Wexford's Bridge Drama Group were the big winners at the 63rd RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival, taking home three awards, including the Perpetual Trophy, for its production of Neil Simon’s Lost in Yonkers.
The Bridge Drama Group production won awards for Best Director (Pat Whelan) and Best Stage Setting (Pat Curran, Pat Whelan, Sarah Whelan, Adrian Power, Liam Clancy).
Lost in Yonkers is a family-based comedy set over a sweet shop in Yonkers, New York in 1942. It won a Pulitzer prize for drama and a Tony award for Best Play in 1991.
The 63rd RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival was held in the Dean Crowe Theatre in Athlone from April 28 to May 6.
The festival awards ceremony, which was hosted by RTÉ’s Karina Buckley in Athlone's Radisson Hotel Athlone on Saturday May 7, recognised the talents of amateur drama groups from all over Ireland.
The Bridge Drama Group
Brendan Dunlea of Cork's Palace Players won the Best Actor award for his portrayal of The Irish Man in The Gigli Concert, while Maria Diamond Bruce of Dalkey Players received the Best Actress award for her lead role in Jane Eyre.
Under the auspices of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland (ADCI), the nine-day festival saw Ireland's top nine amateur drama groups compete for the overall title as well as a number of other major acting and technical awards.
With 30 drama groups competing at 35 local drama festivals nationwide in front of an estimated 200,000 patrons from the end of February to early April, qualification for the nine places at the RTÉ All Ireland Finals is seen as a significant achievement for any amateur drama group.
The full list of winners at the RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival 2016:
Perpetual Trophy: Bridge Drama with Lost In Yonkers
Best Director: Pat Whelan of Bridge Drama for Lost In Yonkers
Best Actor: Brendan Dunlea of Palace Players for playing Irishman in The Gigli Concert
Best Actress: Maria Diamond Bruce of Dalkey Players for playing Jane Eyre in Jane Eyre
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Colin Malone of Prosperous Dramatic Society for playing Alfie in One Man, Two Guvnors
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Rita Brady of Ennis Players for playing Trilbe Costello in The Loves of Cass McGuire
Best Stage Management: Liam Farrell of Bunclody/Kilmyshall Drama Group for Moonshine
Best Stage Lighting: Barry Donaldson of Dalkey Players for Jane Eyre
Best Stage Setting: Pat Curran, Pat Whelan, Sarah Whelan, Adrian Power, Liam Clancy of Bridge Drama for Lost In Yonkers
Gormanstown Summer School Scholarship: Mike Crowley of Kilmeen Drama Group
ADCI/DLI Summer School Scholarship: Tim Connaughton of Bunclody/Kilmyshall Drama Group
John Butler Scholarship to D.L.I. Summer School: Claire O’Neill of Prosperous Dramatic Society
Abbey Award: Dundalk Theatre Workshop with Glengarry Glen Ross
