83rd Ballymoney Drama Festival

As is appropriate for its 83rd year, the festival has an excellent mix of comedy, tragedy, and established classics, of interest to not only the seasoned theatregoer but also to those new to theatre.

Over the six nights, audiences will be able to enjoy performances by groups of award-winning, experienced and respected actors; amateur in name, but professional in their approach to every element of their productions!

Every play in this year’s festival programme has been written by a respected dramatist; many have won coveted awards and have been praised by critics. As usual, Ballymoney Drama Festival offers an opportunity to see good productions of a variety of well-crafted, enjoyable plays in the heart of the local community. Once again, it offers excellent value for money!

Rosemary Drama Group will open the Festival with She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith, a fresh take on this riotous comedy of mistaken identity.

On Tuesday, March 5, Slemish Players will stage The Passing Day by local playwright George Shiels, a bitter social comedy about miserliness, greed and just deserts. This will be followed on Wednesday 6th by Bart Players’ production of The Actress by Peter Quilter, a funny and poignant new play set backstage as a colourful and complicated actress says farewell to the stage.

Thursday. March 7, will bring The Clarence Players with Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton, an emotionally charged psychological thriller of rapacious greed, madness and revenge. On Friday, March 8 Newpoint Players return with Shadow of the Glen - Reimagined by Sean Treanor (via JM Synge), a fresh interpretation of Synge’s dark, poetic comedy which explores and develops its themes of time, loneliness, and the tension between personal security and freedom.

The final production on Saturday 9th March will be Theatre 3, Newtownabbey with Even Numbers by Tony Domaille, an award-winning one-act thriller about a serial killer and the shocking truth revealed during her psychological assessment.

The first performance will be on Monday, March 4 and then the festival runs until Saturday, March 9. All performances will be in Ballymoney Town Hall and start at 8pm, except on the Final Night when the play begins at 7:30pm.

Nightly tickets, which cost £12 (Concessions £10), can be bought at the Town Hall daily between 10am and 4pm from Tuesday, February 27, or nightly at the Box Office during the Festival.

There are further reductions for school students and group bookings.A synopsis of each play can be found on the Festival publicity material and more detailed information about the productions is available on the festival website: www.ballymoneydramafestival.com