All Ireland (Confined) Drama Finals 21st to 29th April 2017 Hosted by the WDF, in the Land of ‘Arts Desire!

All Ireland (Confined) Drama Finals 21st to 29th April 2017 Hosted by the WDF, in the Land of ‘Arts Desire!

Preparations are now in full swing for the All Ireland (Confined) Drama Finals which will be hosted by the Western Drama Festival and taking place over 9 nights from 21 to 29 April 2017 in St. Brigid’s Hall Theatre Tubbercurry.

Nightly at 8pm except on closing night when curtain up will be 7pm.

All eyes are on the Amateur Drama Council website to observe how the groups in the confined section are getting on as they perform in the festivals all around Ireland. We very much look forward to hosting the nine groups who are the ultimate finalists! Book you tickets now!

Booking

Bookings for the All Ireland (Confined) Finals 2017 are being handled by Hawkswell Theatre, Sligo and both season tickets and individual night tickets are available. Phone the Hawkswell at 071 9161518 Mon.to Fri.10 am to 5.30 pm or Sat. 2pm to 5pm.

Season Tickets cost €100 and individual nights are priced at €15 including booking fees. There is also an option to purchase an 8 night Season Ticket (opening night Fri. 21st excluded) for €85. Website

WDF have launched a website Western Drama Festival. Online: tickets can be also be purchased using credit/debit card on that site.

Themed Town

Tubbercurry will be dramatically transformed for the festival with a theatrical ambience. For some weeks, before and during the week of the Drama Finals the town will be bedecked in colour and interesting installations.

The organising committee are deeply indebted to the Tubbercurry and District Credit Union for their support of this project. Ursula Brennan our ambassador is leading on this project meeting the businesses who are coming on board making their shop windows available to the Western Drama Festival where drama will centre stage. Tubbercurry Chamber of Commerce and Tidy Towns committee are assisting with the committee’s endeavours.

Indeed a very exciting addition to our dramatic themed town is the new eye catching beautiful mural adjacent to St Brigids hall of the founding members of our Drama Festival, painted by Damian Moran. It is fitting that they are centre stage as the amateur drama movement congregates in April 2017 for its Drama Finals confined section competition.

CAIRDE the first point of contact person to assist the groups

Together with the WDF committee 9 dedicated drama enthusiasts will act as group liaison persons before and during the festival to assist the groups who have qualified for the finals. The draw on the 8 April 2017 is a special day for the qualifying Groups who find out which night they will perform their play. CAIRDE are as follows: Jimmy Coleman (Team Leader) Loretta Neary, Mary Doohan, Debbie Feeney, Mary Molloy, Eileen Murtagh, P J Brennan, Ann Marie Hegarty and Mary Kelly.

Western Drama festival is renowned for its hospitality. We are grateful to the volunteers, our liaison persons; aptly named CAIRDE the first point of contact person to assist the groups personally with their queries and ensure they have a really good experience of the festival!

The Draw in St Brigids Hall Theatre 8 April 2pm

On the 8 April 2017 the draw in Tubbercurry St Brigids Hall, Theatre will kick off at 2pm. There will be an opportunity to meet and greet finalists and allow groups to view the facilities and get any additional information needed from technical or other team leaders. Actual draw is at 3 to 3:30. Finalists groups will be introduced to their liaison person and have some refreshments over the following hour as is usual. Groups will of course have all the time they need to look over the theatre once the actual draw business is finished also. Groups will be eager to meet the experienced technical team Benny Henry and Sean Johnston, their advance preparation work in the theatre for the last few months is key to all running smooth. We very much look forward to meeting all the groups on the day. We in WDF will ensure every groups experience in the festival is first rate. Mary Collins Mary Kelly and Mary Walsh will ensure everything runs like clockwork for the draw.

Play Reading by Ballina Dramatic Society Saturday 22 April in Teach Laighne at 2 pm.

We know that the key focus for groups is performing their play in the All Ireland competition, and that focus is firmly on that. However, because this is a special occasion in our town, we have organised some fringe events in tandem with the finals. Ballina Drama Group, good friends and supporters of the WDF will do a play reading, a real fun piece on Saturday 22 April in Teach Laighne at 2 pm.

Exhibition of Art

An exhibition of art is also being facilitated by local Artist Claire Doohan. Claire’s work with the residents of Baileys Nursing Home is a really unique project. The paintings will be exhibited in the local library in Tubbercurry, this would have been for most of those people their very first creative opportunity.

Claire and Rita Flannery are also organising an exhibition by local artists which will run in St Brigids Hall from the 21 to 29 April.

Rugged Mystery Tour!

On Saturday 29 April we have arranged a special Rugged Mystery Tour to meet outside St Brigids Hall at 10:30 am. All welcome, nominal fee. I will give a number to book later.

Walker Ewart performs’ Your Life and Mine’ Cafe Theatre, 4pm Saturday 29 Venue Mayqueen

Saturday evening 29 April, at 4 pm in the Mayqueen Bar, the renowned Walker Ewart has a special treat in store for us.We very much look forward to his most thought provoking show’ Your Life and Mine’.

Festival Club

The renowned Western Drama Festival Club is a special experience each night of the finals in the welcoming Killorans Traditional Bar in Teeling St. The gifted Peadar Conway is leading on organising this. Indeed Peadar who is famed for his approach to such entertainment sessions has already’ put the word out’ and some very special guests are bound to drop in!

At the drop of a hat stories and recitations are told, music is played and the ‘talk about the drama’ will go on late into the night.

Running the All Ireland Three Act confined Finals is very exciting for Tubbercurry and South Sligo as it is a very high profile event, which offers a wonderful opportunity to showcase Tubbercurry and its environs nationally, our excellent hospitality, and great drama culture!

With just a few Drama Festivals still running the programme of plays for the Finals is beginning to emerge. Of the top seven groups in the www.adci.ie (Confined) league table who are almost certain to qualify, five are new to Tubbercurry. This will ensure a very interesting Festival. Booking for individual nights is available from the Hawks Well Theatre Sligo 071 91 61518. The Festival opens in St Brigids Hall Theatre on Friday 21st April and continues nightly to Saturday 29th nightly at 8pm except on closing night when curtain up will be 7pm. With just a few Drama Festivals still running the programme of plays for the Finals is beginning to emerge. Of the top seven groups in the www.adci.ie (Confined) league table who are almost certain to qualify, five are new to Tubbercurry. This will ensure a very interesting Festival. Booking for individual nights is available from the Hawks Well Theatre Sligo 071 91 61518. The Festival opens in St Brigids Hall Theatre on Friday 21st April and continues nightly to Saturday 29th nightly at 8pm except on closing night when curtain up will be 7pm. The programme of plays for the Finals is emerging see www.adci.ie (Confined) league table. We are looking forward to  very interesting Festival. Booking for individual nights is available from the Hawks Well Theatre Sligo 071 91 61518.

The Festival opens in St Brigids Hall Theatre on Friday 21 April and continues nightly to Saturday 29 nightly at 8pm except on closing night when curtain up will be 7pm.