delighted to announce that for the first time in its history, The All Ireland Confined Drama Finals under the auspices of the ADCI will be held in County Wicklow. The venue for the Festival will be St. Brigid’s Hall, Carnew and the Festival will run from 13th – 21st April, 2018.

An exciting and busy time lies ahead for the South Wicklow Drama Festival committee in planning possibly one of the most exciting events to take place in the County for many years. It heralds a real opportunity for Carnew and the County to showcase everything that is good in the area.

This exciting opportunity has been met with great approval by the committee, business people, community groups and many theatre lovers in the area.

The Adjudicator for the 2018 All Ireland will be Tom Byrne. A native of Celbridge, Co. Kildare, Tom had over thirty years involvement with amateur drama. He is best known for his work with Bradán Playes, Leixlip of which he was founder and artistic director. He is a much sought after Director and the committee look forward to working with him in April.

The All Ireland Finals Confined Drama Finals rotate from Province to Province and this is the first time that a venue in County Wicklow will have the privilege of hosting the Finals. This event will bring some of the best amateur productions from across the country to Carnew, all competing for the much coveted ‘Claregalway’ Trophy. This award was last in the area when it was won by Kilrush Drama Group with their production of Billy Roche’s Poor Beast in the Rain in 2015.

ACDI All Ireland Confined Table

The 2018 Festival Circuit came to a close on Sunday 26th March and we would like to congratulate the 9 All Ireland Confined Drama Finalists who will visit Carnew between 13th – 21st April. The draw to find out what night each group will perform will take place on Saturday 31st March and the line up will be announced that evening.

Antigone

“Antigone” is based Sophocles Greek tragedy of the same name. This version written by the great French writer Jean Anouilh in 1944 is a more modern telling of the Greek classic.

The young, slender, 17 year old Antigone is representative of the modern day freedom fighter as she resolutely deifies a solemn edict declared by her uncle King Creon, to the point of being put to death.

“Antigone” is an outstanding example of Anouilh’s unerring technical skill. It is a permanent landmark in 20th century French theatre and is regularly performed and studied around the world.

Crew

The Cripple of Inis Maan

The members of Kilrush Drama Group present “The Cripple of Inis Maan”. This outrageous comedy was set on the Island of Inis Maan in 1934 during the making of the film, “The Man of Aran”. Milking the play for every ounce of comedy is Director Mick Byrne backed up by a talented cast. Aunts Eileen and Kate are being played by Anne Sheridan and Cathy Tighe, while Maurice Ruth plays the role of Johnnypateenmike. Young performers, Evan May, Alan O’Neill and Ellie Condren, take on the roles of Cripple Billy, Bartlay and Slippy Helen respectively, while Joe Sinnott and Owen Doyle play Babbybobby and Dr. McSharry, and Josephine Byrne plays “Mammy”.

Davy Donohoe takes on the onerous task of Stage Manager for this year’s production.

The first performances of this production can be seen in “St. Brigid’s Hall” Carnew, on Friday the 15th of February and Sunday the 17th. The group will then travel North and South with their production to Festivals on the Drama Circuit.

Crew

On Raftery’s Hill

On Raftery’s Hill is a strong drama about a dysfunctional family in the midlands. Another generation struggles to escape the cycle of depravity and the rancid atmosphere of Raftery’s Hill.

Marina Carr unmasks a world “so horrible it has to be true”.

Cast

Crew

The Playboy of the Western World

Kilrush Drama Group performed The Playboy of the Western World at Kilmuckridge, Rush, Lislea, Rocommon, Gorey, Rathangan and Cavan Drama Festivals on the 2011 Circuit.

Congratulations to all involved who won awards including; Best Supporting Actor for both Alan O’ Neill and Michael Dunbar; Best Comedy Moment; Best Costumes for Jacinta Kavanagh; Best Actress for Ellie Condren; Best Lighting for Kevin McEvoy and Best Set.

Cast

Crew

The Lonesome West

Kilrush Drama Group will perform ‘The Lonesome West’ by Martin McDonagh in St. Brigid’s Hall, Carnew on Sunday 22nd and Monday 23rd April before their All Ireland performance in Shercock, Co. Cavan on Thursday 26th April.

The group performed at festivals in Lislea, Rush, Kilmuckridge, Roscommon, Wexford, Kildare, Gorey and Cavan. Congratulations to Mick Byrne who won numerous Best Producer awards, Michael Dunbar & Joe Sinnott who won Best Actor awards, Brendan Doyle who won Best Supporting Actor Awards, Ellie Condren who won Best Actress & Best Supporting Actress awards, Stephen Ellis who won a Special Effects award and Kevin McEvoy who won a Best Lighting award. Also well done to all involved on winning the Audience Cup in Gorey, Best Play in the Dioscese and a Best Set award in Wexford. Break a leg to all involved in the Confined All Ireland in Shercock.

Cast

Crew

Setting: Leenane, Galway. Period: 1997

Symposis of the Play: Part of the Leenane Triology by Martin McDonagh, The Lonesome West tells of the frustration of a young alcoholic priest to reconcile two middle aged, feuding brothers, and to stop them killing each other. He also has to ward off the romantic advances of the young Girleen, in a parish he calls the crime capital of Europe. Martin McDonagh’s ability to mix hilarious comedy with violence and dark moods makes him one of today’s most popular playwrights.

Photo courtesy of Tom Byrne

Our Town

Kilrush Drama Group performed Our Town by Thornton Wilder at festivals in Lislea, Rush, Kilmuckridge, Wexford, Gorey and Ballyduff in West Waterford getting two wins, a second and a third enabling them to qualify for the Confined All Ireland in Rossmore, Co. Cork which took place from 19^th – 27^th April 2013. Kilrush performed in Rossmore on Tuesday 23rd April 2013.

Congratulations to Ger Byrne who won an All Ireland Award for Best Stage Management and also to Cora Tyrrell who was presented with a special gift of books from the adjudicator, Padraic McIntrye. Congratulations also to Ellie Condron who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, Michael Dunbar who was nominated for Best Actor and to Kevin McEvoy, Billy Molloy and Martin Austin who were nominated for a Best Lighting award.

2013 Festival Circuit Awards Success

Congratulations to Mick Byrne who won two Best Producer awards, Michael Dunbar who won Best Actor awards, Seamus Burnell who won a Best Supporting Actor Award, Ellie Condren who won Best Actress & Best Supporting Actress awards, Anne Sheridan & Marie Dunne who won a joint Best Supporting Actress Award, Cora Tyrrell who won an Adjudicator’s Award, Paddy Byrne who won a Best Sound Award, Ger Byrne who won a Best Stage Manager Award, Jacinta Kavanagh who won a Best Costumes Award, Lar Duffy & the choir who won an adjudicator’s award and Kevin McEvoy who won an adjudicator’s award for lighting.

Also well done to all involved on winning the Best Play in the Diocese of Ferns in Gorey, a Best Presentation Award in West Waterford and an Adjudicator’s Award for the logistics of organising our 36 strong cast. Break a leg to all involved in the Confined All Ireland in Rossmore.

Cast

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Setting: Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire. Period: 1901 – 1907

Symposis of the Play:

In Our Town, Thornton Wilder set out to bring realism, and to celebrate the innocent, simple and religious. Yet he tried to endow individual experience with cosmic significance. Our Town is both an affectionate portrait of American Life and ‘an attempt to find a value above all price for the smallest events in our daily life’. The play has become a classic of the American Theatre.

Set at the turn of the 20th century, the play reveals the ordinary lives of the people in the small town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, U.S.A. The play focuses particularly on the lives of George Gibbs, a doctor’s son, and Emily Webb, the daughter of a newspaper editor. Act I takes place in 1901 and depicts a typical day in the town. Act II, which takes place in 1904, shows the wedding of George Gibbs and Emily Webb. Act II, which takes place in 1913, depicts the interaction between Grover’s Corners dead townspeople and the living ones.

The Cavalcaders

Kilrush Drama Group’s 2014 Festival of The Cavalcaders by Billy Roche came 3^rd in the All Ireland Drama Finals in Claremorris. Ellie Condren won the Best Supporting Actress Award and Kevin McEvoy won the Best Lighting Award.

CAST

CREW

Setting: Small town Ireland.

Brief History of the Group: Kilrush Drama Group was founded in 1964 and are celebrating their 50^th Anniversary in 2014. We have performed 66 plays in the last 50 years, first appearing in an All Ireland in 1972. In 2003 we started to present an annual Autumn production in our local hall in Ballyroebuck. The Group established the South Wicklow Drama Festival in 2005. We performed Our Town by Thornton Wilder in the 2013 Confined All Ireland Final.

Synposis of the Play: The Cavalcaders explores the lives and loves of four barbershop singers and shoe repairmen from small-town Ireland. They spend their days mending shoes and their nights as singers of local legend. Their musical harmonies, however, are not reflected in their private lives.

Poor Beast in The Rain

Dreams came true for Kilrush Drama Group and in particular, for Director, Mick Byrne in 2015 when Kilrush Drama Group were announced as the Winners of the All Ireland Confined Drama Finals in Kilmuckridge with their production of ‘Poor Beast in the Rain’ by Billy Roche. Founding member of Kilrush, Mick Byrne, who had been at the helm of the group since it’s foundation in 1964 was also awarded Best Producer. Ellie Condren also won Best Supporting Actress.

Proud Director, Mick Byrne, with the Claregalway Trophy

CAST

CREW

Setting: Betting Shop in Wexford Town. Period: 1980’s

Brief History of the Group: Kilrush Drama Group celebrated their 50^th Anniversary in 2014 and launched a book of photos, facts and stories from down through the years entitled ‘Drama at Kilrush’. Current director Mick Byrne was the founding member and is still at the helm of the group. During the 50 years of Kilrush DG, they have produced 71 plays and have appeared in the 3 Act All Ireland Finals on 16 occasions.

Synopsis of the Play: Eileen works in her father’s betting shop. Molly, Steven and Joe manage to keep their regrets about the past safely locked away and young Georgie is ready to turn his back on the outside world and follow their example, until the return of the legendary Danger Doyle. Having turned his back on the cycle of missed opportunities and thwarted desires to run away to London with Eileen’s mother, Danger Doyle now offers Eileen the possibility of escape.