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Newpoint Player may not have won the top award at the RTE All Ireland Drama Festival final in Athlone at the weekend but they did come home with several awards with members of their entourage fittingly acknowledged for their major contribution to the success of the amateur drama groups 2024 drama offering 'In the Shadow of the Glen reimagined' by Sean Treanor after JM Synge.
Director Sean Treanor was presented with a finalist award. Adjudicator Tom Byrne awarded his Adjudicator Award to Alison Rogers, Newpoint Players, for her truly exquisite masks for ‘In the Shadow of the Glen Reimagined’ by Sean Treanor after JM Synge.
Mickey Brannigan won the Best Newpoint newcomer award for his role as Dan Burke.
Speaking at the awards the Festival Director, Regina Bushell, said that all the finalists are true masters of their craft. Quoting Kevin Bakhurst of RTÉ who said that in the same way that our national sports generate passion on the fields, the RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival creates passion on the boards.
Liam Hannaway ADCI Chair said that the standard was so high that any of the groups could grace a professional stage. He thanked RTÉ and the other sponsors for their support of drama. He commended the Abbey Theatre for their continued support of drama. He also commended the adjudicator, Tom Byrne.
"We're all part of a drama family here, whether it's the groups, whether it is the adjudicators, whether it's the festivals, it's really important we all pull together and promote what is so good and so enriching about amateur drama" he added.
To mark the 20th year of RTÉ as title sponsor of the RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival, a special one-off prize, the Bride Rosney Award, was awarded to newcomers from each group. Bride Rosney served as Director of Communications at RTÉ from 2002 to 2009. During her tenure, the partnership with the RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival began and it was she who laid the foundations for the 20 years of success which followed. The inter-generational aspect of amateur drama groups was something Bride often referred to. She saw it as a torch that was carried through the generations and a fountain on which great communities would flourish.
To honour the memory of Bride Rosney and mark two decades of the partnership, the RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival presented an award to the best newcomer from each group. Bride’s partner Peter McMenamin presented the awards. Awards in the category went to Shay Hannon, Ballycogley Players Drama Group, Seán Foley, Ballyduff Drama Group, Sam Asaylee, Ballyshannon Drama Society, Joseph Sunderland, Bridge Drama, Claudia Verdecchia, Clontarf Players, Rachel McConnell, Dalkey Players, Mickey Brannigan, Newpoint Players, Lauren Mitchel, Prosperous Dramatic Society and Naoise O’Connor, Wexford Drama Group.
A play that took part in this year's Newry Drama Festival, The Ferryman by Jez Butterworth performed by Ballyduff Drama Group and directed by Ger Canning took the top slot at the 2024 RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival.
