Write a commentThe 63rd Newry Drama Festival will take place from the 20th to the 28th of March 2015 in NEwry Town Hall with a new starting time of 7.30pm each night.
The 2015 Festival in association with the Quays Newry will have the new curtain –up time of 7.30 (instead of 8pm) after consultation last year about the starting time with Season Ticket Holders voting overwhelmingly in favour of the earlier start.
Doors will open at 7pm and the nightly Programme of Plays are below.
Fri. 20 March - Carlow Little Theatre Society. “The Kings of the Kilburn High Road” Jimmy Murphy.
Sat. 21 March - Letterkenny Music/Drama Group. “The 39 Steps” John Buchan adapted by Patrick Barlow.
Sun. 22 March - The Moat Club, Naas, “Hedda Gabler” Henrik Ibsen adapted by Christopher Shinn.
Mon. 23 March - Rosemary Drama Group Belfast, “Frost/ Nixon” Peter Morgan.
Tues. 24 March - Newpoint Players Newry “Metamorphosis” Franz Kafka adapted by Steven Berkoff.
Wed. 25 March - Holywood Players, “A Month in the Country” Brian Friel after Turgenev.
Thurs. 26 March - Bart Players Belfast, “Visiting Hour” Richard Harris.
Fri. 27 March - Bunclody/Kilmyshall Drama Group, “Stolen Child” Bairbre Ni Chaoimh and Yvonne Quinn.
Sat. 28 March - Ballyduff Drama Group, “Takin’ Over The Asylum” Donna Franceschild.
Eighteen Drama Societies applied to compete in Newry in 2015 and nine were selected. Five of the nine Groups are from South of the Border and four are from the North.
The adjudicator will be Scott Marshall, G.O.D.A. (Guild of Drama Adjudicators).
Scott Marshall is an actor, director, playwright and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He has adjudicated thirty three full length or one act finals throughout Ireland, the UK and Europe. These have included seven British All-Winner Finals since 1985, three Athlone All – Ireland Finals and six Irish one act finals.
In 2001 he had the distinction of being the only British or Irish adjudicator ever to have been invited to assess the one act plays from twenty four countries at the World Festival of Amateur Theatre held quadrennially in Monaco.
Recently turning to playwriting he has had immediate success. Home Boy Home was produced professionally, touring a number of venues including the Grand Opera House.
His second full length play The Threefold Cord has been published recently by Samuel French and was produced in England twice last year. Meanwhile his first one act play to appear on the amateur drama circuit Winnie’s Boy won best play, best director and best actress for the Essex company Bijou Players at Thurrock Festival in 2011.
His latest two one acts, written especially for Irish groups, Arms Floating Like Seaweed and the farcical Top of the Mourning were published before Christmas 2012. Details and synopsis of his plays can be found at scottmarshallplays.com.
Scott has adjudicated Newry Drama Festival on two previous occasions and audiences will recall his enlightening and entertaining adjudications.
