One you won’t want to miss

Cavan One Act Drama Festival runs November 1-3

Grace O’Leary

There is plenty of local interest in this year’s Cavan One Act Drama Festival which will see nine dramas staged at the Town Hall Theatre over three days: Friday to Sunday, November 1-3.

There’s a Breffni dimension to the curtain opener on Friday, November 1 and the grand finale is fittingly provided by Cavan troupe - Moogles Theatre Company.

Longford’s Mostrim Players have the honour of opening proceedings with a new play in the confined section – ‘Storm Seamus’ by Vanessa Galligan. The Edgeworthstown native, who now lives in Denn, reached the finals of last year’s All Ireland One Act competition with her first entry onto the Circuit. ‘Storm Seamus’ is billed as a tense, intimate exploration of love, betrayal and the forces, natural and emotional that trigger the hearts of loved ones (see p41 for interview).

Also performing on the opening night are two groups who will make the long trip north from Wexford to compete for prizes in the open section. Kilrush Drama Group will perform ‘Normal’ by Catriona Daly which includes all the popping and mopping that happens when the party is over.

Coolgreany Drama actually bring the first evening’s party to a conclusion with their performance of ‘Lovely People’. Niall Hunter’s play features two lonely men finding hope and humour in their circumstances.

The second night - Saturday, November 2 - gets underway with another play in the confined section - this time Borrisokane Players. They venture up from Co. Tipperary with John McDwyer’s ‘Isn’t the water lovely today?’ where the worlds that collide in a coffee shop are explored.

Devenish Drama Group from Fermanagh will stage Tony Domaille’s ‘Even Numbers’ in the open section. The drama follows a prison psychiatrist’s attempts to assess whether a woman is serial killer before another victim’s number is up.

Saturday night will end on a hilarious - if at times heartbreaking note - however as Bart Players from Belfast take us to the Plaza Suite of Neil Simon’s ‘Visitor from Mamaroneck’. A popular comedy, staged by a popular group - will they be amongst the Open section winners?

It’s an early start on Sunday with the first production opening at 3pm, as this timing proved so popular with casts and audiences last year.

Another Wexford entry – Bunclody/Kilmyshall Drama Group, will bring us to the attic of ‘The Donahue Sisters’ by Geraldine Aron as a father’s life draws to a close.

‘I’m not A.D.H.D I’m B.O.L.D.’ will follow, demonstrating the drama to be found in therapy for several conditions and is brought to us by the Navan Theatre Group from Meath.

The final offering of the Festival will be of major local interest as the Moogles from Cavan. They will be performing Alice Lynch’s ‘By Megan’s Grave’ where suspicions concerning a sister’s death are explored by her graveside – certainly in keeping with the season of Samhain.

While the stage performances conclude on Sunday evening, the drama continues with the adjudication.

“The festival is a wonderful feast of amateur drama but it also serves as an important preliminary round of two All-Ireland Festival circuits – the ‘Open’ for more experienced groups and ‘Confined’ for smaller, less experienced groups.

“Helping to decide who will win points towards the All-Ireland Final - which will be in the Moat Theatre in Naas in December - will be our Adjudicator Evelyn O’ Sullivan who is making her first Cavan appearance in this role.

“An award winning actor and director we are looking forward to hearing her insights regarding the performances at the end of each session with the all-important placings revealed on Sunday afternoon.”

Given the groups have travelled from Longford, Fermanagh and Meath, but also much further afield in Tipperary, Donegal, Belfast to compete, they will hope their efforts will have been worth it. Rachel notes these visiting groups, and their supporters, have a spin-off for the town.

“Financially for Cavan it’s very valuable having a festival,” she says, “because people that come to the theatre; they need to eat, drink, and put fuel in their cars.”

She speaks of how Cavan people can experience high-quality drama so close to home. “They can stroll in or take local transport to the fantastic theatre in the Town Hall, and it is so comfortable and accommodating.

“It’s a wonderful way to spend a potentially cold or dark evening in November”, Rachael concludes.

Tickets are great value with three plays for just €15 per night, or enjoy the entire festival for €30.