Silken Thomas Players are top of the drama class

Kildare group Silken Thomas Players were crowned All Ireland Champions last Saturday at the gala awards ceremony held in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone as the 2010 RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival drew to a close. Adjudicator Tom Doherty awarded the top prize to the group whose energetic production of Alan Bennett's school drama "The History Boys" swept audiences away with their masterful performances and slick scene changes. Producer Sean Judge picked up the award for Best Director, while the group also collected the awards for Best Set, Best Lighting and Best Stage Management. The group had previously won the competition in 2007 with "The Normal Heart" by Larry Kramer and they were runners up last year. Since arriving on the Open circuit in 2005, the group have earned a reputation for taking on challenging works such as "Trainspotting" and "Equus" and have never failed to seize the attentions of even the mildly curious. Other winners on the night included Seamus O'Rourke who won Best Actor for his portrayal of John in Corn Mill Theatre Company's production of "Shining City" by Conor McPherson; and Anne Shiels (Best Actress) who played Madge in Lifford Players' production of Brian Friel's "Philadelphia Here I Come!". The Best Supporting Actor award went to Jackie Scanlan of Ennis Players for his role as Shawn Keogh in Synge's 'The Playboy of the Western World' and the award for Best Supporting Actress went to Mary O'Sullivan of Shoestring Theatre Company as Rita Shanahan in 'The Salvage Shop' by Jim Nolan. Ballyduff Drama Group, who performed John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men". on the second night of the festival, set the standard for others to follow, but although nominated in most categories, they had to settle for 2nd place overall. Ennis Players came in 3rd with "The Playboy of the Western World" by J M Synge. Drama Summer School Scholarships went to Michelle Lehane (Shoestring Theatre Company), Lauren Gallagher (Lifford Players) and Brid Verling (Ballyduff Drama Group). In reviewing the occasion, Festival Director Billy Nott reported that with full houses every night, over 4,000 attendees enjoyed the theatrical extravaganza. "We are right to be proud of our theatrical tradition which involves so many people with an extraordinary work ethic. Amateur drama is one of the binding forces in our communities, and the local and All Ireland festivals reflect that", said Billy. This sentiment was echoed by ADCI Chairperson Aiden Reidy who praised the unsung heroes of amateur drama: the off-stage crews. "Between Confined and Open competitions, a total of 56 groups competed at 36 festivals nationwide giving as many as 331 performances", said Aiden "I salute all the groups - not just the nine finalists", he added. Adjudicator Tom Doherty said the festival was unique in that no-where could an audience see a different production performed for each of nine successive nights. Cathal Goan, Director General of RTÉ, expressed his delight at the continuing partnership between the state broadcaster and the Drama Festival. He praised the organising committee for their hard work and warm hospitality. As the curtain falls on what was one of the most successful festivals in years, organisers can look back on a job well done while patrons can bathe in the glow of nine memorable nights of drama.