Under the expert guidance of Festival Director, Regina Bushell and respective committee members, diligent planning continues for the hosting of the 2024 RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival at the Dean Crowe Theatre.
The festival, which is held under the auspices of the ADCI, will take from Thursday, May 2 to Friday, May 10, concluding with a grand awards ceremony on Saturday, May 11.
Amongst the finalists at this year’s All Ireland Drama Festival are several premieres, that of a new Irish play, ‘Margaret’, ‘In the Shadow of the Glen: Reimagined’ (after JM Synge ) and a stage debut of ‘Radium Girls’. Two Arthur Miller plays also feature, while there will also be performances from two first time qualifiers, audiences in attendance certain to be entertained.
The draw for the nights on which the plays will be presented took place on Sunday evening, during the course of which the Festival Director noted that the festival had celebrated a number of significant anniversaries in recent years, “this year being particularly special as it marks the 20th year of RTÉ as title sponsor of the All Ireland Drama Festival”.
Festival Programme
Turning to the programme, former All Ireland winners, Bridge Drama, will perform ‘The Wake’ by Tom Murphy, on the opening night, Thursday. May 2.
Directed by Trish Doyle the play is a story of family, loneliness and resilience told with poignancy, humour and devastating truth.
On Friday, May 3, Wexford Drama Group will perform ‘How I Learned to Drive’ by Paula Vogel. Directed by Paul Welsh the play tells the story of an abusive relationship between a niece and her uncle during her adolescence.
On Saturday, May 4, former festival winners, Ballyduff Drama Group present ‘The Ferryman’ by Jez Butterworth. Directed by Ger Canning, the play is set during the Troubles, the Carney farmhouse a hive of activity as they prepare to celebrate the harvest. However, this year they will be interrupted by a visitor.
Former festival winners, Prosperous Dramatic Society, will perform ‘A View from the Bridge’ by Arthur Miller on Sunday, May 5. Set in an Italian-American neighbourhood on the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge the play is directed by Connie Broderick.
On Monday, May 6, first time qualifiers, Clontarf Players, will premiere ‘Radium Girls’ by D.W. Gregory at the festival. Directed by Myra Maguire, the play is inspired by a true story and follows Grace Fryer, a dial painter, as she battles for her day in court after falling ill to a mysterious ailment.
The 2023 All Ireland winners, Dalkey Players, will present ‘The Crucible’ by Arthur Miller on Tuesday, May 7. Directed by Emma Jane Nulty, the play tells the story of one man’s fight to save his identity in a repressive Puritan community where intolerance collides with lust and superstition.
On Wednesday, May 8, former festival winners, Newpoint Players present ‘In the Shadow of the Glen: Reimagined’ (after JM Synge ). Written by writer/director Seán Treanor, the original story is elaborated and expanded, with some characters being developed further.
First time qualifiers Ballycogley Players, directed by Pat Whelan, will perform ‘Out of Order’ by Ray Cooney on Thursday, May 9. When a Government Junior Minister plans to spend the evening with one of the opposition’s secretaries, things go disastrously wrong leading to a hilarious chain of events.
Finally, regulars at the festival, Ballyshannon Drama Society will premiere ‘Margaret’ a new Irish play by Shaun Byrne on Friday, May 10. This is the third of Shaun’s plays to be performed at the festival in recent years. Directed by Monica Doherty, the play centres on Margaret Thatcher in her final years.
Online ticket sales commence at 10am today (Thursday, April 18 ) from http://www.deancrowetheatre.com/ and at 12pm from the theatre box office, phone (090 ) 6492129. Admission €22. with concessions (€20 ) also available.
