Roscommon Drama Festival, under the auspices of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland (ADCI) showcases the very best in Irish Amateur Drama. This year’s adjudicator is Ms Paula Dempsey, ADA (Association of Drama Adjudicators). Drama groups from all over Ireland will be participating in both the Open and Confined sections as they attempt to make it to the All-Ireland Drama Festival.
Kilmeen Drama Group BALLYTURK By Enda Walsh OPEN
The lives of two women unravel quickly over the course of 90 minutes. Where are they? Who are they? What room is this, and what might be beyond the walls? Trapped in a small room, these women pass the time by imagining themselves in a small Irish village.
Gut-wrenchingly funny and achingly sad, and featuring jaw-dropping moments of physical comedy, Ballyturk is an ambitious, profound and tender work from one of Ireland’s leading playwrights
“A richly theatrical experience… combines manic physical comedy with a meditation on the brevity of our earthly existence”
Saturday 7th March
New Heritage Theatre OUTRAGE By Deirdre Kinehan OPEN
OUTRAGE is a play that explores the true nature of women’s role in the Irish revolutionary wars and in particular the Civil War in 1922.
Alice and Nell play key roles in organising civic resistance and the propaganda war. They are fervent, they are funny, they are human and they – like everyone else in Ireland, become deeply conflicted as the country spins toward a shattering Civil clash that split the nation, and continues to haunt Irish politics, society and culture to this day.
“OUTRAGE is a theatrical hurricane of emotion, empathy, action and truth”
Sunday 8th March
The Nenagh Players THE SALVAGE SHOP by Jim Nolan OPEN
The Salvage Shop explores reconciliation, redemption, love and failure through the fraught relationship of legendary local bandleader Sylvie Tansey and his gifted son Eddie. After twelve years, Sylvie still hasn’t forgiven his son for abruptly leaving the band, but when his father falls ill, Eddie returns home to care for him. Can a father whose time is running out and a son who has lost his way make amends?
“The play explores themes of redemption, forgiveness and the healing power of music within a family and community”
Monday 9th March
Dunmore Amateur Dramatic Society AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE by Henrik Ibsen (a version by Rebecca Lenkiewicz) CONFINED
Set in a small coastal town, the story follows Dr. Thomas Stockmann, a medical officer who discovers that the local Baths, a source of pride and prosperity for the community, are contaminated. When he attempts to publicize his findings, he faces fierce opposition from his brother Peter, the mayor, and other townspeople who prioritize their economic interests over public health
“An Enemy of the People is surreal, provocative and very funny”
Tuesday 10th March
Upstage Players THE YEAR OF THE HIKER by John B Keane CONFINED
Hiker Lacey left his wife and children 20 years ago to take to the road. Now, he returns, unknowingly, on the evening of his daughter’s wedding.The reception that he receives may not be what he was expecting.
As the drama unfolds Keane’s powerful writing gives us an insight into the effect on a family deserted by their globe-wandering father, the development of their coping powers, the reaction to his return and ultimately the real reason why the Hiker took to the roads and eventually returns
“The Year of the Hiker is a celebration of the struggles and joys of rural life, exploring themes of community, identity, and the impact of change on traditional values”
Wednesday 11th March
Corofin Dramatic Society WIT by Margaret Edson OPEN
Vivian Bearing, Ph.D., a renowned professor of English who has spent years studying and teaching the brilliant and difficult metaphysical sonnets of John Donne, has been diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. Her approach to the study of Donne: aggressively probing, intensely rational. But during the course of her illness – and her stint as a prize patient in an experimental chemotherapy program at a major teaching hospital – Vivian comes to reassess her life and her work with a profundity and humor that are transformative both for her and the audience.
“You will feel both enlightened and, in a strange way, enormously comforted’
Thursday 12th March
Glenamaddy Players CHAPATTI By Christian O’Reilly CONFINED
Romance is a distant memory for two lonely animal lovers living in Dublin. When forlorn Dan and his dog Chapatti cross paths with the amiable Betty and her nineteen cats, an unexpected spark begins a warm and gentle story about two people re-discovering the importance of human companionship.
These two souls are brought together and form a bond in part because of the love they have for their furry friends. There are laughs, maybe some tears and certainly revelations about how leaving ourselves open to the love of people, and pets, can help us get through the rough patches.
“Chapatti is a warm, gentle story demonstrating that love and romance can happen again even after many years”
Friday 13th March
Kilmuckridge Drama Group THE COMMUNICATION CORD By Brian Friel CONFINED
Brian Friel’s farce is set in a remote thatched cottage in Donegal which has been converted into a weekend retreat for the urban elite. Jack loans this cottage to his friend Tim, a shy linguistics lecturer, for one hour so he may impress his girlfriend’s father, a domineering senator, in order to secure tenure in a Dublin university. However, not everything goes according to plan resulting in complications, cover ups and confusion which is constantly hilarious.
“A hilarious and biting comedy”
Saturday 14th March
Dalkey Players SIVE by John B Keane OPEN
Sive, tells a searing tale of greed, manipulation, and the clash between tradition and the dreams of youth. Sive, a vulnerable young girl, finds herself at the heart of a spiraling family drama when a matchmaker and scheming relatives arrange her marriage to an elderly man, against her wishes.
This poignant play explores themes of autonomy, love, and societal pressure, offering a gripping narrative that resonates with contemporary audiences.
“A timeless tale of young love, greed and women’s place in 1950’s Ireland”
*please note an online sales fee of €1 per ticket will be applied to all online sales.
