Sunday 13th March, 7.30pm

Corn Mill Theatre Group (Open)

present

‘From the Belly of a Whale’

a new play by

Charles Mc Guinness

  

A dark comedy set in a dystopian future of post-nationalist misery and moral degeneration, where an unlikely group of characters, housed together in a system defined by the violence of a brutal political regime, discover that their horrific personal histories might tie them together more tightly than the ever-constraining grip of the all-powerful President C and his minion, Jonas. A new play by Charles Mc Guinness of Corn Mill Theatre Group, who also directs.

Best Overall Production/ Blue Riband: ‘Old Times’ by Ballyshannon Drama Society
First Place in Open Section: ‘Old Times’

Best Actor: Richard Hurst as ‘Deeley’

Best Actress: Rachel O’Connor as ‘Kate’

Best Director: Conor Beattie

Best Set: John Travers

Nomination for Best Actress: Trish Keane 

Two for two!

Saturday March 12th at 8.15pm

Butt Drama Circle (Open)

presents

‘Translations’

by
Brian Friel

The play is set in the quiet community of Baile Beag (later anglicised to Ballybeg), in County Donegal, in 1833. Many of the inhabitants have little experience of the world outside the village. In spite of this, tales about Greek goddesses are as commonplace as those about the potato crops, and, in addition to Irish, Latin and Greek are spoken in the local hedge school. Friel uses language as a tool to highlight the problems of communication — lingual, cultural, and generational. Both Irish and English characters in the play “speak” their respective languages, but in actuality it is English that is mostly spoken by the actors. This allows the audience to understand all the languages, as if a translator was provided. However, onstage, the characters cannot comprehend each other. This is due to lack of compromise from both parties, the English and Irish, to learn the others’ language, a metaphor for the wider barrier that is between the two parties.

Ballyshannon Drama Society return to the circuit this week with the second and third competition performances of ‘Old Times’. On Wednesday (March 9th) we take part in the Kiltyclogher Drama Festival, followed by the Shercock Drama Festival on Thursday night (March 10th). Results from Kiltyclogher will be announced on Saturday, while we have to wait until Saturday the 12th to hear back from Shercock. Wish us luck!

‘Old Times’ had a very rewarding night at the Newtownstewart Drama Festival, the first festival of the circuit for Ballyshannon Drama Society, taking home all of the major awards.
Best Overall Play – ‘Old Times’
First Place in Open Category – ‘Old Times’
Best Actor – Richard Hurst as Deeley
Best Actress – Trish Keane as Anna
Best Director – Conor Beattie
Best Set – ‘Old Times’
Nomination for Best Actress – Rachel O’Connor
Nomination for Lighting – Mark Fearon.
This win gives Ballyshannon Drama Society 12 points on the ADCI leaderboard – a good start to the circuit!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opening Night: Sat 12th March at 8.15pm

Adjudicator: Patrick Sutton

Times: Nightly at 8.15pm, except both Sundays 13th and 20th at 7.30pm

March

12th:   Butt Drama Circle: “TRANSLATIONS” by Brian Friel (Open)

13th:   Corn Mill: “FROM THE BELLY OF A WHALE” by Charles McGuiness (Open)

14th:   Pomeroy: “DA” by Hugh Leonard (Confined)

15th:   Newtownstewart: “THE FACTORY GIRLS” by Frank McGuiness (Confined)

16th:   Phoenix Players: “THE SUNSHINE BOYS” by Neil Simon (Confined)

17th:   Prosperous: “ONE MAN, TWO GUV’NORS” by Richard Bean (Open)

18th:   Lifford Players: “A CRUCIAL WEEK IN THE LIFE OF A GROCERS ASSISTANT” by Tom Murphy (Open)

19th:   Castleblaney Players: “THE SALVAGE SHOP” by Jim Nolan (Open)

20th:   DADS: “THE GIGLI CONCERT” by Tom Murphy (Confined)