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Silken Thomas Winners in 2007

Silken Thomas Players, featuring in only their third year in the Open Circuit, were crowned All-Ireland Champions at the Gala Awards Ceremony which took place last Sunday night at the Radisson Hotel as the curtain came down on the 2007 RTE All Ireland Drama Festival. The Kildare-based group featured prominently in the awards picking up Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and, for the third year running, Best Stage Management. Their play, The ‘Normal Heart' by Larry Kramer, played to a packed house the previous Friday night and was describrd by adjudicator, Michael Twomey, as the most moving piece of theatre he had ever seen on the amateur stage. The work tells the story of how activist Ned Weeks set about raising awareness of the devastating crisis which erupted as the plague of AIDS first appeared in the early 1980s and his struggle against the ambivalent New York establishment. A challenging work even for professionals, Silken Thomas Players proved that they can deliver in the most demanding circumstances and having come second last year with ‘Trainspotting' it was not going to take too long before they would carry off the premier award.
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The festival, which is run under the auspices of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland, is held in May and is one of the premier events of its kind in Europe. Having been in continuous existence since its inception in 1953, it is one of the most enduring festivals in Ireland and is the major cultural event in the Midlands. It attracts hundreds of visitors every year to its host town, Athlone and comprises nine nights of the best in amateur drama in Ireland. Nine groups, who qualify from preliminary festivals, perform at the Dean Crowe Theatre for the prestigious Festival Trophy as well as for other major acting and technical awards. The festival is supported by an active fringe which involves street theatre, art exhibitions, workshops and events for young people.

Athlone is located in the centre of Ireland. It is a friendly town brimming with atmosphere. It offers excellent choices in accommodation, restaurants, shopping and leisure facilities for visitors, participants and supporters of the RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival. Visit www.athlone.ie for further information.