Search
10 Sept 2025
Search
10 Sept 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
The members of Mountmellick Drama Group who will host their 32nd drama festival this March.
A Laois town is preparing for lots of drama and visitors this March, with the hosting of a regional amateur dramatic final, packed with acting talent from around Ireland.
The much anticipated 32nd Annual Mountmellick Drama Festival will take place from Friday March 3 to Friday March 10 inclusive.
It promises eight great plays to enjoy live on stage in the plush spacious surrounds of Mountmellick Community Arts Centre.
Each night after the play is staged by various drama groups around Ireland, it will be reviewed by critics on stage, with winners announced on the final night, sure to be as full of anticipation as the Oscars.
While drama enthusiasts across the Midlands wait patiently to be entertained across the eight nights, the competing drama groups are working feverishly to fine tune their productions to secure those much-coveted points in order to book a place in at the All-Ireland Finals.
Festival chairperson is Shay Flannery.
“The success and longevity of the festival is due to the tireless commitment of a hard-working committee and the support of an ever growing discerning and loyal audience base, drawn from the local community and much further afield.
“It is also thanks to the much appreciated financial support from the main sponsor, Mountmellick Credit Union and the many sponsors and patrons from the locality who make this annual event a possibility,” Shay said.
As a venue the Community Arts Centre is the envy of drama festivals nationally and drama groups clamour to tread the boards in the restored vaulted theatre designed by famous Irish architect Michael Scott.
An exciting and varied programme will leave audiences spoiled for choice this year in what is a very strong line-up of plays.
The eight participating drama groups from counties Galway, Tipperary, Wexford, Waterford and Mayo represent some of the finest amateur talent in Ireland.
The Banshees of Inisherin director Martin McDonagh’s acclaimed play The Beauty Queen of Leenane will open the Festival on Friday 3 performed by Kilrush Drama Group.
His second play in the Leenane trilogy will feature on Tuesday 7 March when Holycross Ballycahill drama group present A Skull in Connemara.
Always willing to give young performers and new writing a performance platform, the committee are delighted to welcome Enniscorthy DG on Thursday March 9th with Fintan Kelly’s “Farsiders”.
The Farsiders cast. More below photo.
It is described as coming-of-age story set in the 1980s which premiered last year to widespread acclaim.
Audiences can travel back in time to 18th century England courtesy of Lucy Kirkwood’s “The Welkin”, by Ballyduff Dg, the current All Ireland title holders in the Open Section.
Twelve bickering, bantering women must decide the fate of Sally Poppy while they await the anticipated arrival of Halley’s comet in this courtroom drama. It contains strong language and adult content.
Other highlights include the beautifully penned Pulitzer Prize and Tony award winning play “Proof” on Saturday 4th and Florian Zeller’s “The Father” a darkly humorous and deeply poignant family story.
The Kings of the Kilburn High Road and The Seafarer (cast below) by Conor McPherson round off the strong representation from Irish playwrights.
The festival Launch will take place in the Balcony Theatre in The Community Arts Centre, Mountmellick on Friday February 17 at 7.30pm with Michelle De Forge of Dunamaise Arts Centre doing the honours.
Always striving to improve the experience for patrons and keeping abreast of technology, the festival committee is thrilled to announce that online booking for Season and Nightly tickets is now live and for the first time ever an assigned seating system is in operation.
Tickets can also be purchased by contactless payment each night but prebooking will facilitate ease of entry and will secure your choice of seat.
To see the full programme and read synopsis of the plays and to Book Tickets visit their dedicated website at mountmellickdramafestival.ie
Season Tickets are €70 (€45 concession) Nightly Tickets €15 (€10 concession). The curtains go up at 8pm sharp and patrons are requested to be seated by 7.45pm out of respect to the performers.
Contact info@mountmellickdramafestival.ie, or call the committee members on 087-7942994 or 087-4121205.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
