On Tuesday March 14th, Newtownstewart Drama Society returned to Ballyshannon with their production of ‘Midden’ by Morna Regan, the second show in the Confined section (photos: John Fallon).
Newtownstewart DramaMiddenMorna Regan
‘When Elephants Collide’ – Lifford Players (March 13 ’23, Open)
On Monday 13th March, Night 2 of the 2023 Ballyshannon Drama Society, The Lifford Players brought ‘When Elephants Collide’ by Edward Flanagan to life on the Abbey Arts Centre stage, the first play in the Open section (photos: John Fallon).
“Kings of the Kilburn High Road” – The Ray Leonard Players
The opening night of the 2023 Ballyshannon Drama Festival saw The Ray Leonard Players take to the stage with their production of ‘Kings of the Kilburn High Road’ by Jimmy Murphy (photos: John Fallon).
Ballyshannon Drama Society presents ‘A Delicate Balance’ by Edward Albee
Ballyshannon Drama Society proudly presents ‘A Delicate Balance’ by Edward Albee, in the Abbey Arts Centre on February 16th-18th, this year’s entry in the All Ireland Amateur Drama Festival circuit!
First performed in New York in 1966, the play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play in 1967. The show focuses on Agnes and Tobias, a wealthy middle-aged couple, who have their complacency shattered when their longtime friends Harry and Edna appear at their doorstep. Claiming an encroaching, nameless “fear” has forced them from their own home, these neighbours bring a firestorm of doubt, recrimination and ultimately solace, upsetting the “delicate balance” of Agnes and Tobias’s household.
‘A Delicate Balance’ is directed by Rachel O’Connor, who also performs in the show as Claire, and will be assisted by Carl Duggan. Well-known as the ward-winning star of many of our past festival productions such as ‘All My Sons’ and ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, Rachel has also been an in-house director for a number of Ballyshannon Drama Society shows, directed hit musicals with the Abbey Vocational School and recently played the Iron Lady herself in the one-woman show ‘Thatcher’, in a tour-de-force performance. This is Rachel’s first turn at the helm of a circuit production, but she has been heavily involved in all aspects of our past circuit shows, from costumes to lighting and everything in between, and we look forward to seeing her wealth of dramatic experience brought to bear on Albee’s classic text.
The cast features a group of highly talented, multi-award winning actors: Trish Keane and Richard Hurst as Agnes and Tobias, Rachel O’Connor as Claire, last year’s newcomers Deirdre Ferguson and Troy Devaney as Julia and Harry, and Kay O’Dea as Edna, who is no stranger to the circuit, in her first role for the Ballyshannon Drama Society.
Following the local performances at home in Ballyshannon, the group will have a short breather before they head out on the road to perform in eight festivals around the north west taking part of the All Ireland Amateur Drama Festival, including one more show in Ballyshannon on March 18th.
| Date | Festival |
| Friday 3rd March | St. Eugene’s Hall, Newtownstewart |
| Sunday 5th March | The Iontas Centre, Castleblaney |
| Tuesday 7th March | St. Brigid’s Hall Theatre, Tubbercurry |
| Thursday 9th March | The Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen |
| Friday 10th March | The Community Centre, Kiltyclogher |
| Saturday 18th March | Abbey Arts Centre, Ballyshannon |
| Thursday 23rd March | Town Hall Theatre, Claremorris |
| Thursday 30th March | The Patrician, Carrickmore |
Cast in order of appearance:
Agnes – Trish Keane
Tobias – Richard Hurst
Claire – Rachel O’Connor
Julia – Deirdre Ferguson
Harry – Troy Devaney
Edna – Kay O’Dea
Director: Rachel O’Connor
Assistant Director: Carl Duggan.
Crew:
Set Design – Seán O’Connor
Set Construction – Seán O’Connor, Paul McGonigle, John Travers, Carl Duggan, Aidan McGuinness, Sean McLoone, Keith Robinson.
Set Dressing & Décor – Trish Keane
Costumes – Rachel O’Connor.
Sound and Lighting – Seán O’Connor, Shane Patterson, Mark Fearon.
Continuity – Linda Ritchie.
We’d like to give a special mention to the very talented Lauren O’Connor who produced the stunning original artwork in the poster!
Tickets for the show will be available from the Abbey Arts Box Office, www.abbeycentre.ie, tel: 0719851375, priced at €14/€11 + €1 booking fee.
Ballyshannon Drama Festival, 12th-19th March
This year’s Ballyshannon Drama Festival will take place from the 12th to the 19th of March in the Abbey Arts Centre. The programme features a wide range of plays, new and old, from many of our regular performing groups in both the Open and Confined sections.
The adjudicator for this year’s festival is Alan Haslett.
| Date | Group | Play | Playwright | Section |
| Sun. 12th March | Ray Leonard Players | The Kings of the Kilburn High Road | Jimmy Murphy | Confined |
| Mon. 13th March | Lifford Players | When Elephants Collide | Edward Flanagan | Open |
| Tues. 14th March | Newtownstewart Drama | Midden | Morna Regan | Conf. |
| Wed. 15th March | Butt Drama Circle | Darkness Echoing | Shaun Byrne | Open |
| Thurs 16th March | Pomeroy Players | The Hen Night Epiphany | Jimmy Murphy | Conf. |
| Fri. 17th March | Prosperous Dramatic Society | Oleanna | David Mamet | Open |
| Sat. 18th March | Ballyshannon Drama Society | A Delicate Balance | Edward Albee | Open |
| Sun. 19th March | Theatre 3 Newtownabbey | The Price | Arthur Miller | Open |
Season Tickest are available for all 8 nights of drama at €70 each, plus €1 booking fee. To book your season tickets, please contact the Abbey Arts Centre www.abbeycentre.ie, Tel: (071) 9851375.
Nightly tickets will be available from March 1st, €16/€13 including booking fee.
Audition: ‘A Delicate Balance’
Hello all,
We are pleased to announce an Audition night for Ballyshannon Drama Society’s 2023 circuit play ‘A Delicate Balance’ by Edward Albee, to be directed by Rachel O’Connor and assisted by Carl Duggan.
Venue: Abbey Arts Centre Theatre 1
Date: Tuesday 22st November at 8.30pm
Characters
Tobias…..playing age 60
Agnes….. playing age late 50s
Claire…… playing age 50s
Julia……..playing age 35
Edna and Harry…playing age similar to Tobias and Agnes.
Setting: Upper middle-class America.
Some experience is a big advantage as this is a circuit play.
If you are interested in auditioning, drop us a text to 00447716011585
Ulster Final Results: 3rd Place, Rachel O’Connor wins Best Actress
‘All My Sons’ took Third in the Ulster Drama Finals, Rachel O’Connor won Best Actress, and the show also took home the award for Best Décor!
Congratulations to the winners Prosperous and our dramatic Donegal neighbours Butt Drama Circle who came in second.
Other nominations at the festival went to Richard Hurst for Best Actor, Troy Devaney and Deirdre Ferguson in Supporting roles, and also for up and coming star John McHugh.
Tonight we have our final performance in the Abbey Arts Centre before we take the show on the road one last time on Thursday to our final destination, the All Ireland Final in the Dean Crowe Theatre, Athlone.
Don’t miss the last two nights of ‘All My Sons’ this weekend before Athlone!
Don’t Miss Our Last Two Shows Before Athlone!!
‘All My Sons’ returns to Ballyshannon this weekend, playing both Saturday the 7th and Sunday the 8th in the Abbey Arts Centre.
The cast can’t wait to get back to a home audience after eight nights around the country and one Ulster final! They’ve picked up multiple awards and accolades along the way, and are delighted to have a chance to perform once again on the Abbey stage, before heading for the All Ireland in Athlone next Thursday (May 12th).
Come along this weekend to catch a tour-de-force production by your award-winning local team!
Dates: Saturday May 7th & Sunday May 8th
Venue: Abbey Arts Centre
Time: 8pm
Booking: abbeycentre.ie