Opening night at the Drama Festival, Aideen McGrade committee member, Jimmy Byrne Sponsor, Geoff O’Keefe adjudicator and Brian Farry
Enniskillen’s Annual Drama Festival has got off to a great start according to the adjudicator Geoff O’Keeffe.
“The quality of the performances I have seen to date has matched the quality and diversity of the programme.” he said about the event which is continuing this week in the Ardhowen Theatre,
The adjudicator, who is the current PRO of the Association of Drama Adjudicators, also was impressed by the audiences at the festival. “With their discernment and attentiveness they have been an integral part of what has been a very successful festival so far”.
Formally opening the festival Brian Farry, Festival Director, told the audience that the Enniskillen festival was just one of some 37 preliminary festivals held all over Ireland in a six week period before Easter. He asked the audience to always remember the great sacrifices being made by the actors and crews to indulge in their passion for drama and at the same time bring us such wonderful entertainment.
He thanked Fermanagh District Council for their great support over the previous thirty-five years and hoped that a constructive relationship would be developed with the new council structure.
The sponsors of the individual groups from the local business community and those that supported the programme also were praised for their support.
Opening the nine night event Letterkenny Music & Drama Group got the festival off to a hilarious start with a presentation of the award-winning stage adaptation of the famous novel ‘The 39 Steps’. With just 4 actors playing 39 roles Geoff O’Keeffe was very impressed by the ‘very clever and effective presentation’. He felt that the director Pluincead O’Fearraigh and his cast had brought some great creativity, theatricality, stagework and imagination to the presentation.
First time visitors to Enniskillen, Glenamaddy Players from Galway, also captured the hearts of the local audience who with their warm reaction seemed to agree with the adjudicator who described the presentation of ‘The Stolen Child’ as very strong. The director had worked very well with four extremely talented actors. The lighting and sound had been used well to underscore the mood of the piece.
“This stolen child stole a bit of my heart”, he said as he felt they had captured some magic moments and made the audience feel in what was a very ‘strong production’.
Last year’s All-Ireland winners could be on to another winner with their production of Pat McCabe’s ‘The Dead School’. Adapted from the novel of the same name Cornmill Theatre Group performance drew outstanding praise from the adjudicator. ‘A standard that was top class’ he commented about the production.
“The director and his 26 actors constantly created strong stage images for the audience.” It was imaginative, it was theatrical”. He concluded by saying the Dead School was ‘very much alive’.
The Festival continues at the Ardhowen Theatre on to Saturday night with Lifford Players taking to the stage tonight (Wednesday) with Owen McCafferty’s play ‘The Absence of Women’.