Ballyshannon Drama Group sweep the boards at Kiltyclogher Drama Festival

For the second year in a row Ballyshannon Drama Group  took first place in the Open Section of Kiltyclogher Drama Festival with their fine production of "A Delicate Matter” by Edward Albee.  Clontarf Players won the Confined Section with their production of the Oscar Wilde classic, “The Importance of Being Earnest”.

The Adjudicator, Evelyn O’Sullivan thanked the Committee for inviting her to adjudicate at her first three act Drama Festival.  She praised the hard work and dedication of the groups who took part in the Festival.  She felt there was a very high standard in both sections at the Festival.  She thanked the audience for their attention and attendance during the Festival. She paid tribute to the members of the hard-working committee and all the people she had met over the week for their lovely welcome and the kind attention she received over the course of the week.

On behalf of the Drama Festival Committee, Frank Fox thanked the Adjudicator for sharing her knowledge of the plays and the playwrights with the audience at the end of each show.  He acknowledged the hard work of all the people in the community who help in various ways to keep the Festival going -  the ladies and gentlemen who turned out over the eight nights to cater for the groups, man the doors, sell tickets and all who worked behind the scene to keep the festival running smoothly. He thanked Killasnett Co-op who had sponsored all the individual prizes for the Festival and all the sponsors who support the Festival each year with their generous contributions. He thanked the audiences who had attended in such great numbers over the week.   He paid tribute to the six groups, some of whom had travelled long distances to compete in the Festival, they had entertained us with of first class drama. 

The Drama Festival Committee wished to thank the two groups, Spiódar Theatre Group and Corn Mill Theatre who performed during the Festival in a non-competing capacity. Both groups played to full houses and added greatly to the overall enjoyment of the Festival.

Festival Results:

Open Section

Blue Riband (Teresa Relihan Perpetual Memorial Trophy):   Ballyshannon Drama Group – A Delicate Balance  

Winning Play (Merenda Perpetual Trophy):   Ballyshannon Drama Group – A Delicate Balance

 Best Director:   Rachel O’Connor - Ballyshannon Drama Group – A Delicate Balance

 Best Actor:   Richard Hurst – Ballyshannon Drama Group – as Tobias in A Delicate Balance

 Best Actress:  Trish Keane - Ballyshannon Drama Group – as Agnes in A Delicate Balance

 Best Supporting Actor:   Pat Sinnott – Ballycogley Players – as Zorro in The Red Iron

 Best Supporting Actress:    Ballyshannon Drama Group – Deirdre Ferguson as Julia in A Delicate Balance

Confined Section 

Best Play  (Dr McManus Perpetual Cup):   Clontarf Players – The Importance of Being Earnest

Best Director:   Myra Maguire - Clontarf Players – The Importance of Being Earnest 

Best Actor:   Ronan Richardson - Clontarf Players – as Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest

 Best Actress:    Ellen O’Malley - Clontarf Players – as Gwendolen in The Importance of Being Earnest

 Best Supporting Actor:    Ronan Morris - Clontarf Players – as Jack in The Importance of Being Earnest

 Best Supporting Actress:    Eilish Kelly – Pmoeroy Players – as Anta in The Hen Night Epiphany

Awards over both Sections

Ajudicator’s Award:   Ellen Cloney – Director, Ballycogley Players - The Red Iron

Best Moment of Theatre:    Pomeroy Players – Dance scene in The Hen Night Epiphany 

Most Promising Actor:    Hannah O’Brien, Newtownstewart Theatre Company

 Best Set:   Ballyshannon Drama Group – A Delicate Balance