The RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival, which is held under the auspices of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland, will run at Athlone's Dean Crowe Theatre from Thursday May 2nd to Friday May 10th, 2024.
Three plays never-before performed will feature in the finals of this year's competition for amateur drama societies and clubs across Ireland, including a new Irish play, Margaret.
The festival is also set to feature performances by two first-time qualifiers.
The nine 2024 finalists are:
- Bridge Drama will perform The Wake by Tom Murphy on Thursday May 2nd, 2024.
- Wexford Drama Group will perform How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel on Friday May 3rd
- Ballyduff Drama Group, directed by Ger Canning, will present The Ferryman by Jez Butterworth on May 4th.
- Prosperous Dramatic Society will perform A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller on Sunday May 5th.
- First-time qualifiers Clontarf Players will premiere Radium Girls by D.W. Gregory on May 6th.
- Dalkey Players will present The Crucible by Arthur Miller on Tuesday 7th May
- Newpoint Players present In the Shadow of the Glen: Reimagined (after JM Synge) on May 8th.
- First-time qualifiers Ballycogley Players, directed by Pat Whelan, will perform Out of Order by Ray Cooney on Thursday May 9th.
- Ballyshannon Drama Society will premiere Margaret, a new Irish play by Shaun Byrne, on Friday May 10th.
And we are off! @rte @AbbeyTheatre @westmeathindo pic.twitter.com/J8ZksJoOee
— RTÉ All IrelandDrama (@AllIrelandDram1) April 14, 2024
Speaking at the draw for the nights on which the plays will be presented, Regina Bushell, Festival Director, said: "The RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival has celebrated a number of significant anniversaries in recent years and this year is particularly special as it marks the 20th year of RTÉ as title sponsor."
To mark the occasion, the festival will this year present a special one-off Bride Rosney Memorial Award, recognising the best newcomer from across all skillsets involved.
Tickets for The RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival are now on sale via the Dean Crowe Theatre website and via the theatre box office, phone (090) 6492129. Find out more about the RTÉ AIDF here.
