Dramatic weekend ahead at ICA Drama Festival

ELEVEN different drama groups and societies will take part in the 64th Wicklow ICA Drama Festival this weekend in Glenealy.

The different groups set to take to the stage at Glenealy Village Hall have been busily rehearsing in preparation for the festival, which runs from Friday, January 18, to Sunday, January 20.

The curtain will rise at 7.30 p.m. sharp each night and the adjudicator will be Anna Walker.

There are two sections in the festival: Section A is for one act plays or a single act from a full length play and Section B is dedicated to sketches.

Delgany ICA will kick-off the festival on Friday night with a performance of The Syndicate, a one-act play writ- ten by Maeve Edwards. This will be followed by Ballycoog ICA and their production of a short play by Thomas Clare called Ear to the Ground. Delgany Dramatic Society bring two entries to this year’s festival: a one-act drama from Agatha Christie called The Patient and a short play by Dorothy Robbie titled A Memorable Occasion. The final performance of the night will be from Ballinteer Drama, who will present a short play by Tony Deegan named Oedipus Conflict.

Saturday night’s entertainment will begin with Ashford ICA’s production of Towpath by Robert Iles and will be followed by Clooney Quin ICA with A Will on the Side by Anita O’Loughlin. Next up will be the Dalkey Players performing a short sketch by Emmet Driver called Khora: A Space Between Time before Avoca ICA perform Ocean View. The one act comedy Late Entry by Bray Arts will bring the curtain down on the second night of the festival.

Four performances take place on the closing night, Sunday, January 20, before the worthy winners receive their awards.

First to take to the stage will be the Balally Players with a one-act comedy by George Kelly called The Flattering Word. This will be followed by a short play and one-act drama performed by St Patrick’s Dramatic Society called Black Out Number and In Room Five Hundred and Four. The final performance of the night will be Party Time sketch performed by Ashford ICA and written by Eileen Brandon.

Tickets cost €10 will be available at the door.