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22.07.2008
Sean’s Farewell
Our Secretary Sean Byrne has left to work in Australia. He played
a major role in helping to re-launch the Festival in 2007 and
acted as Secretary until his departure. He brought a lot of experience
and knowledge to our committee and worked extremely hard in promoting
the event.We wish him and his family well as they pursue new careers
down under.
From L-R: Mary Cox, Sean Byrne and Joe Nally. |
Sean Byrne pictured with Marie McCrann. |
15.03.2008
Cornmill
& Corofin Scoop Top Awards
at Roscommon Drama Festival
The
2008 Roscommon Drama Festival drew to a close on Saturday night
last March 15th following 9 nights of superb drama played to packed
houses throughout at Roscommon Arts Centre. Audiences delighted
in the mix and high calibre of productions staged as Cornmill
Theatre, Carrigallen‘s production of The Trappe Family and
Corofin Dramatic Society’s staging of The Beauty Queen of
Leenane took the top honours in the open and confined sections
respectively. To
see the list of winners and presentation photos click on the following
link:
2008
Festival Winners
15.02.2008
The Roscommon Drama Festival 2008 official launch was held in
held Glessons Townhouse on Friday night 15th February.
Click here
to see some pics from the occasion
Monday 22nd October 2007
Padraic
McIntyre to adjudicate 2008 festival
Padraic
is a native of Bailieboro, Co. Cavan and trained as an actor
at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.
He has worked as an actor throughout the UK and Ireland.
Recent
theatre includes: Talking to Terrorists Calypso Productions,
The Green Fool, National Tours (UpState Theatre Company),
Two Houses (Upstate Theatre Company), Winter Came Down (Quare
Hawks Theatre Company), Howie the Rookie (Library Theatre,
Manchester), Shagnasty & Duck (Guilded Balloon, Edinburgh),
Loves Labours Lost (English Touring Theatre, National Tour),
Big Maggie (New Vic Theatre), A Skull in Connemara (Rocket
Theatre, Manchester). Padraic is Artistic Director of Livin’
Dred Theatre Company based in The Ramor Theatre in Virginia.
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He
has directed their first eight productions The Beauty Queen of
Leenane, Belfry, (both of which were nominated for Irish Times
Theatre Awards) The Tale of the Blue Eyed Cat, The Snow Child,
The Children of Lir and The Little Dance Girl which he wrote for
the company. Last year he directed The Tinkers Curse by Michael
Harding and Conversations on a Homecoming for NOMAD/Livin’
Dred which toured the North Midlands in Autumn 2007. Both of these
productions have been nominated for Irish Times Theatre Awards.
Padraic
received his MA in Theatre Studies from DCU and is a member of
ADA (Association of Drama Adjudicators). He was a founder member
of NOMAD North Midlands Arts Development Network. Padraic is directing
Shoot The Crow by Owen McCafferty for Livin’ Dred which
will play in Roscommon Arts Centre on Thursday 1st and Friday
2nd May 2008.
Friday 23 March 2007 - from
an article published by the Roscommon
People
High praise for revival of Drama
Festival
Friday
night last saw a wonderful attendance at Roscommon Arts Centre
for the final night of the revived Roscommon Drama Festival. Throughout
the eight nights audiences were delighted with a
selection of plays that mixed traditional with contemporary from
both an Irish and international
perspective.
Visiting groups from Sligo, Galway, Thurles, Skibberreen, Dunmore,
Athlone & Dromahair provided
a feast of drama to suit all tastes, praised the revival of the
festival and commented on the great facilities that they found
at Roscommon Arts Centre. Over the eight nights audiences were
treated to such classics as ‘The Glass Menagerie’
from the Deep South of America, ‘Moll’ and ‘Sive’
from the independent republic of Kerry, ‘All My Sons’
a Broadway Hit from Post World War ll, ‘The Brothers Malone’
from the centre of drama in Ireland - Athlone - ‘A Thief
of a Christmas’ from the playwright’s
own backyard - Dunmore, ‘The Cripple of Inismaan’
from the Aran Islands and Sheelagh Stephenson’s
marvellous sisters’ drama from the North of England, ‘The
Memory of Water’.
The appearance of Athlone Little Theatre on Wednesday last was
a memorable historic occasion. At
seventy years old they are the longest established drama group
in the country. They have consistently produced three or four
plays each year since. Having retired from the Festival circuit
thirty years ago they went back on the road this year and had
their fi rst stab at collecting points for the All-Ireland in
the Roscommon Arts Centre. It’s ironic that Roscommon Festival
which has been revived after twenty seven years was their chosen
fi rst festival appearance in all that time. Jason Gill wrote,
directed and acted in their play, the brand new ‘The Brothers
Malone’ a political satire which the packed house lapped
up & joined in especially when they were asked to take part
in a selection convention for a general election. Fun was had
by all.
The adjudicator for this drama extravaganza was Dundalk woman,
Brid McBride. Asked for her impression of the Festival and Roscommon
she was full of praise: “The Roscommon committee was the
most united, democratic hard-working committee I ever came across
and mind you I am a veteran of Festival committees - here in Ireland
and many other corners of the globe like the United States, Germany,
Italy and even Japan. “This committee was seriously efficient
and friendly at the same
time. They made it look easy and I’ve never been as well
‘minded’ - anything I wanted, needed or
suggested was instantly available.
I liked the fact that they multi-tasked so the rota system took
in things like presentation, doing the raffel providing a taxi
service making the tea, etc. Noone person was landed with the
same job each night. “A highlight of their planning was
that instead of providing run of the mill trophies they commissioned
Michael Fayne to design and create pieces made from his trademark
bog oak. They will be treasured for a lifetime by those lucky
enough to have won them.
“The venue was excellent and Averyl Dooher and her staff
went the extra mile. The standard and
variety of Drama was excellent. The Roscommon people made me so
welcome that by the end of the
week when I visited the Farmers’ Market people were coming
up to me telling me which was their favourite play and commenting
on my post-show commentary. They weren’t shy about saying
whether
they agreed or disagreed with my opinion.
“Roscommon town has something that’s being lost in
other parts of the country - people who have time to stop and
wish you the time of day. Local indigenous shops, no paid-parking,
a Guesthouse which is also a number of other things - a home from
home, community centre, meeting point, tourist offce, advice centre
- I could go on but will conclude that Mary and Eamonn Gleeson
run a tight ship in a very friendly welcoming way..
I’ll be back.”
17.03.2007
To see the list of winners and presentation photos click on the
following link:
2007
Festival Winners
01.03.2007
The festival was officially launched in Gleeson's Townhouse on
Thursday 1st March 2007.
The
Roscommon Drama Festival will run for 8 nights with visiting drama
groups competing for awards and nominations to the RTE All Ireland
Finals in Athlone.
Click here to see some pics from the occasion
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