79th annual Ballymoney Drama Festival launched

Members of the Drama Festival Committee. Standing: Edel Devlin, Robert Barr, Sharon Flynn, Heaney Sayers, Barbara Cook, Elsa Margrain, Terry Hunter, Mac Pollock. Seated: Alex Blair, Bridget Boyle.

Slemish Players will open the Festival with Say Cheese by Bernard Farrell, a hilarious comedy where many murky secrets are exposed.

On Tuesday 6, Theatre 3 from Newtownabbey will stage Quartet by Ronald Harwood, a funny and poignant play where four aging performers face up to the challenges of a final performance. This will be followed on Wednesday by Rosemary Drama Group’s production of Pride’s Crossing by Tina Howe, a play set in Boston and focussing on love and lost opportunities.

Thursday will bring Newpoint Players with Seduction and Murder at the Red Barn by Sean Treanor, a new play

written by the director, inspired by a tragic murder of the 19 th century. On Friday, The Clarence Players return with John Gabriel Borkman by Henrik Ibsen, a chilling tale of greed and obsession. The final production on Saturday 10 th March will be Lifford Player’s version of Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel, a Patron of Ballymoney Festival for many years, which examines loves lost and frustrated ambitions.

This year Ballymoney Festival is delighted to welcome back Scott Marshall as adjudicator. Scott is an actor, director, playwright and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

All performances will be in Ballymoney Town Hall and start at 8pm, except on the Final Night when the play begins at 7:30pm.

Season tickets cost £45 (Concessions £40) and can be purchased from Ballymoney Town Hall between 10am and midday on Friday, February 16 and Saturday, February 17.

Nightly tickets, which cost £10 (Concessions £8), can also be bought at the Town Hall daily between 10am and 4pm from Wednesday, February 21 or nightly at the Box Office during the Festival. There are further reductions for school students and for group bookings.

Telephone Bookings by Credit/Debit Cards Tel:02827660230. A synopsis of each play can be found on the Festival publicity material and more detailed information about the productions is available on the Festival Website: