Drama hotting up for All-Ireland places
Results from the ADCI All-Ireland Drama Festival make for intriguing reading, all eyes locally being on Ballyduff the current All-Ireland open champions, who are safely through to the final and Brideview Drama who desperately need a win to secure their place in Athlone.
As it stands, there are five groups with 36 points, three of those with four wins - Wexford (‘The Father’), Ballyduff (‘The Welkin’) and Thurles (‘The Seafarer’), the other two with three wins each are Ballyshannon (‘A Delicate Balance’) and Prosperous (‘Oleanna’).
Nine plays will qualify to contest the final in Athlone - the other four at the moment being Newpoint Players (‘Happy Days’), Dalkey Players (‘By The Bog Of Cats’), Butt Drama Circle (‘Darkness Echoing’) and Dundalk (‘Faith Healer’).
Brideview Drama (‘The Father’) are next in 10th place and at this point in the run, most of the other 23 groups still have a chance of making that ninth place. While some of those are probably very slim chances, only one (Ballymoney) is ruled out at this stage, so a real dog fight ensues.
In the confined section, two groups have 36 points - Clontarf (‘The Importance of being Earnest’) with five wins and Kilmuckridge (‘Sive’) who we saw in the West Waterford festival with four wins.
There are three groups with 29 points - Glenamaddy (‘Proof), Salmon Eile (‘The Pitchfork Disney’) and the Ray Leonard Players (‘The Kings of the Kilburn High Road’).
Lislea (‘See How They Run’) are on 26 points, St Patrick’s Drama Group are on 24 points, Newtownstewart (‘Midden’) have 22 points and in joint ninth place at present, Harvest Moon Theatre Group (‘God Of Carnage’) and Wayside Players (‘The Field’) have secured 15 points each. The only other ones fighting it out for that ninth place in the confined final in Glenamaddy, Co Galway next month are Pomeroy (‘The Hen Night Epiphany’) and Enniscorthy (‘Farsiders’).
With more results this weekend, the above tables will probably change somewhat, so as the saying goes, watch this space!