2015 Roscommon Drama Festival schedule

Friday 6th
Seumas O’Kelly Players
The Communication Cord
by Brian Friel

This fast-paced comedy is set in a remote thatched cottage, which has been converted into a weekend retreat for the urban elite. Jack loans the cottage to his friend Tim so that he may impress his girlfriend’s father. Of course, nothing goes right from the start resulting in complications, cover-ups and confusion with hilarious consequences.
Seamus O’Kelly Players, Loughrea were established in 1994. This is their first visit to our festival.

Sat 7th
Bunclody-Kilmyshall Drama Group
Stolen Child
by Yvonne Quinn and Bairbre Ní Chaoimh

Humorous yet moving, Stolen Child tells the story of a woman adopted at birth who enlists the help of a colourful private detective to search for her mother and uncover the secrets of her family history. What begins as a personal odyssey to discover the secrets of her family history soon becomes a fascinating exploration of one of the darkest chapters in the history of modern Ireland. It is heart wrenching but also uplifting and light with lots of humour interspersed.
Bunclody/Kilmyshall Drama Group were reformed in 1998 and have been performing on the festival circuit ever since. They were winners of our Festival in 2009 with their excellent presentation of “The Wake” by Tom Murphy.

Sun 8th
Dunmore Amateur Dramatic Society
Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me
by Frank McGuinness

Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me is a startling testament to the power of the human spirit. Following an Englishman, an American and an Irishman through their experience as hostages in Lebanon, McGuinness’ multi-award winning play is both funny and moving. As the three men wrestle with their differences to develop an extraordinary friendship, we are asked to consider life on the edge of human existence. How do they maintain their sanity and humanity, armed only with hope, humour, and sheer determination?
D.A.D.S. was formed in 2003 and they have been on the full-length circuit since 2005. They qualified for the All Ireland Confined Finals on several occasions and won the Confined All Ireland One Act Finals here in 2013.

Mon 9th
Yellow Moon Theatre Company
Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel

This extraordinary award winning play is the story of the five unmarried Mundy sisters, barely making ends meet in a small Irish village in 1936. It is August, the time of the Festival of Lughnasa. However, while the community around them participates in these festivities, the Mundys remain isolated. Their existence is sparse, interrupted by brief, colorful bursts of music from the radio — their only connection to notions of romance and hope. Heart-warming, poignant and touching on many levels.
Yellow Moon is a drama group, based in Gorey, Co Wexford. Their last visit with us was in 2012 with their excellent production of “On Raftery’s Hill” by Marina Carr.

Tues 10th
Phoenix Players
Play On by Rick Abbot

Have you ever wondered what went on behind the scenes of a play or how a production is put together? Play On is about a community theatre group attempting to perform a play written by a novice — a local playwright — who unfortunately for the cast, continuously rewrites the play. The new material makes is hard for the cast to keep track of what is coming next! A hilarious comedy with all sorts of confusion and rib-tickling events that is sure to keep you laughing.
The Phoenix Players began in Tubbercurry in 1945 and have been going strong since, competing in One Act and Three Act Festivals as well as presenting musicals, pantomimes and youth theatre.

Wed 11th
Rasper Players
Woman and Scarecrow
by Marina Carr

This is a dreamy, if sometimes bitter, play about death and the perspective that it can throw upon the life that is coming to a close.
The unnamed Woman is a lapsed Catholic only a few hours from death. For two hours, we observe both her pain and her thoughts, although both are subverted by a clear, hallucinatory medicine offering comfort and nightmares in equal measure. What surprises so many people is that you find yourself laughing as you watch this compelling piece of theatre.
The dialogue is sharp and witty as it takes the audience on a most intriguing journey.
Rasper Players are a drama group based in Gorey, Co. Wexford. They have been in existence since 2011 and have competed successfully on the Festival circuit since then.

Thurs 12th
Estuary Players
The Drawer Boy
by Michael Healy

The play is set in 1972 on a farm in Ontario, where the hard but placid workaday life of Morgan and Angus is interrupted one morning when an unusual visitor comes to call. An eager-eyed young actor, Miles is researching a theatre piece about farming, to be put on by his Toronto-based theatre.
“A beautifully written piece, humorous and heart-wrenching” The New York Times.
Estuary Players are based on the north side of Dublin. In the past they have presented the Irish Premiers of “3 Days of Rain” (2012) and “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” (2009). They previously won the All Ireland with Arthur Miller’s “The Price” and the aforementioned “Judas Iscariot”. Last year they brought us O’Casey’s “The Plough & the Stars”.

Fri 13th
Take 5
MOMologues
by Lisa Rafferty, Stefanie Cloutier and Sheila Eppolito

The play is about the ups and downs of motherhood; what binds mothers together, not what sets them apart. It rips away the mask of parenthood to reveal what all mothers know but don’t always talk about: it’s overwhelming and exhausting, but also very, very funny.
Take 5 Drama Group started out in 2008 following a drama workshop which was held in Rathcormac, Co Cork. Last year they presented “Little Gem” by Elaine Murphy at our Festival winning many awards on their way to second place in the All Ireland Confined Finals.

Sat 14th
Kilmuckridge Drama Group
Kings of the Kilburn High Road
by Jimmy Murphy.

In the mid 1970s, a group of young men left their homes in the West of Ireland and sailed across the sea to England in the hope of making their fortunes and returning home. Twenty-five years later only one, Jackie Flavin, makes it home – but does so in a coffin. The winners and losers of the group meet up to drink to Flavin’s memory and look at their lives, lost dreams and their place in the new Ireland.
“Lively, funny and often poignant.”
Kilmuckridge Drama Group was reformed in 2008 with the objective of providing a drama outlet for local talent. They have enjoyed huge success with their productions of The Plough and the Stars, Juno and the Paycock and Canaries. They were winners of our Confined Festival in 2009 and 2010 and were All Ireland Confined winners last year with their production of “The Weir” by Conor McPherson.