The 2011 RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival was officially launched at the Abbey Theatre on Wednesday night at a glittering reception attended by Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs, Jimmy Deenihan. Guests also included Judge Bryan McMahon, chairman of the Board of the Abbey Theatre and RTÉ director general Noel Curran, as well as representatives from the participating groups, the festival’s organising committee, and other drama personalities. The event renews links with the National Theatre which go back to the early days of the festival when many Abbey notables adjudicated at or officially opened the festival.
Meanwhile final touches are being put in place at the Dean Crowe Theatre, Athlone where the festival’s nine-night theatrical extravaganza gets underway from Friday April 29 to Saturday May 7. Ticket sales have soared as an unprecedented demand has ensured full houses for four of the nights, with less than one hundred seats left for each of the remaining five.
The high performance standard of the participating groups plus the heightened profile afforded to the event by main sponsor RTÉ has contributed to the enormous success the festival has enjoyed in recent years. It is evident that people have a great interest in drama and support for live amateur theatre at all-Ireland level and is a just reward for the long hours of input by hundreds of volunteers across the country in the run-up to the occasion.
A daily diet of fringe activities involving youth drama groups, artists, and workshop facilitators takes place during the week at venues around Athlone. Full details are available on the festival website at www.dramafestival.ie with entertainment in spades for visitors and locals alike.
Hailed as the premier event of its kind in Europe, the RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival is the perfect opportunity to kick-start the summer season. And with a lively festival club nightly at the theatre, the post-performance revelry will keep the festive atmosphere in full swing.
Contact the theatre box office at (090 ) 6492129 or visit the festival website for the last chance to get your seat.
