Gormanston and Maynooth Summer Schools must tackle the serious deterioration in diction and projection standards in amateur theatre, because in every other area standards are extremely high. Athlone's All-Ireland Drama Festival, now in its second week, has had a number of productions in which dialogue was lost.
Bernard Farrell's Happy Birthday, Dear Alice requires careful pacing. Gorey Little Theatre Group came out with all guns blazing, but had nowhere to go in the long second act. One player became almost hoarse. A pity, because there were intelligent directorial and design ideas, good groupings and acting.
Torch Players, Limerick gave a spirited and enjoyable production of Moliere's The Miser, a difficult play. Some lines were lost but a splendid, well-lit set and some excellent acting made this one of the most entertaining productions of the play I have seen - professional or amateur.
Sundrive Players brought their regular festival appearance to a new high with Arthur Miller's The Price, although their hand gestures were excessive at first. To a less competent group, its wordiness would have spelt danger, but fine acting, direction, setting and lighting held an appreciative audience throughout. Hollywood Players' stage crew received deserved ovations. Clever design, well-chosen movement and brilliant costuming added to an accomplished production of Lettice and Lovage, by Peter Shaffer. The cool, marble effect of a visually splendid, well-lit set, detracted a little from efforts to convey stifling humidity in Someone to Watch Over Me by Frank McGuinness, brilliantly presented by Dundalk Theatre Workshop. Here three fine actors made every word audible and their use of pause for dramatic effect was always effective. Missing from the Festival since 1980, Dundalk came back with a resounding claim to be in the final shake-up.
For their first visit to Athlone, Cuckoo's Nest Theatre Players from Tallaght were unlucky to follow McGuinness's play with Beckett's Waiting For Godot. Two evenings of games to pass the time were too much for many patrons and a number left at the interval. Clarity of dialogue, so absolutely essential in Beckett, was not always in evidence. This was a good production of a difficult piece but absolute perfection is necessary to make the waiting worthwhile.
Audiences are enjoying fine theatre and also Russell Whiteley's adjudications. With possibly the highest standard yet seen in the Festival's first week, he has a difficult task ahead.
The festival continues until Saturday.
