RT All Ireland Drama Festival: Actors from Ireland's amateur drama movement come together

Actors from Ireland's amateur drama movement come together to mark the deferred

RT All Ireland Drama Festival

WATCH OUR SHORT FILM: https://youtu.be/ByqVSihS4rw

#RTEDramFest | #RTEIntervalAct

50 amateur drama groups compete annually for the coveted grand prix at the RT All Ireland Drama Festival, normally held in May of each year in Athlone, Co Westmeath. In existence since 1953, the festival has once again been deferred to 2022. However, actors from a range of the regional festival locations have come together to mark what should have been the 69th RT All Ireland Drama Festival.

Recorded remotely using mobile devices, the special two-minute film is a reflection on the lockdowns and restrictions that have seen theatres go dark all over the country.

Regina Bushell, Festival Director, says: Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on all in the performing arts, not least on Ireland's network of 37 amateur drama festivals, many of which are at the core of creative and community life in their localities. We are enormously proud of this stunning piece of work, and the opportunity to showcase so many talented voices. As we look toward 2022, and hopefully an in-person festival, I'm mindful of the final reflection in this moving piece: we will start again.

The Players featured in the final film are:

Majella Toolan, Ballinamore Drama Festival

Trisha Keane, Ballyshannon Drama Festival

Regina Bushell, Athlone Drama Festival

Clare Greer, Bangor Drama Festival

Rachael Elliott, Cavan Drama Festival

Tom Hanley, Clare Drama Festival

Tina Ward, Glenamaddy Drama Festival

Aidan Reidy, Kerry Drama Festival.

Padraig O'Toole, Mountmellick Drama Festival

Sean Hurson, Mid Ulster Drama Festival

Gayna Beresford, Newtownabbey Drama Festival

Connie Broderick, Rathangan Drama Festival

Sean Corcoran, Rush Drama Festival

Brendan Doyle, South Wicklow Drama Festival

Peter Davey, Western Drama Festival

RT would like to thank Regina Bushell, Director of the RT All Ireland Drama Festival, and all involved, and Mairead Broderick, Secretary of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland, as well as all the festivals below, in addition to those above:

Castleblayney Drama Festival

Claregalway Drama Festival

Claremorris Drama Festival

Enniskillen Drama Festival

Kildare Drama Festival

Kilmuckridge Drama Festival

Kiltyclogher Drama Festival

Lislea Drama Festival

Newry Drama Festival

Newtownstewart Drama Festival

North Cork Drama Festival

Portadown Drama Festival

Roscommon Drama Festival

Shercock Drama Festival

South Leinster Drama Festival

Strabane Drama Festival

Tipperary Drama Festival

West Clare Drama Festival

West Cork Drama Festival

West Waterford Drama Festival

Wexford Drama Festival

About the Film:

Audio by Jamzie, Bounce Sound

Graphics and Editing by Aileen Crossley, RT

Produced and Created by Tracey Diamond, RT

Interval , written by Joseph Hoban

About the Festival:

With funding from the Arts Council, the first All-Ireland Drama Festival was held in Athlone in April 1953. In 1959 the festival moved from the Sportex Hall to its present location at the Dean Crowe Theatre. Following Esso, Ericsson became the main sponsor from 2000 to 2003. In 2004 RT stepped on board with the festival getting major prominence thanks to the facilities provided by the national broadcaster.

RT is instrumental in the staging of the Awards Ceremony which, since 2005, has been held at the Radisson SAS Hotel, Athlone. The Festival Fringe has grown over the years into a full scale programme consisting of workshops, historic tours, exhibitions, and entertainment events taking place during the day at various venues throughout Athlone. The Fringe has involvement from other local arts groups, schools, the local business community and the municipal authorities and in recent years has hosted the hugely successful Schools Playwright Competition focusing on the writing talents of TY students in the Midlands.

In 1959, following their All Ireland success with Sive, Listowel Drama Group were invited by the Abbey Theatre to perform the play on the stage of the Queen's Theatre, the Abbey's temporary home after the fire in 1951 - a first for an amateur drama group. By 1979, a custom was established in which the Festival winners were offered the Peacock stage for a week's run the following June. The practice continued for thirteen years until 1991, but was restored in 2011 with the inauguration of the Abbey Theatre Award, whereby one of the Festival finalists are chosen by the Abbey to stage their production at the Peacock.

LINK:	https://about.rte.ie/2021/05/05/rte-all-ireland-drama-festival-actors-...
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