All-Ireland Drama Festival is back and marking 70 years in Athlone
The RTE All-Ireland Drama Festival will be back with a bang in Athlone this May after a two-year pandemic enforced break, and it is set to be a special year as the event celebrates its 70th anniversary.
The festival, which provides a welcome boost to the local economy, aside from the social benefits, is set to get underway on Thursday, May 5 and running until Friday May 13, with the formal presentation of the awards happening the following night (Saturday).
“The RTE All Ireland Drama Festival Committee is looking forward to welcoming back the festival audiences to the refurbished Dean Crowe Theatre where they can meet up with old friends, make new friends and together once again experience the magic of live theatre in our lives,” commented Festival Director Regina Bushell.
The qualifying circuit comprising 33 drama festivals this year across the island of Ireland is already underway, with groups vying for a place in the All-Ireland decider.
The results which determine the nine plays that will get to the All-Ireland finals in Athlone can be found on the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland website as they come in.
Punters will not be disappointed with the plays on offer this year including 'Chapatti' Christian O’Reilly’s Dublin-set play is a two-hander which was last performed at the Galway Arts Festival and featured John Mahoney (RIP). David Lindsay-Abaire's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama 'Rabbit Hole', will bring audiences on an emotional journey, while chaotic 'God of Carnage' by Yasmina Reza makes a welcome return to the circuit.
Another play, 'Eurydice', by the gifted writer Sarah Ruhl is an adaptation of the mournful legend with a fresh take.
The first-time adjudicator at the Athlone festival this year is Michael Poynor, President and Chair of ADA. Trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, he has been Artistic Director in a number of theatres, he's currently based at the Ulster Theatre Company. He was also Chief Executive of the Millenium Forum in Derry and Head of Culture and Arts at Queen’s University, Belfast. He is also an award-winning director and lighting designer.
2022 festival attendees will also get to experience the newly refurbished Dean Crowe Theatre first-hand as they will see who will be crowned All-Ireland champions, following in the footsteps of the 2019 winners Prosperous Dramatic Society, with their production of 'Enemy of the People'.
An update will be issued shortly in relation to season ticket holders. Ticket information for the plays that qualify for the RTE All-Ireland Drama Festival will also be announced at a later date. For more updates closer to the festival launch, check out the dramafestival.ie website.