Exhibitions FESTIVAL VENUES PLAYS Ab bey R oa d St. Mary’s Hall St udio s Daily During the Festival Athlone Springs Thursday 28th April, 8 pm Hotel Kilmeen Drama Group

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o (AIB Gallery) a r h Custume Radisso n t h o Barracks Blu Hote l g n a Friday 29th April, 8 pm R t ‘Colours’ Athlone Art Group Exhibition e Civic Cen tr e Athl one d

S . t Aidan Heavey Tow n Ennis Players . Pri nce of Lib rary Centr e St. Peter’ s Luan G al ler y Wa le s Ho tel The Loves of Cass Maguire by Brian Friel Chu rc h Athlone St. M ary’s R.C. C hu rc h Abbey Road Studio and Athlone Institute of Technology C Civic Square hur Athl one ch S C t. Sher ato n H ote l a Ca st le Saturday 30th, 8 pm ‘Blank Canvas’ (3rd - 6th May) s t l e

S . S Ath lo ne L itt le t e Bridge Drama . t an t . S C S o The atr e n s i te e R ll s a i o Lost in Yonkers by Neil Simon r v Flannery’s S M e t. a T Slic e of Li fe r h . Golden Island Shopping Centre e S e S Bar t P h t S r a an Co n d k n c n n i a o r ug n Midland Photography Club Exhibition ht e Sunday 1st May, 8 pm S d t. o r Athlone IT B Savoury F are Prosperous Dramatic Society n Car Par k De an Crow e h o Shamrock Lodge The atr e J One Man, Two Guvnors by Richard Bean Athlone Town Centre Balcony Hotel Athlone Photography Club Exhibition Monday 2nd May, 8 pm Golden Island Ballyshannon Drama Society Sho ppi ng Centr e Retail Window Display with drama masks Old Times by Harold Pinter Dean Crowe Theatre Athlone Town Retailers Athlone Town Centre Tuesday 3rd May, 8 pm Dundalk Theatre Workshop Athlone Town Crier and Pierrot Mime Artist performances Savoury Fare Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet Sheraton Hotel Poetr y En ter tainmen t Musi c Surprise locations around Athlone Town Radisson Blu Hotel Wednesday 4th May, 8 pm St Mary’s Hall Bunclody/Kilmyshall Drama Group Athlone Library Moonshine by Jim Nolan (Running during the Festival within normal library hours) Abbey Road Studios Thursday 5th May, 8 pm April 28th-May 6th - 1916 The Westmeath Connection Flannery’s Bar Dalkey Players Aidan Heavey Library/ Ar t Dram a Worksho ps/Tours Jane Eyre Adapted by Polly Teale - The story so far, illustrations by Jill Parkinson (4th-6th May) Civic Centre/Civic Square Ar t Dram a Worksho ps/Tours for ‘Reedbound’ by Giles Byford – Information & Tickets Friday 6th May, 8 pm The Festival HUB Palace Players Shamrock Lodge Hotel Daily: 12 noon to 3 pm, Thursday 28th April – Saturday 7th May The Gigli Concert by Tom Murphy Colm Noonan – exciting young artist “The Hub” is an information stand, located at the Radisson Hotel, where information on all aspects of the Festival can be found. Admission tickets tickets at www.deancrowetheatre.com to some Fringe events are required & are available at the Hub. www.dramafestival.ie There is free entry to all events where admission price is not stated . Temple Printing Co. Ltd., Athlone Saturday 30th April, 12 noon to 5 pm Tuesday 3rd May, 11.30 am Thursday 5th May 3 pm Festival fringe (weather permitting – Alternative date Monday 2nd May) Historical John Count McCormack Guided Walking Afternoon T series: Darren O Hara Baritone arts & Crafts and Artisan Food Fair Tour of Ath‘lone ’ Athlone Little Theatre ’ John Count McCormack Square, Town Centre Start Point: St. Mary’s R.C. Church, St. Mary’s Square Join Baritone Darren O’Hara and Mezzo Soprano Catherine Finerty, accompanied by concert Major public event including family entertainment. Experience the hidden stories behind the streets and buildings of McCormack’s Athlone with local pianist Lupe Alvarez De Toledo as they pay a tribute to 1916 by performing favourites from their Tuesday 26th April, 11 am established Irish and Theatre repertoire. Schools Playwright Competition Free Event historian Gearoid O’Brien. Finish at Dean Crowe Theatre. Free Event Admission €5 Dean Crowe Theatre 160 local students have written original one act plays on the theme of ‘freedom’ in this Saturday 30th April, 3 pm Thursday 5th May, 4 pm competition. Presentation of prizes and performance of winning play in a rehearsed reading. Afternoon T series: Galway girl Tuesday 3rd May, 3 pm Recital of Drama, Prose and Poetry Free Event Athlone Little Theatre ‘ ’ Afternoon T Series: Piano Recital Aidan Heavey Library Athlone Little Theatre Students of local speech and drama teacher, Mary Whelan Fox will present a demonstration of solo Tuesday 26th April, 8 pm Fr. Mathew Players, winners of 2015 All (confined) one act drama, present a couple sitting at opposite ends of a table, reminiscing about their life together. Each has a point of view and Recital by next generation musicians from KS Piano Academy. Young award winning Athlone dramas, poetry and rehearsed pieces of drama theatre, including their own written material. Stage to Screen Much Ado About Nothing they rarely address each other directly. The anecdotes are both humorous and tragic. Their lives seem musicians trained by Kateryna Selve perform classical piano pieces. Free Event Athlone Little Theatre wasted, yet the wife’s muted final gesture of affection conveys a love endured. Admission Tickets €5 - Thursday 5th May, 6.30 pm Commemorating the 400th anniversary of the death of the Bard, the Festival, in association with Athlone Film Admission Tickets €5 Club, is delighted to screen what is regarded as Shakespeare's greatest comedy. Directed by Kenneth Branagh Tuesday 3rd May, 3 pm Book reading REEDBOUND and with a star-studded cast, this comic tale of love and deception received rave reviews on its release in 1993. Literary Recital Aidan Heavey Library‘ ’ Admission Tickets €5 Sunday 1st May, 1 pm Giles Byford's story of an English couple's struggle to bring a barge across the Irish Sea to Aidan Heavey Library the inland waterways of Ireland. Traditional irish music The Castle Writers Group Athlone will recite readings of their creative work. Free Event Wednesday 27th April, 6.30 pm Athlone Springs Hotel Free Event Opening of Colours Art Exhibition Round up the weekend with Trad. Music from Tír na nÓg to 3pm and carvery lunch available Thursday 5th May, 7.15 pm AIB Gallery, Dean‘ Crowe Thea’t re for duration of the Festival all day. No bookings necessary. Athlone Pipe Band Group exhibition of Athlone Arts Group celebrating over 30 years in existence. Free Event Wednesday 4th May, 3 pm Join in and March across the famous Bridge, beginning at John Count McCormack Square Free Event Afternoon T series: Now and Then to the Dean Crowe Theatre forecourt. Sunday 1st May, 2 pm ‘ ’ Wednesday 27th April, 8 pm Athlone Little Theatre Free Event Poetry in the Park Confined All Ireland Winning Play World Premier of new play by Jean Farrell. This entertaining and interesting drama looks Athlone Castle Courtyard at emigration today and in the days of Percy French. Songs from both eras are performed throughout Friday 6th May, 3 pm Dean Crowe Theatre The EPIC award winning community Poetry group, “Poetry in the Park” present poetry recitals, short the play. Performance of the winning play (to be confirmed) from the 2016 Confined All Ireland drama finals. Afternoon T series: Power lunch stories and more, from their third community chapbook, published in February this year. Admission €5 Admission Tickets €10 Athlone Little Theatre ‘ ’ Free Event Bradán Players, winners of the 2015 All Ireland (open) one act drama, present the immature, improbable, sometimes interchangeable secret notions of a man and a woman trying to Thursday 28th April, 7 pm Sunday 1st May, 3 pm Thursday 5th/Friday 6th May balance their urges to compete, copulate and connect. Defence Forces Band of the Eastern Brigade Afternoon T Series: In a Land Much Like Ours Schools Theatre Workshop with Majella Flanagan Admission Tickets €5 Athlone by kind permission of GOC Eastern Brigade Athlone Little Theatre ‘ ’ St. Mary’s Hall Two-day fun-filled theatrical educational workshop exploring acting skills, vocal skills, Friday 6th May, 7 pm (Forecourt De)an Crowe Theatre Fresh back from Innisboffin, our own Athlone Little Theatre, present their award winning Defence Forces Band of the Eastern Brigade Musical entertainment to start the 2016 RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival one act play by Rob Johnston. Set in the Northern England, the play takes us on a journey and asks physical movement and creativity. Transition Year Students. Free Event us: Is this a land much like ours? Free Event Athlone by kind permission of GOC Eastern Brigade Admission Tickets €5 F( orecourt De)an Crowe Theatre Thursday 5th May, 11.30 am (& 12 noon if full) Popular musical entertainment for the last night of competitive drama. Friday 29th April, 6.30 pm Sunday 1st May, 3 pm to late Custume Barracks Historic Walking Tour Free Event Athlone A Cappella Stout n Trout Start Point: Main Gate Custume Barracks Sheraton Hotel Foyer A guided tour of one of the most historic military barracks in Europe with Lt Col Harry Smith (retired) Saturday 7th May, 2.30 pm Enjoyable entertainment on a Bank Holiday Friday evening with award winning choral group. Flannery’ ’s ’Bar, Sean Costello Street Jazz and Blues musical entertainment in a marquee setting. Tickets required (Free) Michael McLiamoir, The self inventor Free Event D‘ ean Crowe Theatre (Bar) ’ Free Event - Thursday 5th May, 10 am & 1.30 pm Des Lally, historian, presents the stories behind one of Ireland’s most colourful and creative Saturday 30th April, 10.30 am & 2 pm Stage Management Workshop with Kate Ferris theatre personalities. Free Event Playwriting Workshop with Michelle Read Monday 2nd May, 3 pm Luan Gallery Luan Gallery Afternoon T series: 1916 COMMEMORATION 2016 In this 2.5 hour introduction course participants will learn what is Stage Management and Saturday 7th May, 7.30 pm In this 2.5 hour introduction course, through writing exercises, discussion and scene analysis, Athlone Little Theatre roles and responsibilities, how to run a rehearsal room including blocking, prompting and reporting. Gala awards ceremony and dinner Introduction to creating a Prompt Copy and calling cues for production. participants will learn about: dynamic characters, engaging stories, active dialogue, clear stage Trí Ceol, Filíocht agus Amhránaíocht Athlone Radisson Hotel pictures and how to create script for live performance. Admission €20 Pre-booking (non-refundable) through the Luan Gallery at 090 6442154 Admission tickets €40 dinner Admission €20 Pre-booking (non-refundable) through the Luan Gallery at 090 6442154 Admission tickets €5