Full Length Amateur Drama Circuit 2012

poteen · 19-01-2012 11:56am #1

Its that time of year again folks!

All set?

David Barrett · 20-01-2012 1:43am

Not "set" yet but we are well into rehearsal. Home run at the Naval Base in Haulbowline will be Feb 23 - Feb 26. Doing "Who's afraid of Virginia Woolfe" this time round and hoping we can go one place higher on the league table than last year. Has it been done before on the circuit? Could not find it in archive records.

observe · 23-01-2012 5:21pm

It's a great play. All the best with it!

David Barrett · 23-01-2012 9:03pm

Thanks ! One of my favorites too !

observe · 27-01-2012 5:45pm

I see there are two different productions of the Seafarer out this year. Another great show.

David Barrett · 27-01-2012 6:22pm

Two "Weirs" as well. Any news on how many groups are on the circuit this year?

poteen · 28-01-2012 8:41pm

I count 4 versions of the weir on the circuit:
DADS (confined) , Pomeroy (Confined) , Kilmeen (Open) , Doonbeg (Confined)

Dont know what the numbers are overall. Hopefully the ADCI web will be updated soon. The new website 'itsyourline' is good. Looks like McDonagh and McPherson will be heavily performed again...

Im missing the circuit though and all the fun around it. Best of luck to all.
How are rehearsals going?

David Barrett · 28-01-2012 10:20pm

In the Open you have the following that i know of;
Same old Moon
The lonesome west
The subject was roses
Night mother
The seafarer
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Hedda Gabler
The memory of water
The Crucible
Deadline
The weir
Portia Coughlan
Jerusalem
Bog of cats
The importance of being Ernest
Frozen
They are the ones we will be meeting. Some good ones in there

TrailerBob · 05-02-2012 9:03pm

I heard Estuary are making a return with 3 Days of Rain. Looking forward to another year of travelling! Some interesting shows this year.

poteen · 01-03-2012 12:04pm

The circuit is in full flow now with the first results due this weekend. Anybody caught a show yet ? Who is looking good?

Vinny-Chase · 02-03-2012 12:52pm

Will be checking most of them out in the Kildare festival this week. Hoping for some great entertainment.

poteen · 02-03-2012 1:37pm

Kildare seems to have alot of really strong groups at the moment so the local festival should be good. Have you heard what shows are worth checking out ?

Vinny-Chase · 02-03-2012 1:41pm

Jerusalem by Silken (as usual), having heard locally. Will post up some thoughts after checking out the shows during the week. Will see what I hear on the nights at the festivals I'm attending.

Vinny-Chase · 05-03-2012 11:32am

Caught Poor Beast In The Rain the other night. Have to admit, wasn't really impressed by the play itself. Even the adjudicator made mention that for the first 35 - 40 mins there's no real plot. I know some people got very defensive about criticisms last year in the thread so I'll just comment on stuff the adjudicator said.

I agreed with him that some of the movement looked very awkward, and the lack of spontaneity with the lines, he said that it was clear the play had been well rehearsed but that it needed to be fresh every night. I found the movement very awkward to watch and clearly the actors were just hitting marks and going where they were supposed to be.

I felt he was a little too harsh on the actress who played Molly as I thought her performance was the best of the show. Would definitely have her up for nomination.

One of the actors (can't remember character name) he said was guilty of breaking the 4th wall at times and I noticed this too. He'd deliver a jokey line and it looked to be instinctively look out at the audience and catch himself doing it.

I hope I've kept my comments in line with the adjudicators and these comments aren't taken as me being overly negative but that's what I seen and heard and agreed with. I won't say any more about my own thoughts after last year's "actor's shouldn't be criticised" comments.

Oh forgot to say, the set was very impressive. Really got the feeling of a 70's betting office. Sound and lighting were great as well. He made mention of the great sound on the racing results coming over the radio and external crowd noise after the match. Very, very good.

Vinny-Chase · 06-03-2012 10:18am

Any one else catching any other shows?

Last night in Kildare was Silken Thomas' Jerusalem. I didn't hang around for the adjudication so won't comment too much.

The set was fantastic. All set in one location so no real sound or lighting issues to deal with, except a few music queues.
In terms of the play, it is a good play, not a great play. I don't mean in terms of the production I mean in terms of the written piece. It's a 3 act and with an interval it came in at roughly 3 hours! The audience were getting very shifty in the chairs for the last act. I think if the author got the scissors out and cut a few characters (I seen no need for the likes of the professor and some other characters, they did nothing for the plot) and chopped some dialogue I could see a good 3 act being turned into a great 2 act. But that's just my opinion.

Lead role of Rooster played by Liam Quinlavan was wonderfully handled. I know he has won 2 best actor's already and I wouldn't be surprised to see him clean up at all competitions. I feel sorry for anyone up against that role. I also thought the character of Lee was the strongest of the supporting roles.

That's all I can say, as I didn't hang around for the adjudication.

poteen · 06-03-2012 12:47pm

Fair Play Vinny Chase, your getting to see some shows. I aint been to anything yet but have heard that Kilmeen are staging a brilliant weir . There's lots of results coming in this weekend and the tables will start taking shape.

Vinny-Chase · 06-03-2012 1:27pm

Season ticket for the Drama festival always helps

Seafarer tonight. Looking forward to seeing that. Met Cieran Hinds after The Birds a few years ago and he was recommending it.

Yeah heard Kilmeen are always up there. They won Rush at the weekend IIRC.

Vinny-Chase · 07-03-2012 10:24am

Feels like I'm the only one in the country seeing shows

Last night was Thurles with The Seafarer. WOW!!! That's all I can say. Such a fantastic play and the performances were only fantastic!!!

Being an actor I tend to spot bad or even slightly dodgy acting from a mile away but I have to say it was some of the best acting I have seen on stage. So natural and the characterisations were held 100%.

I have to say I think the adjudicator was very harsh on the production, not that he slated it or anything but he was really nit picking. He had comments to say about Richie at points being too high vocally, shouting at some points which he said "took us out of the room" but, people shout in rooms too has been my experience

Had comments to say about the room being lit by a small window, that it wasn't feasible. Very picky stuff like.

Ivan he said was a dangerous choice by the actor, how he was characterised but it worked. To me it seemed Ivan may have been inspired by Tom Murphy's character in Adam & Paul. But he played it absolutely brilliantly. Really an actor with an abundance of talent and bravery.

The ONLY negative thing I would say, and the adjudicator mentioned it was the make up being overdone on Lockhart. But that isn't the actor's fault. Again another BRILLIANT performance here. Actor had a look of Christopher Lee about him which is ideal for that role.

Made me think if Dickie Harris was still alive he would be made for that role.

All in all, can't say enough good things about the production. Brilliant ensemble acting, 100% believable performances and characters. If it comes to your festival. Check it out.

Vinny-Chase · 08-03-2012 10:58am

Well, I can't say too much about last night's production of The Subject Was Roses except that a guy near me snored through the 1st Act.

I think the adjudicator is being far too critical of excellent productions and far too lenient on weaker productions. I know he's an excellent adjudicator and very knowledgeable and I have spoke to him one on one for adjudication but a few people in the audience were wondering afterwards if he was watching the same show.

I think he needs to be fair across the board, critique all plays in the open section to the same standard. And all confined plays to the same standard.

That's all I'll say on it.

TrailerBob · 08-03-2012 7:38pm

That's been something that I've seen in adjudications a bit too often aswell. Although some go the opposite way and hardly give any feedback which is as bad because you are left in the dark.
Anyway, went to mountmellick on Tuesday to see Kilmuckridge perform 'There came a gypsy riding' in the confined section. (Dont get to see many as we are on circuit every weekend!) I enjoyed the show. Set was very good, worthy of the open section without doubt. Adjudicator was fair in his comment about pushing emotion a bit more but the actors did a good job in general on it. Hope to get around to a few more if possible.
In the meantime we pack up and head North for a weekend's fun!!

Vinny-Chase · 09-03-2012 10:46am

I dunno what he's saying to the cast & crew in private adjudication. I mean he can be critical without being mean in front of the audience.

Anyhoo, last night was Kilrush with Lonesome West. Full disclosure, I've played Fr. West and won a few awards for the role so it's hard to remain neutral but I'll keep my comments as always in line with what the adjudicator said..

Nice set. Very big, used all of the stage. Nice music between scene changes.
Performances were a bit flat in the opening couple of scenes and the adjudicator commented on this but credit to actors playing Valene & Coleman they found their stride in the 2nd act. Adjudicator commented on Valene's appearance and I'm glad he did. Actor had a very neat haircut and a nicely trimmed ("artistic" I think was the description the adjudicator used) beard. This took me a long time to adjust to as his first entrance leaves an impression and he was just too clean cut looking. Coleman's costume was the same, nice clean vest, shirt and jeans. While they suited the character I think the actor's would be doing themselves a favour to grubby them up with some food stains or something. It's a grubby dirty cottage they live in, I can't remember the way the adjudicator phrased it, but he said something that the costumes should reflect the characters, or something along those lines.

The adjudicator's euphemism throughout the festival for people being vocally "flat" was they "need to bring the light & shade" this was the case for the brothers in the first act and Fr. Welsh - Walsh - Welsh. I had trouble at times making out what was being said in Fr. Welsh's letter scene and I know the monologue. It was a little bit rushed. The pressure is always on an actor when there's a couple of pages to get through all on your own but I think the actor should have been allowed to slow it down a bit for his own sake and the audiences.

Highlight of the whole show was Girleen. Brilliant performance. Honest and really nailed the character. Adjudicator said as much as well. She was strong from the 1st word to the last. No harm being easy on the eye either

I'm nearly sure I may have seen that actress play Slippy Helen in The Cripple before. Similar sort of character but she nailed that as well. I've no doubt she'll pick up a few awards for herself if she hasn't already with their results. I think they've won 2 festivals already.

And so concludes the voting from the Kildare jury. I'm in college tonight so will be missing the final show and the results so can't let you know who won what. If it were up to me my voting would be as follows:
Not going to bother with open or confined as I can't remember what was in what.

Best play: The Seafarer (Thurles)
Best set: Jerusalem
Best actor is a hard one but will go with Rooster in Jerusalem, final scene is powerful.
Best supporting actor is again very difficult. I'd split it between Lockhart & Ivan in The Seafarer, if really pushed I'd go with Ivan for the physicality he brought.
Best Actress (easily) Girleen
Best Supporting Actress: Molly from Poor Beast In The Rain

poteen · 09-03-2012 12:08pm

Great insight into the Kildare festival there Vinny Chase. Thanks for taking the time. Interesting that you say The Seafarer is so strong from Thurles. Ive heard that Cornmills show is top class too. Maybe 2 seafarer's in Athlone this year. I think when you hear adjudicators at light source's and bits of set issues, its usually a good thing. The main worry for a group is hard crit on acting and production.

Another thing I do find though is that Adjudicators tend to sometimes judge confined groups at an open level and expect similar quality at times...

This weekend will shape the table well for athlone. My guess is you will see Silken and Kilmeen qualified.

Jon Joe1 · 14-03-2012 8:48pm

Went to see Ballyduff's production The Crucible what a brave, exciting and excellent production. It's one to watch defenitly worth seeing!

mytimeisnow · 20-03-2012 9:51pm

Vinny-chase and itsyourline: Heading to see The Seafarer in Claregalway on Friday night next. Should be interesting...

Jon Joe1 · 20-03-2012 10:22pm

My predictions are in for the nine groups that will make it into the all Ireland
Silken
Ballyduff
Kilmeen
Bunclody
Corofin
Thurles
Cornmill
Prosperous
Estuary

What do you think....although bride view could sneak theyre way in but with 4 no places I don't think it would be any threat!

TrailerBob · 21-03-2012 6:43pm

I'd say you're about right JohnJoe. If any logic applies then that 9 will qualify. Looking at some rogue results though, you'd never know. Nothing against any particular group but a win and 4 no places seems strange. Likewise a group with 3 wins and a no place doesn't fully add up. But then adjudicators are a whimsical breed!! What I've seen so far is that there is no telling who'll win Athlone, no runaway favourite in my book. Too many shows beating each other!

Jon Joe1 · 27-03-2012 5:14pm

Nearly over too hard to guess who'll win Athlone everybody is beating everybody...well I think Kilmeen won't win anyway a play like the weir won't win I think!!

Jon Joe1 · 27-03-2012 5:21pm

On another note I heard that silkens production is supposed to be a complete carbon copy.....As Usual!!!!!

Vinny-Chase · 28-03-2012 7:55pm

Jon Joe1 wrote: »

On another note I heard that silkens production is supposed to be a complete carbon copy.....As Usual!!!!!

Actually had this discussion post show last night. Have heard the same thing about the group doing 39 Steps. What are people's opinions of groups doing this sort of thing? Seeing professional shows and ripping them off completely.

Jon Joe1 · 28-03-2012 8:19pm

Vinny-Chase wrote: »

Actually had this discussion post show last night. Have heard the same thing about the group doing 39 Steps. What are people's opinions of groups doing this sort of thing? Seeing professional shows and ripping them off completely.

It's a total joke and a cheat!!!! There's no originality, sure anybody can copy somebody's set and presentation and their interpretation of the show...it's just a total cheat!!!!

TrailerBob · 28-03-2012 8:32pm

I think it says a lot about the groups that do, or have done this in the past. I have looked at the set for Jerusalem from the west end and its almost identical to the one on circuit. To be fair it is very well executed and looks fabulous, but not original. Can't speak for the direction as I haven't seen the London show but have heard the same criticism. I don't think its cheating myself but I think it takes away from the original work being done by so many groups.
Having said that it still takes a lot of work and talented actors to pull off a show like that.

Full Length Amateur Drama Circuit 2012

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