‘Stellar’ performances light up drama festival

With the curtains now closed, Chairperson Cavan Drama Festival 2025 Rachael Cullivan reports the festival was “really good” with audience numbers “certainly up” on last year’s attendance.

“As we predicted there was a massive variety of theatre on show,” she said, with a more “traditional” show in Translations and a “major contrast” with Ulster American, staged on the final night.

“The plays covered so many aspects of life and some quite gritty topics but overall the reactions from the audience were incredibly positive.”

Rachael described the adjudicator, Gerry Stembridge, as “an absolute treasure”.

“He gives so much in his adjudications, he certainly helps everybody understand what they’ve seen and what makes good theatre, but he’s also entertaining,” she said.

In addition, the drama groups that performed were also “wonderful”.

“They found the Cavan festival positive and a pleasant experience which is something we like to hear.”

The chairperson thanked the local community for their input in the festival.

“We got huge support from local businesses, from the nightly sponsors to the people who took out ads in the programme,” she said.

“People were incredibly supportive of the festival, we’re very, very grateful.”

Asked on a stand-out play for her, she opted for ‘The Last Days of Judas Iscariot’ which she described as “very memorable”.

She also praised the performance of Translations by the Pheonix Players, describing it as a “gorgeous production.”

“Almost every play had something in it that was a stand-out,” she said, praising the “incredible” grandmother in ‘Little Gem’.

“Anybody who saw the play will definitely never forget her performance, it was stellar” she said.

With a few weeks break for the committee now, the dates for next year’s festival have already been booked and plans for the One Act Festival in November are already underway.

“They are an absolutely fabulous committee and they all worked hard,” she concluded.

CONFINED WINNERS

1. Translations - Phoenix Players

2. Rathmines Road- Gorey Drama Group

Best Director - Eamonn Og Gallagher, Translations, Phoenix Players

Best Actor - Richard Wigley, Translations, Phoenix Players

Best Actress - Caoimhe Spellman, Gorey Drama Group, Rathmines Rd

OPEN WINNERS

1. Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Clontarf Players

2. Bailegangaire, Kilrush Drama Group

3. Ulster American, Balally Players

Best Producer - Myra Maguire, Last days of Judas Iscariot, Clontarf Players

Best Actor - Derek O'Reilly, Whistle in the Dark, Cornmill Theatre.

Best Actress - Sally Stevens, Bailegangaire, Kilrush Drama Group.

OTHER AWARDS

Most promising young performer - Aisling Finn, Balally.

Best Set - Last days of Judas Iscariot

Stage Presentation - Translations

Adjudicators Award - Lislea cast for costumes

Statecraft - Clontarf Players for ensemble acting.

Nominations for acting awards also included: Anne Garvey as Margaret in Dead Guilty; Daniel Elliott as Judas Iscariot/ Caiaphas the Elder in the Last Days of Judas Iscariot; Helena Stout as Kay Kelly in Little Gem; Oisin Hourican as Des Carney in A Whistle in the Dark and Francis Brennan as Manus, Olive Giblin as Maire and Shane Loftus as Owen all in Translations.