2005 Tipperary Drama Festival
CONFINED
1st – Muinter na Tire Cup : “The Kings of Kilburn High Road”, Droichead Nua Players
2nd : “Moodshine”, Brideview Drama Group
3rd : “The Cavalcaders”, Skibbereen Theatre Society
BEST ACTOR : James Lenane as Rev. Langton “Moonshine” Brideview Drama Group
BEST ACTRESS : Maggie Enright as Nell “Barndance” Ardagh D.G.
BEST SUPP. ACTOR : Mick Joe O’Connell as Maurteen “Kings of Kilburn High Road” Droichead Nea Players
BEST SUPP. ACTRESS : Jenny Fennessy as Bridget “Moonshine” Brideview Drama Group
BEST PRODUCER : Paddy Melia Droichead Nua Players
OPEN
1st – TIPP FM Trophy: “The Wake”, Palace Players Fermoy
2nd : “The Leiutenant of Inishmore”, Silken Thomas Players
3rd : “Blackwater Angel”, Ballyduff Drama Group
BEST ACTOR : Dermot Rohan as Finbar “The Wake” Palace Players, Fermoy
BEST ACTRESS : Valerie O’Leary as Vera “The Wake” Palace Players, Fermoy
BEST SUPP. ACTOR : .Joe Mullins Everard “Blackwater Angel” Ballyduff D.G.
BEST SUPP. ACTRESS : Margaret Mullins as Ruth “Blackwater Angel” Ballyduff D.G.
BEST PRODUCER : Liam Howard, Palace Players, Fermoy
OVERALL
HANNIFIN CUP : Ardagh D.G. “Barndance”
GALLAGHER AWARD : for most promising actor/actress – Abi Rowland Ballyduff D.G.
SCHOLARSHIP : Lynda Morgan, Silken Thomas Players
Dr. MORRIS MEMORIAL CUP : [Tipperary Group] Thurles D.G.
BEST SET OVERALL : [Josie Slattery Perpetual Trophy] . Ballyduff D.G.
1st ADJUDICATOR AWARD : Jim Minogue (Writer of San Patricios)
2nd ADJUDICATOR AWARD : Ballyduff, Set & Costumes
CERTIFICATES OF MERIT :
SCHOOLS WINNER
Ursuline Convent, Thurles “Turbulance (Room 16 Annette Flanagan)
Synopsis of the plays and history of the groups
Friday 11th March 2005 (Open) Sunrise- The Story of the San Patricios Nenagh Players
Synopsis of Play
The play follows John Riley from his enlisting into the Army of the United States in Michigan to war in the south with Mexico (1846/48). He switches sides and with other soldiers forms a group called ‘The San Patricios’ and fights with Mexico against his former comrades. The end of the first act sees John Riley and his friend, Patrick Dalton, taken prisoners following Mexican defeat at the battle of Churubusco. Act two focuses on the imprisonment and trial of these two men and their sentence culminating in the mass execution of members of the San Patricios, the largest state execution in North America. The play focuses on issues of war and peace, revenge and forgiveness and especially sacrifice, looking at the human journey and our effort to make sense of existence within a more cosmic lens.
History of Group
Founded in 1943, the Nenagh Players have presented at least one production every year since. They won the Confined All Ireland in 1998 with “Flight to Grosse Ile” written and directed by Jim Minogue, who also wrote and directs “Sunrise – the story of the San Patricios”. The players again won the Confined All Ireland in Ballyduff in 2000 with their production of Dermot Bolger’s “April Bright”. They reached the finals in Athlone in 2002 with “The Lonesome West”, their first venture into the Open section.
Saturday 12th March 2005 (Confined) The Cavalcaders by Billy Roche Skibbereen Theatre Society
Synopsis of Play
‘The Cavalcaders’ by Billy Roche explores the lives and loves of four barbershop singers and shoe repairmen from small-town Ireland. They spend their days mending shoes and their nights as singers of local legend. Their musical harmonies, however, are not reflected in their private lives.
History of Group
Skibbereen Theatre Society, from West Cork, has been in existence in various incarnations since the 1950’s. The group has reached the All-Ireland Confined Drama finals on four occasions in the pastdecade. The group had its most successful year ever in 2004, with ‘Stolen Child’, finishing second in the All-Ireland finals in Warrenpoint, where it won the Audience Award for Best Play, plus the Best Actress (Carmel O’Driscoll) and Best Lighting (John Hegarty).
Sunday 13th March 2005 (Open) The Wake by Tom Murphy The Palace Players
Synopsis of Play
Vera O’Toole is alone, adrift and living dangerously in New York where she survives as a call-girl. But she has a sustaining thought, a dream. She is not alone, she feels, because she has a family in Ireland; she belongs; indeed some day she may even become worthy of that family. Now, as the story begins, she returns home to Ireland to pay her respects to her dead and beloved grandmother and to discover her dream, her sustaining thought, turning into a nightmare….
History of Group
Founded in the Autumn of 1989, the Palace Players have become regular contenders in festivals up and down the country. They were All-Ireland winners in the confined section in 1995 with ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’. Their festival productions of recent years include Martin McDonagh’s ‘The Lonesome West’, Patrick Galvin’s ‘The Last Burning’ and John B Keane’s ‘The Chastitute’.
Tuesday 15th March 2005 (Open) The Lieutenant of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh The Silken Thomas Players
Synopsis of Play
Mad Padraic has been deemed to violent for the IRA, but when it comes to Wee Thomas, his cat, he has a real soft spot. When Wee Thomas is found dead on the road it’s down to his father and young neighbour to do anything they can to stop psychopathic Padraic finding out his beloved pet cat is dead.
History of Group
Silken Thomas Players have been performing on the circuit since 1991 winning the All Ireland Confined Section in Cavan that year with ‘Stags and Hens’. They were All Ireland Confined Winners again last year, in Warrenpoint with ‘Bent’.
Wednesday 16th March 2005 (Confined) The Kings of the Kilburn High Road by Jimmy Murphy Droichead Nua Players
Synopsis of Play
A group of six young men leave their homes in West of Ireland in the mid ‘70’s hoping to make their fortune in London and return home as Kings, but, 25 years later, one of the group finally makes it home, in a coffin. The Kings of the Kilburn High Road takes place on the day that the remainder of the group, a lot older and wiser, meet in the back room of a bar in Kilburn to “wake” their friend Jackie and reflect on their own lives, their dreams and their “place” in society.
History of Group
Droichead Nua Players was formed in October 2003 and is made up of experienced actors from various drama groups who between them, have won many awards for their acting abilities.
Thursday 17th March 2005 (Open) A Whistle in the Dark by Tom Murphy Thurles Drama Group
Synopsis of Play
The uprooted Carney family live in Coventry, England. Michael, the eldest, is the exception to the cult of violence that prevails; he would live a civilised life. But he has taken a tragic step: thinking to influence his brothers he has brought them to live with him and his English wife in his Coventry home. And now two more are arriving from Ireland to descend on him ….
History of Group
Thurles Drama Group first entered the Festival circuit in 1986. After winning the All Ireland Confined they went from strength to strength gaining experience in the Open Section. In 1996 their production of ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ made it to Athlone followed by ‘Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me’ in 1997. ‘Faith Healer’ made it three in a row by getting to Athlone in1998. In2003 the group once again qualified for Athlone with ‘The Enemy Within’ and in 2004 won many awards around the country with ‘The Belfry’.
Friday 18th March 2005 (Confined) Barn Dance by John Fraher Ardagh Drama Group
Synopsis of Play
A comedy, tells the story of the relationship between Barney Kelly and his father, known as the ‘Matador’ is set in modern times. The action centres around the construction of a new haybarn and the night of celebration to mark it’s completion.
History of Group
Ardagh Drama Group was founded in 1992 and has produced at least one play every year since. The group performs throughout Limerick county and City and in north Kerry. This is the fourth year running that we have produced a play by an unpublished writer.
Saturday 19th March 2005 (Open) Blackwater Angel by Jim Nolan Ballyduff Drama Group
Synopsis of Play
Set in Co. Waterford in a dangerous time, the summer of 1666, Blackwater Angel dramatizes the temptations of Valentine Greatrakes (1629-1683) and explores the relationships of this ‘stroker’, or miracle-worker, with his art, anxieties and fears, with his family and retinue, and with a troupe of strolling players. Jim Nolan’s entrancing new play weighs the effects of the siren-like foundling, Angel Landy, as the healer aspires to bestow on others and to achieve it in himself.
History of Group
Ballyduff Drama Group have been performing the Three-Act Drama festival circuit for over 20 years. In that time they have won Best Presentation, Best Stage Management and Best Actor awards at All-Ireland finals in Athlone. In 2003 the group were placed third with ‘Antigone’ and last year, 20 of hard work culminated in winning the All-Ireland Drama Final in Athlone with ‘On Raftery’s Hill’.
Saturday 20th March (Confined) Stolen Child by Yvonne Quinn & Bairbre Ni Chaoimh, Skibbereen Drama Group
Sponsored by John Bourke Engineering
The Play: The Play: Humorous, yet moving, Stolen Child tells the story of a woman adopted at birth who enlists thehelpof a colourful private detective to search for her mother and uncover the secrets of her family history. Stolen Child confronts the reality of this country’s abandonment of its most vulnerable children. It is being produced at a time of heightened interest in this critical issue.
The Group: The Group: Skibbereen Theatre Society has been in existence in various incarnations since the 1950s. Since the mid 1990s it has been going through something of a purple patch, as the group has reached the All-Ireland Confined Drama Finals on three occasions in the last decade. The group is making a determined bid again this year with this new and very topical play.
Sunday 20th March 2005 (Confined) Moonshine by Jim Nolan Brideview Drama Tallow
Synopsis of Play
Easter. A seaside town. The Protestant Church is closing down, and the local undertaker is determined to stage a version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Around these facts, Jim Nolan builds a moving and memorable play in which members of a motley cast search for their private resurrections.
History of Group
Brideview Drama Group had a most successful run in last year’s 3-Act Festival competition with ‘Cash on Delivery’. We made it to the All-Ireland finals in Warrenpoint after winning in Doonbeg and Castleisland and coming second in Tubbercurry and Ballyduff. At the finals we received both Best Presentation and Best Stage Management prizes.