The 2016 Kerry Drama Festival will get under way on this Friday night from 7-30pm. It will be held under the auspices of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland at the Ivyleaf Art Centre, Castleisland from Friday, March 4th to Saturday March 12th. Shows nightly at 8pm. The festival has been held in the Ivyleaf Art Centre since it was revived in 1988.
The 2016 festival has a distinctly home produced flavour to it with no less that two Kerry groups taking to the stage. Tarbert Theatre Players will stage the play Diarmy by one of their own on Monday night, March 6th. Mary Lavery-Carrig is an award winning, published writer and poet who has also had her work broadcast on RTÉ Radio One.
Huge Following
Listowel Drama Group will bring the curtain down on the festival on Saturday night, March 12th with Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit. Both North Kerry groups are likely to bring a huge following on the relatively short hop to The Island on their respective nights.
The nine-night programme will roll out one of the strongest menus of groups, plays and playwrights the festival has seen in years.
Many old KDF favourites are returning to the stage here like: the Shoestring Theatre Company; Skibereen, Theatre Society; Palace Players; Corofin Dramatic Society and more with the new-comers.
Playwirghts like: John B Keane; Billy Roche; Tom Murphy and Noel Coward will be joined by the aforementioned Ms. Lavery-Carrig in what is sure to be a huge occasion for her and the Tarbert group.
Opened by Mayor O’Connell
The event will be opened on this Friday night by Cllr. Bobby O’Connell, Mayor of Killarney Municipal Area and the festival will be adjudicated on by Michael Twomey, ADA of stage and screen fame. Festival director, Jerome Stack and his committee have put an attractive theatrical menu together for this the 29th annual Kerry Drama Festival.
The menu for the nine nights reads as follows:
Friday, March 4th. Dalkey Players with Jane Eyre, adapted by Polly Teale.
Saturday, March 5th. Corofin Dramatic Society with A Day in the Death of Joe Egg by Peter Nichols.
Sunday, March 6th. Brideview Drama with The Belfry by Billy Roche.
Monday, March 7th. Tarbert Theatre Players with Diarmy by Mary Lavery Carrig.
Tuesday, March 8th. Shannonside Drama Group with The Kings of the Kilburn High Road by Jimmy Murphy.
Wednesday, March 9th. Shoestring Theatre Company with Sharon’s Grave by John B. Keane.
Thursday, March 10th. Skibbereen Theatre Society with The Quiet Moment by Mike Finn.
Friday, March 11th. Palace Players with The Gigli Concert by Tom Murphy.
Saturday, March 12th. Listowel Drama Group with Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward.
Booking Service
The festival booking service can be contacted on: 086 10 54 515. Shows Nightly at 8pm. Admission: Adults €10 Season Tickets: Adults €60 Concession €8 Concession €50.
The major sponsors of the event are: Kerry County Council Arts Department; Allied Irish Bank; Castleisland Co-Op Mart; River Island Hotel; Kerry Drama Federation; The Crumb; The Broderick Family; McElligott’s Furniture and Bank of Ireland.
