Enjoy a feast of drama over the bank holiday weekend as the 23rd Annual Festival of One Act Drama returns to Friars’ Gate, Kilmallock.

The weekend features some of the best amateur drama groups in the country, staging three one act plays a night for three nights! A season ticket costs only €20, starts 8pm nightly and the adjudicator is Paula Dempsey. The line-up is as follows:

Friday 25th October: Shannonside Drama Group presents ‘Ashes to Ashes’ by Harold Pinter, Ennis Players present ‘The Problem’ by A R Gurney and Castlewood Players present ‘Losers’ by Brian Friel.

Saturday 26th: Coachford Players present ‘Nine’ by Jane Shepard, Lucan Drama Society presents ‘Brown’ by Cheric Vogelstein and Athlone Dramatic Society presents ‘With Bells On’ by Darrin Hagen.

27th October: Take 5 Drama Group presents ‘A Letter From Lucy’ by Yvonne Seymour, Bray Arts Drama Group presents ‘Just Passing’ by Colin and Mary Crowther and Kilmeen Drama Society presents ‘Small Box Psychosis’ by Barry McKinley.

‘Kennedy’s Children’

On Tuesday, 5th November, to mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy, Centre Stage Theatre Co., Belfast, present Robert Patrick’s powerful play on the survivors of the Kennedy dream. His sudden death heralded a less promising future.

Set in a Lower East Side bar in New York on Valentine’s Day in the mid-seventies, five disparate characters, survivors of the promise of the Kennedy years, drink alone. Tickets €12/€10.

‘Danny and the Deep Blue Sea’

On Friday, November 8, Friars’ Gate hosts ‘Danny and the Deep Blue Sea’ written by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning author, John Patrick Shanley (‘Doubt’, ‘Moonstruck’ etc.) This breakthrough play is a raw, funny and poignant romantic tale. A new and explosive production directed by Irish Times Theatre Awards nominee, Peter Reid (‘Pinter x 4’) and performed by Edwin Mullane and Clodagh Downing.

Tickets €12/€10 and booking for all shows on 063-98727/ www.friarsgate.ie.