Anxious wait for Ballyduff and Palace Players
It will be an anxious wait on this Saturday night in The Radisson Hotel in Athlone for members of both the Ballyduff and Palace Players drama groups when the results of the 2022 RTE All-Ireland Drama Festival will be announced.
Palace were on stage on Thursday night getting the competition under way and received a standing ovation when the lights came down on their production of ‘Chapatti’. Adjudicator Michael Poyner was loud in his praise for director Danny Buckley but his ‘wow’ when referring to Mary Colbert in the part of Betty, set a very high standard for those that were to follow.
Ballyduff played a blinder on Sunday night with their play ‘Rabbit Hole’, so much so, that Mr Poyner said he had exhausted his range of superlatives when it came to direction and acting. They too received a standing ovation.
Lighting seems to be the adjudicator’s pet subject and he has had some issues with the lighting from both Palace and Ballyduff (and again with Kilmeen on Friday night), saying on Saturday of Bunclody/ Kilmyshall’s presentation of ‘The Good Father’ that ‘this is how lighting should be done’.
Butt Drama Circle were on stage on Monday night with ‘ An Incident With Dave Cotter’, a play penned by their director Shaun Byrne who also acts in the play. Tuesday night brought Prosperous DS (‘God of Carnage’) to Athlone, fresh from their win of the Ulster finals at the weekend. Kilrush from Co Wexford fills the Wednesday night slot with ‘Class’ to be followed on Thursday and Friday by Ballyshannon DS (‘All My Sons’) and Dalkey Players (‘Eurydice’) respectively.
The buzz around the Radisson on Saturday will only be mighty. Let’s hope the trophy makes its way back down to our side of the country so, fingers crossed!