GLENAMADDY THEATRE FESTIVAL
FRI 20th MARCH - SAT 28th MARCH 2026
WELCOME TO GLENAMADDY THEATRE FESTIVAL 2026
Welcome to the Glenamaddy Theatre Festival's website. We would like to thank you for your loyal support down through the years and welcome you to the current Drama Season. This year’s Glenamaddy Drama Festival is proud to hold its 62nd anniversary.
We were honoured to celebrate our 61st anniversary last year. The Festival Committee would like to thank everyone who made this such a great festival. To the people on the Committee who worked hard before and during the festival, to our sponsors without whom the festival would not be possible, to our adjudicator Paula Dempsey, the groups who participated in our festival and brought such a high standard to the festival and finally to our audiences who again came out in 2025 and supported the festival. We hope that you enjoyed the nine nights of excellent shows.
We have another excellent line up of plays this year and we hope you all enjoy our 2026 Festival which runs from the 20th-28th March 2026.
ADJUDICATOR
Michael Poynor - GODA, ADA
Born in the Falkland Islands and educated in Argentina and England. He read Economics at Westminster College, London, and Business (Dip. Mgmt, MBA) at the Open University; he trained for theatre at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (L.A.M.D.A.) and started his theatre career at the CASTLE THEATRE, Farnham as Stage Manager, Designer, Lighting Designer and Actor.
He has directed over one hundred and sixty productions, designed sets for over a hundred and twenty-five productions and lighting for over two hundred and sixty.
As a fight director member of the British Academy of Dramatic Combat he has directed ‘violence’ for the Abbey and Gate Theatres in Dublin; the Lyric Theatre and Grand Opera House in Belfast and many independent theatre companies.
In 2024 he directed and designed the world premiere of Eamonn Lynch’s ‘The Derry Yank’ in Derry and re-mounted it June 2025 at the Millennium Forum.
He is currently working on several Son et Lumiére projects (Sound and Light outdoor projection events) both in Ireland and France.
He has adjudicated at many festivals in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man as well as the IATA International Festival (1990); The All Ireland Confined Final (1998); the New Zealand Finals (1992); The All Ireland Confined Final (1998); The Irish Universities Finals (2014); The Northern Ireland One Act Finals (2019), The RTE All Ireland Finals at Athlone (2022), the Gibraltar International Festival (2022) and the Ulster Drama Finals (2023).
Glenamaddy Theatre Festival are delighted to welcome Michael to Glenamaddy to adjudicate our 62nd festival.
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
20th - 28th March 2026
Friday March 20th
Brideview Drama Group (OPEN)
“Da” by Hugh Leonard
Saturday March 21st
Dooega Drama Group (CONFINED)
“Philadelphia Here I Come” by Brian Friel
Sunday March 22nd
Thurles Drama Group (OPEN)
“Dancing at Lughnasa” by Brian Friel
Monday March 23rd
Upstage Players (CONFINED)
“The Year of the Hiker” by John B. Keane
Tuesday March 24th
Bualadh Bos Drama Group (CONFINED)
“From Under the Bed” by Seamus O’Rourke
Wednesday March 25th
Gerry Farrell (NON-COMPETITIVE)
“I Had To Go For Counselling”
Thursday March 26th
Corofin Dramatic Society (OPEN)
“Wit” by Margaret Edson
Friday March 27th
Glenamaddy Players (CONFINED)
“Chapatti” by Christian O’Reilly
Saturday March 28th
Kilmeen Drama Group (CONFINED)
“Ballyturk” by Enda Walsh