Richard Hurst accepts the best actress award for Rachael O’Connor from Brian Farry
Rachel O’Connor from Belleek was a local success story at the conclusion of the 34th Enniskillen Drama Festival at the Ardhowen Theatre at the weekend.
Appearing as the recovering alcoholic singer Evy Meara in Neil Simon’s comedy ‘The Gingerbread Lady’ she impressed the adjudicator Jill Colby so much that she awarded her the Impartial Reporter Cup as Best Actress at the festival in one of the most hotly contested categories in the event.
Rachel was appearing with Ballyshannon Drama Society who also saw success come to local girl Sinead Luke who played the part of Polly, Evy’s daughter in the play. She was awarded the Herts Aid Trophy as the Most Promising Young Actor at the festival. In addition director of the play Ann McHugh received an nomination in the Best Director (Open) section and Richard Hurst was nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of the character Jimmy in the play.
Pomeroy Players from Co Tyrone regained the Enniskillen Credit Union Trophy which they won at the festival last year by obtaining the highest marks in the Confined Section with their production of Marina Carr’s play ‘Portia Coughlan’. Michael Murphy the director of the play was awarded LWN Hall Cup as best director in the section. There were loud cheers when Denis Devlin who played the part of Senchil in the play was awarded the Mercer Trophy by the adjudicator Jill Colby as Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Pomeroy Players now receive Enniskillen’s nomination to the All-Ireland Confined Final which this year will be held in Claremorris beginning April 4th.
In what was felt to be one of the most competitive sections in recent years the Open Winners and winner of the overall festival were Moat Club from Co Kildare. Their outstanding production of ‘The Steward of Christendom’ by Sebastian Barry brought them their sixth victory at the Enniskillen Festival, their first coming in the 1986 festival. Written in 1995 the play centres around the character of Thomas Dunne, the last Catholic Superintendent of Dublin Metropolitan Police. The Moat Club production was described by the adjudicator as ‘ a powerful and absorbing piece’.
‘Telling the story of this man’s life was at the core of the play and it was handled with a sense of imagination and and responsibility. The writer would be proud of this production’. Padraig Broe playing Thomas Dunne had in the words of Ms Colby presented, ‘ a beautifully realised characterisation at every level; physically, vocally, and emotionally; gaining a full range of highs and lows, a powerful performance in a role unremitting and demanding’. She also praised his courage in allowing himself to be stripped naked on stage.
It was no surprise then when the adjudicator to loud acclaim awarded him the Blake Cup for Best Actor at the festival. The Moat Club also picked up awards for Best Lighting and Best Director with Barbara Sheridan receiving the the Michael Love Cup. The audience indicated their total agreement with the adjudicator by voting the ‘Steward of Christendom’ as its favourite play of the nine night festival.
In awarding Pomeroy Players their section win she praised their performance saying it was a ‘production that understood the spirit of the play. There was energy and commitment from all actors in a performance of integrity’. She felt they had also done a really good job in Setting and had handled the episodic piece with its transitions well using music effectively.
In her final address to a final night full house Jill Colby described the Enniskillen Festival as an outstanding success. She complimented the Festival Committee for its choice of plays. ‘The programme contained such quality pieces of work. They were so different and then to see such breadth of performance. I was invigorated by the work I have seen each night and particularly the standard of the set design which has been exceptionally high’.
Enniskillen audiences also came in for praise from the Herts based adjudicator. ‘This is a very successful festival and you are a huge part of it. There is a strong core of supporters of the festival who are warm and generous and extremely knowledgeable regarding the work being presented’.
Festival Director, Brian Farry, acknowledged the support the festival continues to receive from the District Council and the nine commercial sponsors of the nine productions. Addressing the audience he said its long-term health was dependent on it. He also thanked the invaluable assistance given to the groups by Michael McLoughlin and Joe Gregory, Ardhowen Theatre Technical Staff and indeed all the staff in the theatre which had been also been praised by the adjudicator for its facilities, beauty and intimacy. He announced that next years festival will run from March 6th to march 14th.
