58th North Cork Drama Festival swings into action
Thursday March 04 2010
THE 58th North Cork Drama Festival gets underway at the community hall, Chapel Street, Charleville, on Friday, March 12, until Saturday, March 20.
Festival director, Elizabeth O'Gorman O'Brien and her committee have assembled an attractive programme with five groups competing in the open section of the festival and four groups bidding to win the confined category.
The adjudicator, Myles Purcell will judge the presentations of groups from Co. Waterford (Brideview), Kilmeen (West Cork), Fermoy, Thurles and Nenagh in the open competition and from Ardagh, Co. Limerick, Conna, Co. Cork, Doonbeg, Co. Clare and Dunmore, Co. Galway, in the confined contest.
The festival opens with Ardagh Drama Group from Co. Limerick with Michael Carey's Thy Will Be Done followed by Brideview Drama Group with Pied A Terre by John Anastasia. Firm favourites and last year's winners of the open section, Kilmeen Drama Group from west Cork present Eugene McCabe's King of the Castle.
Fermoy man, Liam Howard, long-time director of the Palace Players, has penned his own play, Letter from America and his group will present this work on Monday, March 15, at the festival. Tuesday, March 16, sees the first of two John B. Keane plays when Conna Dramatic Society stage the evergreen Sive and on St. Patrick's night Doonbeg drama group from Co. Clare present Big Maggie both groups in the confined section.
Thurles Drama Group's play is Brian Friel's Aritstocrats followed by another Tipperary group, the Nenagh Players's production of Agnes of God by John Pleimeier, this on Friday, March 19, and on Saturday, March 20, DADS Dunmore present Bernard Farrell's The Last Apache Reunion followed by the final adjudication and presentation of prizes.
The plays commence each night at 8.30pm. Admission each night is €12 with concessions of €8 and a season ticket for all productions is available at €55. Booking is at the Oriel, Main Street, on (063) 81824 (during business hours only).
- MIKE MCGRATH
