Three Co Wexford drama groups are set to take part in the national one act drama festival having wowed audiences across Ireland over the past number of weeks.
Coolgreany Drama group recently closed the curtain on its highly successful 2023 One Act Drama festival that took place across four nights including a matinee performance.
The festival attracted large and appreciative audiences to St Mogue’s Hall in Inch where drama groups from near and far competed for awards and places in the One Act Drama Final.
Coolgreany Drama thanked all who made the festival a success including the wonderful audiences, the marvellous adjudicator Geoff O’Keeffe, the talented performers and drama groups, generous sponsors and advertisers, the hard-working committee and all who volunteered their time to help out.
Drama festivals are held around the country during October and November each year. These are qualifying festivals for the All Ireland Finals and drama groups that finish first, second and third in the festivals get points in a league table. Various drama groups around the country organise the festivals and many groups hold festivals and also compete in the competition. Those with the most points qualify for the All Ireland finals in the first weekend of December.
The festivals have now finished and overall 11 groups have qualified for the finals. Local groups Coolgreany, New Ross Drama Workshop and Bunclody/Kilmyshall are among the qualifiers that will compete in the All Ireland Finals in December.
Members of the Coolgreany Drama Group performed their production of ‘My Narrator’ at the opening night of the One Act Drama Festival in Gorey Little Theatre. If you missed it at the festival recently, Coolgreany Drama will be performing ‘My Narrator, directed by Norah Finn again in the All Ireland One Act Drama Finals in Castleblayney on the first weekend of December. They will be joined in the finals by their local neighbours New Ross Drama Workshop and Bunclody Kilmyshall Drama Group.
In the South Leinster One Act Drama Festival in Gorey the Balally Players came first in the open category, Coolgreany Drama came second, followed by Kilrush Drama. In the confined category New Ross Drama Workshop came first, followed by Navan Theatre Group.
The award winners of the Coolgreany One-Act Festival are as follows;
Best Play (Open Section): Salome, Balally Players
Best Director (Open Section): Gary Wall, Balally.
Best Play (Confined Section): The Lover, New Ross Drama Workshop.
Best Director (Confined Section): Peggy Hussey.
Best Performer (Open Section): David Walsh, Balally.
Best Performer (Confined Section): Brid Moloney, New Ross.
Best Newcomer Award: Patrick Murphy, Conna Drama Group.
Donal Courtney Award for Best Comedic Performance: Nigel Ryan, Navan Drama Group.
Best Design: Design team, Kilrush Drama Group: Paddy Byrne, Dougie Doyle, Mick Byrne, Tommy Kavanagh and Eamonn Doran.
Adjudicator’s Award: Maurice Ruth and PJ Arthur, Kilrush Drama Group.
Audience award: Navan Theatre Group.
Source : Independent
