THE curtain will rise for the 73rd time on Clare Drama Festival, when it gets underway this Friday night (March 25) at Scariff Community College Hall.
In addition to the home-grown talent, performers from as far afield as Mayo, Cork, Waterford, and Wexford will compete for the honour of winning at this prestigious event.
Clare Drama Festival Chairman, Eamon Moroney welcomed the return of the live festival circuit after a gap of three years. He said the committee is looking forward to meeting old and new patrons to Scariff in the coming days.
The festival will be officially opened by Louise Donlon, Executive Director of The Lime Tree Theatre, Limerick. Louise has been working in the arts for over 30 years, and has held roles including the General Manager of Druid Theatre Company, Galway at a time when the company was earning international acclaim. She was recently appointed to the Export Advisory Committee of Culture Ireland by Minister Catherine Martin.
The programme opens with a performance of Sive by John B Keane from Clann Machua Drama Group of Kiltimagh. In 1959 the play created theatrical history and its winning performance in Scariff is credited by John B with launching his playwriting career.
Saturday night sees Skibbereen Theatre Society perform Brighton by Waterford playwright Jim Nolan. Three people cross paths in a nursing home in London in this bittersweet comedy about friendship, determination, and survival.
On Sunday, Brideview Drama Group will stage The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh. It tells the story of Maureen Folan, a lonely woman in her early forties, and Mag her manipulative mother.
Mag’s interference in her daughter’s first and possibly only chance of a loving relationship sets in motion a chain of events that are as tragically funny as they are sad.
There will be no show on Monday, March 28, but the drama returns on Tuesday when Corofin Dramatic Society present Betrayal by Harold Pinter.
Wednesday sees Tulla Drama Group perform Big Maggie by John B Keane. This is a spellbinding story where the recently widowed Maggie Polpin takes power into her own hands. The committee are delighted to see their near neighbours treading the boards on the Scariff stage.
On Thursday, the Ray Leonard Players from Claremorris present their interpretation of The Beauty Queen of Leenane. It will be a challenge for drama enthusiasts to compare with the earlier production by Brideview.
Friday night sees Camross Drama Group from Wexford deliver The Kings of the Kilburn High Road by Jimmy Murphy. Six young men emigrate to London in the mid 1970s in the hope of making their fortunes. They meet after 20 years for the funeral of one of the six. Suffice to say that not all of them were successful.
On final night, Kilmeen Drama Group from West Cork stage Conversations on a Homecoming by Tom Murphy. A group of friends gather after an absence of ten years in a pub. As the play progresses, it emerges that none of them have fulfilled their dreams or potential and a few home truths and lies are exposed.
The festival adjudicator, Mr Walker Ewart ADA will give a public adjudication each night after the performance. He will also have a private adjudication with each group, where he will discuss the finer points of each play.
Mr Ewart is an internationally-recognised adjudicator who is making his third appearance at the Clare Drama Festival. Regular patrons are also adjudicators and can enter a competition to predict the festival winners.
On final night Saturday, April 2, Mr Ewart will announce the results of the festival.
Clare Drama Festival is one of 37 preliminary festivals all over Ireland which form the amateur drama circuit. The All-Ireland Confined Finals rotate around the provinces and will take place in Ballyshannon Abbey Arts Centre later this year. The All-Ireland Open Finals are held in the Dean Crowe Theatre in Athlone in early May each year.
Curtain up is at 8pm each night in Scariff and there is no need to pre-book.