Revamped theatre to take centre stage for drama festival

A West Cork village is gearing up for an influx of more than 3,500 people next month as locals make final preparations for one of the most prestigious drama festivals on the national circuit.

St Mary’s Theatre in Rossmore has just undergone a €300,000 facelift, which has increased the size of the stage by six feet and involved the installation of a sophisticated hydraulic system which allows the multi-purpose stage to be raised and lowered.

The renovations, completed just in time for next month’s West Cork Drama Festival, also involved the provision of a new kitchen in the festival club — a team of local women traditionally serve four-course home-cooked meals to about 300 cast and crew members — a new bar, new en suite changing rooms and a toilet for people with a disability.