Thursday 16th at the Festival: Phoenix Players (Tubercurry) present ‘The Third Policeman’

‘The Third Policeman’, the Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon, March 16th, 8.15pm. Next Thursday, Phoenix Players of Tubercurry bring Flann O’Brien’s ‘The Third Policeman’ to the Abbey stage. Is it about a bicycle? Is it about Heaven? Is it about Hell? Is it about God? Is it about Life? Is it about Death? In Flann O’Brien’s hilarious, curious play ‘The Third Policeman’, we meet dead men walking. However, this will not be the strangest encounter you will have over the course of this evening. In this play you will hear of people who can see the colour of the wind, see bicycles that are half people and among other things watch an elevator descend to Eternity so with an open mind…

Wednesday 15th at the Festival: Letterkenny Music and Drama present ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night’

‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night’, the Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon, March 15th, 8.15pm. Next Wednesday night sees the return of Letterkenny Music and Drama Group to our drama festival as they present Eugene O’Neill’s classic ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night’. A semi-autobiographical account of O’Neill’s own upbringing, it tells the tragic story of the damaged and tormented Tyrone family over a long hot summer’s day in Connecticut in 1912. As the day progresses, they gradually come to terms with their addictions, their blame on each other and their own over-riding guilt as long built-up family tensions rise to the surface and threaten to destroy them. Over the years it has been performed by actors as diverse as Jack Lemmon, Kevin…

Tuesday 14th at the Festival: Lifford Players present ‘Abigail’s Party’

‘Abigail’s Party’, the Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon, March 14th, 8.15pm. Next Tuesday night, we have our first entry in the Open category as Lifford Players present ‘Abigail’s Party’ by Mike Leigh. The play is a suburban situation comedy of manners. Beverly Moss invites her new neighbors over for drinks. People loosen up as the alcohol takes effect. All the prejudices and fears of the protagonists are ruthlessly exposed.   BEVERLY – CLARE TUTTLE LAURENCE – EDWARD FLANAGAN ANGELA – ANDREA EMMET T TONY – GILBERT YOUNG SUSAN – DEE DEE DIVER DIRECTOR – EDWARD FLANAGAN CREW Lighting: Jarlath Houston; Sound: Robert Mc Crea; Stage Manager: Jonny Brennan; Make Up: Kate Redmond; Crew: Tom Nelis, Mike Redmond, Aidan O’Doherty     ‘Abigail’s Party’, the Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon, March…

Monday Night at the Festival: Newtownstewart Theatre present ‘The Hen Night Epiphany’

  ‘The Hen Night Epiphany’, the Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon, March 13th, 8.15pm.   Monday night at the Ballyshannon Drama Festival sees the return of the Newtownstewart Theatre Company with their production of ‘The Hen Night Epiphany’. Should some secrets never be kept no matter what the cost? Five women come together to help clear out a run-down cottage a week before the wedding of its new owner, Una. Joining her on this hen night of sorts are her two best friends, Kelly and Triona, her soon to be mother-in-law, Olive, and Olive’s best friend, Anita. But Una is keeping a secret that, if revealed, will detroy all hopes of her dream wedding and living happily ever after with the…

Sunday Night at the Drama Festival: DADS present Neil Simon’s ‘The Odd Couple’

Sunday night at the Ballyshannon Drama Festival promises to be a great night out as DADS presents Neil Simon’s much-loved comedy classic ‘The Odd Couple’. If the slovenly condition of Oscar Madison’s apartment is anything to go by, it’s no wonder that his wife has divorced him. When his fastidious friend Felix Ungar arrives with nowhere to go, having just parted with his own wife and trying to hold himself together, Oscar invites him to move in. With their new living arrangement, Oscar and Felix’s idiosyncrasies come to the fore and their friendship is tested to breaking point. Neil Simon’s comedy classic premiered on Broadway in 1965 and was later produced in film starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. The characters were…

‘The Real Thing’ takes Second in Newtownstewart!!

Results from Newtownstewart Drama Festival:First Place – Bradán Second Place – Ballyshannon Drama Society Third Place – Letterkenny Best Actor – Richard Hurst Best Supporting Actress – Rachel O’Connor Trish Keane nominated for Best Actress.  Conor Friery nominated for Best Supporting Actor.  Christian Carbin nominated for Best Producer.  ‘The Real Thing’ nominated for Best Set (John Travers, Paul Mc Gonigle, Trish Keane).  Congratulations everyone! A brilliant start to the circuit, and truly well deserved!! Next up, Enniskillen on Tuesday 7th, Kiltyclogher on Wednesday 8th and Castleblaney on Thursday 9th. 

‘Tuesdays with Morrie’, Backburners Theatre, Sat. March 11th

The 65th Ballyshannon Drama Festival will open with ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ written by Jeffrey Hatcher and Mitch Albom, based on the novel of the same name by Albom. The show is produced by the long established Backburners theatre group from Newtownstewart, featuring our very own Paddy Campbell, making a very welcome return to the Abbey stage. ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ is the autobiographical story of Mitch Albom, an accomplished journalist driven solely by his career, and Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor. Sixteen years after graduation, Mitch happens to catch Morrie’s appearance on a television news programme  and learns that his old professor is battling Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Mitch is reunited with Morrie, and what starts as a simple visit turns into…

‘The Real Thing’ Opens Tonight at 8.30

‘The Real Thing’ – Opening Night Special €10 Ballyshannon Drama Society return to the Abbey Arts Centre tonight with Tom Stoppard’s startlingly funny and deeply moving ‘The Real Thing’, before taking the show out on the festival circuit.  The play opens in the Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon, on Valentine’s Night, a fitting night for this enthralling, witty and insightful comedy about love and fidelity.  Written by four-time Tony Award winner Tom Stoppard, ‘The Real Thing’ is a play set in 1980s London that examines the nature of honesty, love, and marriage. Featuring a play within a play, the production explores appearances versus reality through the relationship between Annie, an activist and actress, and Henry, a playwright. First performed at London’s…