‘Old Times’ Second in Mid-Ulster DF (Carrickmore), Richard wins Best Actor

Results from Carrickmore Drama Festival: Second Place – ‘Old Times’ by Ballyshannon Drama Society Best Actor – Richard Hurst as ‘Deeley’ Nomination for Best Producer – Conor Beattie Nomination for Best Lighting – Mark Fearon Nominations for Best Actress – Trish Keane, Rachel O’Connor

‘Old Times’ First in Newtownabbey Drama Festival, Best Actor, Best Director

Results from Newtownabbey Drama Festival: First Place – ‘Old Times’, Ballyshannon Drama Society Best Actor – Richard Hurst as ‘Deeley’ Best Director – Conor Beattie Best Décor – John Travers Nomination for Best Actress – Rachel O’Connor and Trish Keane Nomination for Best Technical – Mark Fearon for Lighting in ‘Old Times’ Nomination for Best Set – John Travers Nomination for Moment of Theatre – the lighting at the close of ‘Old Times’

Saturday Night’s Festival Play: Castleblaney Players present ‘The Salvage Shop’ by Jim Nolan, 8.15pm

Saturday 19th March, 8.15pm Castleblaney Players (Open) present “The Salvage Shop” by Jim Nolan The grace notes are silent at Garristown Brass Band but alcoholic bandmaster and opera buff, Sylvester Tansey is haunted by personal betrayal and the memory of a glorious past and won’t let go of the baton. As the band moves to replace him, Sylvie clings to the lifeline of the Annual Regatta. Meanwhile his son Eddie, euphonium player in exile, invokes the intervention of the great Luciano Pavarotti as he struggles to forge a reconciliation with his father. Prices – €15/€12

‘Old Times’ takes Second, Rachel wins Best Performer in Shercock

Congratulations to Rachel O’Connor on winning the Best Performer trophy for ‘Kate’ in the Open category at Shercock Drama Festival last night. There is only one Best Performer award per category. ‘Old Times’ came second, with Kilmeen taking first place. That leaves Ballyshannom Drama Society with 29 points after 3 shows (2 firsts, one second), out of a possible maximum of 36. Tonight we await results from 4 festivals: Newry, Carrickmore, Strabane and Newtonabbey. 

Friday Night’s Festival Play: Lifford Players present ‘A Crucial Week in the life of a Grocer’s Assistant’ by Tom Murphy, 8.15pm

Friday 18th March, 8.15pm Lifford Players (Open) present “A Crucial Week in the Life of a Grocer’s Assistant” byTom Murphy A Crucial Week in the Life of a Grocer’s Assistant is one of Tom Murphy’s earlier plays. Set in a rural town in Ireland in the Spring of 1958, it was first produced by the Abbey Theatre on the 11th of November 1969. The play tells the story of John Joe Moran, the shopkeeper’s assistant, as he wrestles with his personal dilemmas. Should he emigrate to England or America, like so many of his contemporaries and friends? Should he stay in his job as a grocer’s assistant? Should he marry his very young girlfriend who works above in the bank?…

Tonight’s Festival Play, March 17th: Prosperous Drama Society present ‘One Man, Two Guv’nors’ by Richard Bean, 8.15pm

Thursday 17th March, 8.15pm Prosperous Drama Society (Open) present “One Man, Two Guv’nors” by Richard Bean In 1960s Brighton, a socially naive Francis Henshall becomes separately employed by two men – Roscoe Crabbe, a local gangster and Stanley Stubbers, an upper class criminal. Francis tries to keep the two from meeting, in order to avoid each of them learning that Francis is also working for someone else. However, it turns out that Roscoe is really Rachel Crabbe in disguise, her twin brother Roscoe having been killed by her lover, who is none other than Stanley Stubbers. Mixed in with these chaotic events is Pauline Clench who was originally meant to marry Roscoe but is now set to elope with over-the-top…

Tonight’s Festival Play: Phoenix Players present “The Sunshine Boys” by Neil Simon, Confined, 8.15pm

Wednesday 16th March, 8.15pm Phoenix Players, Tubbercurry (Confined) present “The Sunshine Boys” by Neil Simon Al and Willie as “Lewis and Clark” were top-billed vaudevillians for over forty years. Now they aren’t even speaking. When CBS requests them for a “History of Comedy” retrospective, a grudging reunion brings the two back together, along with a flood of memories, miseries and laughs. Prices – €15/€12

Tonight’s Festival Play:’Factory Girls’ by Frank Mc Guinness, Newtownstewart Theatre Group (Confined), 8.15pm

Tuesday 15th March, 8.15pm Newtownstewart Theatre Company (Confined) present THE FACTORY GIRLS by Frank McGuiness    ‘The Factory Girls’ tells the story of five women facing the threat of redundancy, who stage a lock-in in a shirt factory in Co. Donegal. As their protest continues the woman learn more about each other and themselves as they explore their anger, courage and compassion. Prices – €15/€12