The Abbey Launch
17th April 2025
Amateur drama takes centre stage as the 2025 RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival launches in the Abbey Theatre
Festival programme promises a feast of drama, an action-packed fringe festival and a live stream www.rte.ie
The 2025 RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival, held under the auspices of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland (ADCI), will take place from 8th – 16th May in the Dean Crowe Theatre, Athlone. As part of this year’s All-Ireland Drama Festival (AIDF), the nine finalist drama groups gathered in Athlone on Sunday 13th April to attend the official draw for the line-up for the RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival Final.
The plays included in this year’s RTÉ AIDF Final – listed in the Programme below – are wide-ranging and include several adaptations for stage, a premiere of an Irish adaptation of a play, two amateur premieres, a farce and a black comedy.
For the first time, the RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival Gala Awards will stream live on www.rte.ie/culture at 9pm on Saturday 17th May. With awards for achievements both on and off stage, including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Stage Design, the stakes are high to see who will win the coveted Perpetual Trophy and The Abbey Theatre Award.
At the launch today in the Abbey Theatre, new Festival Director, Michael McGlone, opened the proceedings acknowledging the importance of the continued support of the national broadcaster and the national theatre, and thanked Kevin Bakhurst, Director General RTÉ, Mark O’Brien, Director, Abbey Theatre and Liam Hannaway, Chairperson of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland, all of whom were in attendance. Quoting Stella Adler who said that, ‘The play is not in the words, it’s in you’, he wondered if she was thinking of the RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival.
He added: “I look forward to welcoming all nine finalist groups to Athlone, including the three groups who are returning to the final after a period of absence. I have attended a number of drama festivals around the country and I have been so impressed with the calibre of productions taking place on our stages. With such a high standard now being consistently achieved in amateur drama throughout the island of Ireland and with a wonderful programme of performances lined up, audiences are in for a real treat at the RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival in May. I can’t wait.”
Speaking at the launch of this year’s RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival in the Abbey Theatre, RTÉ Director-General, Kevin Bakhurst said: “I am delighted to return to our national theatre on behalf of RTÉ for the launch of this wonderful celebration of amateur drama across Ireland. The RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival is unique in the way it brings together community groups from all over the country who give their all as they take to the stage and proudly represent their communities.
In what is the 21st anniversary of the partnership between RTÉ and the RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival, it is great to see such an exciting week of the very best in amateur drama in the Dean Crowe Theatre in Athlone. I am also delighted that RTÉ will mark this milestone by streaming the Gala Awards live on RTE.ie on Saturday 17th May. RTÉ’s continued support of the festival recognises the vital role it plays in celebrating local communities and those who contribute so much to them. I’d like to congratulate the organising committee and wish all this year’s finalist amateur drama groups the very best of luck.”
Tickets for the festival are on sale from Tuesday 15th April and can be booked through the Dean Crowe website at http://www.deancrowetheatre.
Stream the RTÉ All Ireland Drama Festival Gala Awards live on www.rte.ie/culture at 9pm on Saturday May 17th
Abbey Theatre Launch video
Video courtesy of Declan McConaghy