Ballyshannon Drama Society

The Ballyshannon Drama Society proudly presents the 72nd Ballyshannon Drama Festival, as part of the annual ADCI All Ireland Amateur Drama Festival circuit. From Saturday, March 15th to Sunday, March 23rd, 2024, the Abbey Centre in Ballyshannon will host nine nights of exceptional theatre. Talented groups from across Ireland will bring their best performances to the Abbey Centre stage, vying for a place in the All-Ireland Finals in Athlone later in the year.

Adjudicator Martin Maguire will surely have his work cut out for him this year, as the programme promises another captivating mix of drama, comedy, and thought-provoking stories, with performances by festival regulars and newcomers alike.

Festival Line-Up

Saturday, March 15th
Corn Mill Theatre kicks off the festival with A Whistle in the Dark by Tom Murphy. This intense and gripping family drama delves into the lives of Irish immigrants in England, exploring themes of loyalty, conflict, and individuality.

Sunday, March 16th
Clontarf Players take the stage with The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Gurgis. A courtroom in purgatory becomes the setting for a sharp and darkly comedic examination of justice, forgiveness, and the complexities of morality.

Monday, March 17th
Balally Players present Ulster American by David Ireland, a razor-sharp satire on power and privilege in the theatre world, filled with shocking twists and biting humor.

Tuesday, March 18th
Upstage Players bring The Weir by Conor McPherson to life. In a quiet Irish pub, locals share ghostly tales, weaving together moments of humor, heartbreak, and connection in this award-winning play.

Wednesday, March 19th
Newtownstewart Theatre performs The Remains of Maisie Duggan by Carmel Winters, a powerful drama that unearths buried family secrets and celebrates one woman’s enduring strength against the odds.

Thursday, March 20th
Dundalk Theatre Workshop showcases Art by Yasmina Reza, a witty and insightful comedy that examines the nature of art and friendship when a single painting sparks an uproar among three lifelong friends.

Friday, March 21st
St. Patrick’s Drama Group, Westport presents Woman and Scarecrow by Marina Carr. This poetic and emotional piece follows a woman reflecting on her life and choices as she faces the end with her enigmatic companion by her side.

Saturday, March 22nd
Newpoint Players deliver Ghetto by Joshua Sobol, a poignant story set in a Jewish ghetto during WWII, exploring resilience, creativity, and humanity in the darkest of times.

Sunday, March 23rd
Phoenix Players close the festival with Translations by Brian Friel. Set in 19th-century rural Ireland, this masterpiece explores the intersections of language, culture, and colonialism as an English survey team arrives to map the land.

Ticket Information

Tickets will be available from the Abbey Centre box office or online early in 2025. Secure individual evening tickets or enjoy all nine nights with a festival pass by contacting John Travers.

Rachel O’Connor won the Best Actress award in the All Ireland Finals in Athlone at the weekend for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in ‘Margaret’, written by Shaun Byrne! We could not have been more delighted to hear Rachel announced as the winner at the Awards Ceremony on Saturday night. Rachel’s husband Sean O’Connor also received a nomination for his stellar performance in Sound, masterfully managing a sound-plot that involved over 100 cues. In addition, lighting technician Sam Asylee received an award in the Newcomer category.

After eight nights on the circuit, two local shows, and the Ulster Final in Newtonabbey, all the hard work culminated in the final performance of ‘Margaret’ in the Dean Crowe Theatre in Athlone on Friday the 10th of May, the last night of the All Ireland Finals. The excitement and anticipation were palpable throughout the day, but Shaun, Rachel and crew were not put off by the pressure and the show was very well-received by the audience on the night.

There wasn’t too long to wait for the results as the Awards Ceremony took place in the Radisson Hotel the following night, Saturday the 11th of May. Cast and crew in attendance enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere as all the competitors from the circuit came together for a night of celebration of amateur drama. There was great excitement when Sean was nominated for Best Sound, followed by rapturous applause from all as Rachel was announced as the winner of the Best Actress award, her 9th win on the circuit.

A fantastic finale to a wonderful festival season! Congratulations to all the team on a remarkable achievement!

Don’t miss your last few chances to see ‘Margaret’ by Shaun Byrne, the multi-award winning show produced by Ballyshannon Drama Society, as it wraps up the festival season with two more local performances, a trip north to the Ulster Final, and the All Ireland Final in Athlone in May.

‘Margaret’ is back on the road again this week, with a performance in An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny, on Friday the 26th of April, and the Ulster Drama Final performance in The Theatre at the Mill in Newtonabbey on Saturday the 27th.

The show will return home to Ballyshannon for one final performance in the Abbey Arts Centre, on Monday May 6th, before appearing in the All Ireland Drama Final in the Dean Crowe Theatre in Athlone on Friday, May 10th.

Upcoming Dates:

Letterkenny, An Grianan Theatre – Friday April 26th
Booking: https://shorturl.at/koJNP

Newtownabbey, The Ulster Finals, The Theatre at The Mill – Saturday April 27th
Booking: https://theatreatthemill.com/book/?show=65801

Ballyshannon, Abbey Arts Centre – Monday May 6th
Booking: https://abbeycentre.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173655070

Athlone, The All Ireland Drama Finals, the Dean Crowe Theatre – Friday May 10th
Booking: https://www.deancrowetheatre.com/dean_event/margaret/

‘Margaret’ cleaned up at the Glenamaddy Festival at the weekend, taking home a raft of trophies, including the show’s 5th first place award, which positioned Ballyshannon Drama Society second on the ADCI Open League leaderboard.

The prizes included First Place in the Open section, Best Director for Monica Doherty, Best Actress for Rachel O’Connor, Best Set for Shaun Byrne, Monica Doherty and Shaun O’Connor, Best Lighting for Sean O’Connor, with a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Shaun Byrne. With 8 festivals now completed, ‘Margaret’ has finished up with 5 first place, 2 second and 1 third on the leaderboard.

The All Ireland finals will take place in Athlone from the 2nd to the 10th of May. The team now await the draw on April 14th to find out when they will perform in the Dean Crowe Theatre.

If you missed the show on the circuit and can’t make it to Athlone, ‘Margaret’ will be in An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny, on Friday April 26th, with one more date in the Abbey Centre, Ballyshannon yet to be confirmed.

Book An Grianan here: https://angrianan.com/event/margaret/

‘Margaret’ adds a night in Letterkenny on the road to the All Ireland Drama Festival Finals in Athlone!

‘Margaret’, the award-winning circuit production by Ballyshannon Drama Society, written by Ballybofey’s Shaun Byrne, will run for one night only in An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny, on Friday, April 26th, 2024.
The production has qualified for the All Ireland Drama Festival in Athlone, and taken home multiple awards for actors Rachel O’Connor as Margaret and Shaun Byrne as Dennis, along with awards for director Monica Doherty and the sound and lighting team.
This date in the wonderful #angrianantheatre will give audiences in the north of the county an opportunity to see the show and enjoy the sparkling inventiveness of Shaun Byrne’s script, before the production heads to Athlone, with one more date yet to be confirmed for the Abbey Arts Centre in Ballyshannon.

Book early, and spread the word!

Congratulations to the cast and crew of ‘Margaret’ on winning the Portadown Drama Festival, their fourth win of the circuit.

Rachel O’Connor won Best Actress, and the show took the trophies for Best Stage Management and the Audience Award, with Shaun Byrne receiving a nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Having secured the all-important 36 points by last weekend, this win leaves ‘Margaret’ second in the Open League table, with two more festivals due to report results: the Mid-Mid Ulster Drama Festival (Carrickmore) tonight, and Glenamaddy Theatre Festival next weekend.

And the winners are…

Winner of the Open Section (Maureen Gallagher Award): ‘Margaret’ Ballyshannon Drama Society

Second Place Open (C. J. King Award): ‘A View From The Bridge’, Prosperous

Third Place Open (Jim Flynn Award): ‘Alone It Stands’, Balally Players

Best Producer Open (John Stephens Cup): Monica Doherty, ‘Margaret’, Ballyshannon Drama Society

Best Actress Open (Eoin Carney Award): Rachel O’Connor as Margaret, ‘Margaret’, Ballyshannon Drama Society

Best Actor Open (H. J. Travers Award): Robery Massey, Prosperous

First Place Confined (Commercial Hotel Cup): ‘The Lonesome West’, Enniskillen

Second Place Confined (Catherine Breslin Award): ‘New Electric Ballroom’, Newtownstewart

Third Place Confined: ‘No Going Back’, Castleblayney Players

Best Producer Confined (Hugh and Mary Daly Cup): ‘The Lonesome West’, Enniskillen

Best Actress Confined (Kathleen Fagan Award): Brid Mc Sorley, Newtonwstewart

Best Actor Confined (Saimer Cup/Paddy McLoone Award): Michael Boyle, Enniskillen

Phil Mc Loone Award for Outstanding Achievement by young person: Girleen, Clodagh Sweeney, ‘The Lonesome West’

Adjudicator Awards:
1. Superb Teamwork – Balally Players, ‘Alone It Stands’
2. Costumes – Phoenix Players, ‘Animal Farm’
3. Set and Props – The Ray Leonard Players, ‘Eclipsed’

Lighting (Margaret McGinley Award): ‘Margaret’, Ballyshannon

Best Stage Management (Maureen Kane Award): ‘Eclipsed’, Ray Leonard Players

Best Set (Mary Monaghan Award): ‘Margaret’, Ballyshannon Drama Society

Billy Myles Audience Award: ‘Margaret’, Ballyshannon Drama Society

Tonight, the closing night of the drama festival, we welcome Prosperous and their production of ‘A View From The Bridge’ by Arthur Miller.

A View from the Bridge premiered in 1956. Set in an Italian-American neighborhood on the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge, the play follows the unraveling of Eddie Carbone following the arrival of two of his wife’s cousins from Italy. Eddie is obsessed with his niece, Catherine, and is threatened by her relationship with one of the cousins.

Prosperous Dramatic Society, from the village of Prosperous in Co Kildare has a treasured history of community-based theatre for over 100 years. The group has a broad membership, with ages from 7 – 70+ and operates from its own magical 90 seat theatre in the centre of the village producing a number of plays each year and of course it’s legendary Christmas Panto. The group actively supports many local charitable organisations and often partners with other local groups to bring drama to the wider local community. PDS is extremely proud of its members, many of whom are now All Ireland Award-winning Actors, Actresses, Stage Managers, Set Designers, Directors and the accomplishments that they have achieved through the spirit of volunteering and teamwork across generations.