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.

The group also won the awards for production (Kevin McCormack) and stage management (Pat Sheehan) in the open competition, while Killian Collins took the award for most promising young actor.

Skibbereen Theatre Society, which returned to the festival circuit in 1998, won the Golden Vale Trophy in the confined competition, with a Catherine Field directed production of Our Lady of Sligo by Sebastian Barry.

The group also won the production award and qualified for this month’s All Ireland confined finals in Claregalway, Co Galway, for the fifth time since 2000.

Organised by a committee headed by Elizabeth O’Gorman, director, and David O’Sullivan, chairman, the festival attracted good houses - treated to top standard drama by nine groups.

Open Competition Bryan MacMahon Trophy

1, Ballyduff Drama Group Orphans (Lyle Kessler);

2, Kilmeen Drama Group A Crucial Week in the Life of a Grocer’s Assistant (Tom Murphy); 3, Palace Players, Fermoy Son of Man (Dennis Potter).

Ted O’Riordan Awards

Best Actor - Joe Mullins, Palace Players, Fermoy. Best Actress - Nora Scannell, Kilmeen.

Francie Ryan Memorial Cup (Best Supporting Actor) - John Baldwin, Brideview Drama Group, Tallow, Co Waterford.

Maureen Ryan Memorial Cup (Best Supporting Actress) - Rosarie Murphy, Kilmeen.

Confined Competition Golden Vale Cup

1, Skibbereen Theatre Society Our Lady of Sligo (Sebastian Barry); 2, Newmarket Drama Group Out of Order (Ray Cooney); 3, Doonbeg Drama Group Many Young Men of Twenty (John B Keane).

Ted O’Riordan Awards

Best Actor - Gerard Liston, Ardagh Drama Group.

Best Actress, Carmel O’Driscoll, Skibbereen.

Special Awards Fr Murphy Rose Bowl (Production Open) - Ballyduff.

Associated Members Cup (Production Confined) - Skibbereen.

John Meade Memorial Trophy (Set and Presentation Open) - Anvil Players, Bruff Blithe Spirit (Noel Coward).

Marian Players Shield (Set and Presentation Confined) - Newmarket.

Frank O’Hara Memorial Trophy (Stage Management Open) - Ballyduff.

Nesta O’Flynn Memorial Trophy (Lighting and Sound) - Fermoy.

Claud Gough Memorial Trophy (Outstanding Moment of Theatre) - Doonbeg.

The R M Trophy (Most promising young actor/actress) - Killian Collins, Ballyduff.

Vic Loving Award (Best Costume) - Bruff.