‘Amateur is just a word, the level

WEXFORD DRAMA FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 60TH ANNIVERSARY AS COMMITTEE SAYS NEW VENUE IS REQUIRED TO BRING ‘AFFORDABLE, HIGH-STANDARD THEATRE TO THE TOWN’

After another successful festival, after more awards were handed out, and after more packed-out shows, the organisers of the Wexford Drama Festival could afford to momentarily relax, to allow themselves to reflect on a job well done. And this year, more than most, was a time for reflection. Now in its 60th year, the festival has become a focal point in the calendar for those with a love of theatre, and those behind the scenes are acutely aware of the responsibility they face in maintaining old traditions.

Prior to the opening night of this year’s festival, committee members Rachel Hickey and Mairead Sinnott sat down with The Wexford People to discuss the legacy of the event, what it means to the people of the town, and how a new venue could bring it to even greater heights in the future.

“Wexford would have a very strong tradition of amateur drama, we have more festivals than any county in Ireland,” said Rachel as she tried to explain what made the drama festival so special. “We have always had such a strong relationship with theatre and the arts, this comes from growing up with people like Billy Roche writing these beautiful plays, and, as a result, there’s always been a really strong youth theatre in Wexford.”

While Rachel has ‘only’ been involved on the committee for 12 years, Mairead’s involvement stretches back to the 1990s, to an invitation she simply couldn’t resist.

“Sean Kinsella was very involved in the Dun Mhuire and his brother ran the drama festival, he was looking to step away and he approached me asking if I was interested in becoming involved, that was in 1998 and I’ve been involved ever since,” she says. “It was the big festival run in Lent when everyone, seemingly, had nothing to do, and they all practised to put on this competition.

“When I was asked to get involved audiences were dwindling and I really didn’t want to see it go.”

Both women have acted on stage themselves, winning awards in the process, and they are fiercely protective of the amateur drama scene, of the craftmanship, the talent, they see at the festival every year.

“Amateur is just a word, the level these days is out of this world, there’s some productions which would easily fit on a professional stage,” says Rachel who has won best actress and best supporting actress awards with The Ballycogley Players. “The amount of work which goes into it is nothing short of what a professional group would do, the only difference is that the professional groups are condensed into maybe six weeks of rehearsals; these groups are doing it alongside their fulltime jobs.”

Conscious of providing the best entertainment possible for their audiences, while also offering opportunities for new and diverse theatre groups, Rachel says it can be a difficult to decide which shows to put on each year.

“The hardest job is picking the line-up each year, you could have 20 groups applying to perform at the festival and you have to pick eight. We want full houses every night, it’s not viable otherwise, and that’s our responsibility, to pick the right plays, to facilitate the groups and look after them. It’s different now that we’re out of the Dun Mhuire, there’s pros and cons to that, we have a worldclass opera now with fantastic facilities, but we don’t have the space, the rent is higher, it’s a balancing act – we can’t have it every way.

All nine of this year’s performances were staged in the National Opera House, in the Jerome Hynes Theatre, which holds 170 people. The opportunity to bring groups to one of the finest venues in the country is something which Rachel and Mairead are very proud of, but they contend that a new venue is required in Wexford for “midsized events”.

“What we’d love is to have a bigger theatre for the festival, we’re quite confined in the Jerome Hynes,” says Mairead, “we were sold out most nights there and we can’t fill the larger (770 capacity) stages so somewhere in the middle would be great for us.”

“We have made it clear, not just the Wexford Drama Festival, but all the arts and theatre organisations in Wexford town need a mid-sized theatre, we need it,” adds Rachel. “This is something the town needs, we have a lovely small theatre in the Arts Centre and in the Jerome Hynes, but we have to get a mid-sized venue, not just have it talked about or have lovely ideas floated around.

“There has to be a concrete plan. Originally the Dun Mhuire was sold to facilitate another space, a lot of people will be very unhappy if that doesn’t go ahead.”

Pointing to the recent success of Shirley O’Connor, who won a BAFTA for her work on Earth Mama and acted alongside Rachel as a child, the pair say that the Wexford Drama Festival acts as a launchpad for local talent and should be supported accordingly.

“This is where it starts, this is the roots, we want to continue giving amateur groups a stage, it is a privilege to be able to do that,” Rachel says. “For the future, we would love to get more funding from the Wexford County Council, I’m not afraid to ask people; if we were asking and not giving anything in return it’d be different, but we are facilitating one of the best festivals in the country every year off our own bat, so we have to knock on doors to do that.

“We do need more support, we can’t keep asking businesses every year, not in the current climate.”

“We’d love to see the arts officer supporting what we’re doing,” adds Mairead, “it’s eight nights of very affordable, high-standard theatre in the town, it’s bringing people to the county, adding to the economy. We’re not doing this for profit, we want to break even at the end of the festival, and it’s getting harder and harder to do that.”

Following this year’s festival the winners were announced in the Riverbank House Hotel. Combined Awards

Adjudicator’s Award: Bridge Drama Group for best set in The Wake.

Best Performance by a Wexford actor/ actress: Sophie Blaney Parslow ( How I Learned To Drive) Wexford Drama Group.

Tomas Murray Perpetual Trophy for Best Newcomer: Shared between Dennis O’Connor, Michael Butler, Nuala Sheedy and

Alannah McCarthy (I Do Not Like Thee Dr Fell) Kilmuckridge Drama Group.

Anna Drury Perpetual Award: Joseph Sunderland (The Wake)

Bridge Drama Group.

Audience Cup: Ballycogley Players, (Out of Order).

The Leo Sinnott Award for Best Moment of Theatre: Laura Connolly (The Lonesome West)

Kilmeen Drama Group.

The Con Doyle Perpetual Award for Comedy: Mag Cloney

(Out of Order) Ballycogley Players.

Open Section

Best Actor: Sean Carthy, Ballycogley Players.

Best Actress: Seona O’Connor, Wexford Drama Group.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Chris Maddock, Ballycogley Players.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Catherine Stafford, Ballycogley Players.

Best Set: Out Of Order, Ballycogley Players

Best Director: Pat Whelan, Ballycogley Players.

Best Overall Entry: Wexford Drama Group (How I Learned To Drive)

Confined Section

Best Actor: Fionn Stafford, Camross Drama Group.

Beat Actress: Kay Cahill, Kilrush Drama Group.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Senan Lillis, Wayside Players.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Annette McCarthy, Kilmuckridge Drama Group.

Best Set: Kilrush Drama Group (Hooked).

Best Director: Niall McCarthy Kilrush Drama Group.

Best Overall Entry: Kilrush Drama Group (Hooked).

As a result of their success in Wexford and across the festival circuit, the Ballycogley Players have qualified for the RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival in the Open section for the first time in their 49-year history.