drama festival

Ballymoney Literary and Debating Society will open the Festival with Relatively Speaking by Alan Ayckbourn, a bitter and brilliantly sharp comedy of mistaken identity. On March 2, Theatre 3 from Newtownabbey will stage Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton, a chilling psychological thriller about aggressive greed, madness and revenge. This will be followed on March 4 by Slemish Players’ production of Scenes from the Big Picture by Owen McCafferty, a play where private and public worlds collide in a Belfast overshadowed by economic uncertainty and violence.

Tuesday will bring Rosemary Drama Group with Kiss Me Quickstep by Amanda Whittington, a bittersweet comedy set in the surprisingly cut-throat, world of ballroom drama. On Wednesday Newpoint Players return with Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, the absurdist tragicomedy, full of deadpan wit and linguistic invention. Friday will see The Clarence Players with Give Me Your Answer, Do! by Brian Friel, which examines a writer’s relationship to posterity. The final production on Friday, March 8 will be Bart Player’s version of Stepping Out by Richard Harris, an uplifting comedy about an amateur tap dance class. www.ballymoneydramafestival.com