Orphans brings the house down in north Cork

A POWERFUL production of Lyle Kessler’s play Orphans by Ballyduff Drama Group of west Waterford won the Bryan MacMahon Trophy, the top award in the open competition at the North Cork Drama Festival, now in its 54th year.

The group has been performing on the three-act festival circuit for over 20 years, during which they won best production, presentation, stage management and actor awards at the All-Ireland finals, in Athlone, before they took the overall title in 2003.

Adjudicator Scott Marshall, officiating at the Charleville festival, for the third time, said Ballyduff’s production was one of the best examples of amateur drama he had seen for some time.