The people behind ‘the Friendly Festival’ offered a theatre workshop in Rossmore recently. The West Cork town has become an award-winning centre for the arts and is finding new players. And Kilmeen Drama Group is already preparing for 2024
WOULD-BE thespians were invited to put a proverbial toe in the water at a theatre workshop which was held in Rossmore recently.
The venue for the workshop, St Mary’s Theatre, was built by the community to accommodate the multi-award winning Kilmeen Drama Group and their many brilliant productions.
Statistically, there are 40 volunteers already on call, but the 20 people attending the workshop responded to a notice seeking new performance or production personnel.
Drama is a mercurial art so there’s always room for new and emerging talent – even if the person finds that their gift is in set design, construction or production.
Nora Scannell – West Cork’s answer to Meryl Streep – recalled what it was like stepping on stage as an 18-year-old and finding something that would sustain and enrich her life.
‘I was really bitten by the bug,’ she said. ‘Drama has played a huge part in my life.
‘For many years, I had wonderful opportunities to travel to different parts of the world with plays but also to travel in the form of characters.
‘I have had very memorable journeys playing different characters,’ she said. ‘I have been lucky, over the years, to get to play some fantastic strong female roles. Whilst they were hugely challenging, they were also hugely rewarding.’
Gerard Finn, who was assisting at the recent workshop, outlined how an entire community got bitten by the bug.
It all began with the formation of the drama group in the tiny village of Rossmore, near Clonakilty, in the late 1930s.
‘It has grown to become one of the most important aspects of our society,’ he said. ‘It started small in what was known as Timmy’s Hall and now reflects a whole community involvement.
‘Our theatre was built in 1948 through voluntary labour. It was done under the direction of our parish priest at the time, Fr James O’Donovan, who was a pioneer in many fields.’
Fr O’Donovan also helped to instigate the West Cork Drama Festival in 1956 and it remains, to this day, one of the most successful festivals in Ireland.
Participants and mentors in the drama workshop in Rossmore.
It’s known as ‘The Friendly Festival’ probably due to the fact that it always attracts enthusiastic, capacity crowds in the 300-seat theatre.
The friendly factor can also be attributed to the efforts of the group’s hospitality committee who extend a welcome not just to visiting theatre groups but to the entire audience.
At half-time, everyone gets to pile backstage for free tea and coffee and snacks.
The festival club even has a bar, which means the interval is like a mini production with a short, intense blast of conversation, pithy reviews, and the murdering of cups of tea.
Gerard can’t remember the cost of the first iteration of St Mary’s, or the improvements that were made to allow them join the three-act drama festival circuit in the 60s.
There was, he recalls, a big upgrade in 2001, when they enlarged the stage, upgraded the dressing rooms and installed new toilets. Then, in 2012 and 2013, came a major upgrade costing €400,000.
‘We were very lucky, we were able to avail of a Leader grant in the amount of €200,000,’ said Ger who described this as ‘money well spent.’
Due to the ongoing, generous, loyal support of local businesses, and the community, the facility is now debt-free.
Kilmeen had their first All-Ireland win in 2006 with the Tom Murphy play A Crucial Week in the Life of a Grocer’s Assistant, directed by the late Tim Coffey.
Lar McCarthy, Nora Scannell, and Ger Finn of the Kilmeen Drama Group.
But it was their triple crown – the three consecutive All-Ireland wins from 2011 to 2013 – that set Kilmeen Drama Group apart as unique.
Nora said she would now be considered to be ‘one of the senior members of the group’ because there are young people coming all the time.
‘That’s fantastic because that is how the group is going to grow and develop,’ she said.
‘Through it all, we have never lost our community spirit. It is one of the things that drives us on. It allows us to do wonderful performances, to fill our beautiful theatre here in Rossmore, and to make people feel good,’ she said.
‘The plays we choose may not always be to the taste of the audience but there is something in every play. This year we did Blithe Spirit, the Noel Coward play.
‘We didn’t have success at competition level but we had a lot of very happy audiences, night after night. People kept coming up to us to say, “What a beautiful production” so it’s not all about winning. There is that element of giving to the audience something special, a good night’s entertainment.
‘I think we do that very well here. We are only amateur. None of us are professional. We all have jobs to do. We are doing this because we love it – no other reason. I think when you are doing something you really love you are investing so much of yourself into that that the result is bound to be good.’
Things don’t stand still in Rossmore. They are rehearsing a one-act play for the one act festival circuit called home talks from abroad which is directed by Denis O’Donovan. This play will be on the circuit in the coming weeks
They are also rehearsing for the three-act circuit with a play called Sharon’s Grave directed by Christy O Sullivan. This play will go on the three-act festival circuit early next year.
And to anyone considering getting involved in drama, Nora had this advice: ‘If you haven’t experienced acting or drama I would encourage you to give it a try.
‘Join your local drama group, get that buzz! I promise you, acting up on stage, to a packed house, is one of the most rewarding activities you will ever do.
‘For those of you that play a team sport you know what it is like but to be on stage with your fellow actors in front of an enthusiastic audience – it doesn’t get any better.’
• Keep an eye on The Southern Star online for Jackie Keogh’s upcoming video footage from Rossmore at
