Sponsored by Esso Ireland and in conjunction with the All-Ireland Drama Finals in Athlone, the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland has been holding a competition for new scripts for the past two years. Last year, it attracted almost 50 entries and the competition continues.

The Drama League of Ireland also has a sensible programme for fostering play-writing. In association with The Abbey, it embarked on a new-writing project now reaching its conclusion. The Arts Council is supporting its final phase, when nine new, one-act plays will receive rehearsed readings at Backstage Theatre, Longford, Garter Lane Theatre, Waterford and at a Dublin venue yet to be named.

Playwright and director of Red Kettle Jim Nolan worked on the Waterford plays for three days before the performance of the rehearsed readings last Sunday. Brian Brady, associate director at the Abbey, will be at Backstage over the weekend of October 17th to 19th (Oliver Kenny, 043-41706). Actor, director, lecturer Scott Marshall, one of theatre's best known adjudicators, is returning to live in Ireland and will conduct the Dublin readings from November 22nd to 24th (Karen Carleton, 01-2956287). The plays that will receive readings are: Homesteaders by Soinbhe Lally, On The Dot, by Gerard Bourke, Family by Niall Moore, Painter's Mess by Seamus Norris, Magic Moments by Sean Lawlor, Blizzard On Costa Del Sol by Michael Lynch, Puppet Theatre by G. Egan/T. Mullins and One Rhinoceros by Seamus Loughlin. The two actors who won best actress and best actor in Athlone in 1996 will be touring Willy Russell's Educating Rita this autumn. Geraldine Cronogue and John McDwyer will perform under the Beeznees Theatre Company, Carrick-on-Shannon banner. They will be at Ardhowen, Enniskillen (Sept 25th to 27th); Corn Mill, Carrigallen (Oct 9th and 10th) and Backstage, Longford (October 16th and 17th).

The DLI's Annual Convention will take in Kiltimagh, Co Mayo, on the week-end, October 10th to 12th.