'Sylvia' opens 72nd Newry Drama Festival

Sylvia and Kate have a heart to heart about the damaged shoe! Photographs: Columba O'Hare/ Newry.ie

The Curtain went up in Newry Town Hall last night on Sylvia by the Slemish Players, the first play in the annual week long celebration of drama at Newry Town Hall. Newry Drama Festival runs until Saturday with an eclectic mix of performances.

Pictured at the opening night of Newry Drama Festival.

Last night 23 March the 72nd festival was opened by Festival Chairperson Kate Carragher who recalled the loss of their esteemed President Charlie Smyth in November past, remembering him with a minutes silence.

The Chairperson also welcomed and thanked their new main sponsor, the Canal Court Hotel and presented a bouquet to Maureen Grant for her help and support. This years festival adjudicator is Tony Finnegan, no stranger to Newry having directed several productions for Newry Musical Society in the 1990's.

Newry Drama Festival 2026 Adjudicator Tony Finnegan. Photograph: Columba O'Hare — Newry Drama Festival 2026 Adjudicator Tony Finnegan.
Photograph: Columba O'Hare

The festival opened with Slemish Players production of Sylvia by A.R. Gurney a comic play based around Greg and Kate a middle aged New York couple whose marriage is put under increasing strain as a result of Greg bringing home a stray dog and the increasing love and attention he pays to it and not his wife.

Adjudicator Tony Finnegan in his analysis of the play first spoke about what he expected from it "The role of Sylvia as an animal is physically demanding. Whilst complex and farcical, it must avoid characature. The triple multi role play and the fast changes require a good actor. The play needs to show transition with its lighting and sound giving space and atmosphere. It needs to be funny versus offensive. It needs to reflect the emotional journey, Greg’s changing, his senses heightened, the clever use of music “ Who is Sylvia”, the emphasis on the themes of mid life crisis, human bonds, unconditional love and compromise."

Speaking of the set by Alex and Will Morrow Finnegan said: "This was a very clean look, very good blacks, the use of the projection screen, very clever uses of the same scene at night and day, clever use of the coffee table becoming a park bench and airport chairs. The different chair for “ Leslie” along with the peacock feather added distinction."

Stage Management from Michael Rose and John Dobbin was "very slick, very quick, good interior changes". Lighting by Lynda Esler was very good with sound by Eugene Neeson praised for good selection of music and its placing. While he thought the costumes were well done he lamented the lack of credit for costume/ make up in the programme.

Turning to the acting Finnegan said: Sylvia ( Marie Mahany) had a very good energetic entrance. "The bark she humanised with “ Hay, Hay, Hay” was very clever. Her accent was excellent, though that's the first time I realised that dogs have accents! The diction with the cat was not always totally audible. Excellent “huffing” at the end with Greg. The role could be done as a dog impression but that would be missing the point. We have to have the human trait and I thought Marie did a brilliant job."

Greg ( Joe Stephenson) had a very nice accent. "He used his face and his eyes really well. Very good physicality, very good reaction, especially when Kate says “ saliva”. He also has a gorgeous singing voice.i thought he really progressed in the arc of his character, becoming more and more neurotic as the play progressed. I loved his “ Sylvia would make a great mother”. Very good."

On Kate ( Keri Robinson) the adjudicator said "this character must remain likeable to us throughout the play and Keri kept this. Good accent, good projection, off stage projection was excellent. Nice stage presence and good “ tipsy” acting as well. Her awkwardness with Sylvia came across very well. Nice portrayal."

On the triple roles of Tom/ Phyllis and Leslie ( Andy Speirs) he added "Tom was played very well. The accent did slip a few times but overall very good physicality and comic timing was very good. Well done."

Finnegan praised the director Josie Corr for keeping the original script and not going for the option with less expletives. "Using the bad language fleshes out the role. There was a bit of masking where Sylvia blocked Greg and her entrance at the airport scene would have benefited if it had been stage left rather than stage right. Getting Sylvia to do the stretching before she went for Bowser was a lovely touch.

"Putting Sylvia on the bench to see the Dalmatian, lovely dynamic. Once a director gets the cast right, which she did, it’s about having a strong hand over the entire production and making sure that things like pitch, tone, intonation patterns are all observed. There was some clever positioning, for example Sylvia sitting on the sofa making her dominant and the final use of Sylvia’s photo projected onstage smiling knowingly was a lovely closure."

The Plays 7.30pm Nightly - Tickets at Door.