The West Cork Drama Festival returns with a great choice of plays for 2026, with several works new to the Rossmore festival stage.
Opening the festival on Sunday March 15th is the Memory Lane Theatre Company from Kerry with their production of Eugene O’Brien’s Heaven, a play which won the Irish Times award for best new play in 2023.
This playwright is well known for his successful TV midlands drama Pure Mule as well as his award-winning play Eden.
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Heaven is an emotionally compelling play set during the weekend of a wedding, when a couple reflect on the choices they have made and roads not taken. It is recommended for over 16s only.
Monday 16th sees Tipperary’s Holycross-Ballycahill drama group giving ‘their best, their almighty best’ in the John B.
Keane renowned Irish classic Sive, which has ingrained itself into theatrical canon of Irish drama. Keane’s dark wit, lyricism and song shine through in this moving tragedy.
On St Patrick’s night, Waterford’s Brideview Drama Group take to the stage with the Hugh Leonard comedy Da.
A poignant, yet at times hilarious memory play, it explores an Irish father-son relationship laced with autobiographical aspects based on Leonard’s own life.
On Wednesday the 18th pioneering Irish playwright Enda Walsh’s intriguing drama Ballyturk is the local Kilmeen Drama Group’s production.
Described as ‘a collision of angst, poetry and slapstick that is wildly funny’, this surreal, fast-paced physical comedy traverses from deep sadness to side-splitting funny.
Another local group, Gaggin Drama Group will stage A Living Will by Tipperary’s Jim Keane on Thursday the 19th.
This entertaining dark comedy is centred on a rural Irish family and issues of legacy, greed, love and betrayal.
Travelling all the way from Wicklow, Gorey Little Theatre present the tense, ominous psychological thriller Gut by contemporary Scottish playwright Francis Poet on Friday the 20th.
Stranger danger and how much to trust your gut instinct are explored in this drama, that is recommended for over 16s.
The closing night has Nenagh Players stage Waterford playwright Jim Nolan’s The Salvage Shop.
This richly layered, touching and evocative drama involving three generations of a family explores themes of redemption, reconciliation and finding solace.
The festival committee are delighted to welcome Alan Howley as festival adjudicator.
Alan has been a professional actor and also teaches at the Gaiety School of Acting. No doubt audience members will appreciate his nightly reviews of the plays, sharing his professional insights.
While the Open finals for qualifying groups will, as usual, be held in Athlone from April 30th to May 8th, the confined finals will take place this year in Carrickmore, Co Tyrone from April 9th to the 18th.
All plays start at 8pm and tickets can be booked online from the Rossmore Theatre website.
The festival committee would like to thank all the festival sponsors, supporters and volunteers for their continued support in making this festival such a success.
