Brilliant Success for Drama Circle: “Men Without Shadows” for All-Ireland Final

After a brilliant run on the Festival circuit, Sligo Drama Circle returns to Sligo Town Hall with Sartre’s “Men Without Shadows” on Saturday 27th April and Monday 29th April. On the following Wednesday, May 1st, the group will be on stage in Athlone in the All-Ireland finals for which “Men Without Shadows” qualified with the maximum possible number of marks. The group competed in four festivals and scored highly in all of them, culminating in in two brilliant first places in Ballyshannon and Claremorris.

It is hoped that the Sligo public will give them the best possible send off and encouragement in their task of bringing the famous Esso Trophy back to Sligo by packing the Town Hall on both nights. As should be clear from comments by adjudicators and the variety of awards won at festivals this season published below, a visit to the Town Hall on either Saturday or Monday should be most rewarding for Sligo Theatregoers.

What the critics said about “Men Without Shadows”:

Raymond Edwards (Adjudicator in Tubbercurry Festival) “There was a menace in the air from the start and the interest was maintained to the end. I was most impressed by the team-work of the company. It was a moving and intelligent performance. Mick Kilcoyne as ‘Conors’ was magnificent – he stopped acting and started being”.

Vincent Dowling (Roscommon Festival): “There was an exciting and expert production in movement, grouping and co-ordination. It may be a milestone in the amateur theatre”. Liam mc Kinney won the Gold Medal for production.

Sam Mc Creedy (Ballyshannon Adjudicator): “The impact of this play was so powerful that I had to keep reminding myself that I was the adjudicator. It was one of the most moving experiences I ever had in the theatre. The group as a whole are first-class team actors and it was an incredibly sound piece of acting. Manus Shields as ‘Andrews’ is an actor of great power, balance and control”. Awards from Ballyshannon – Four Masters Perpetual Cup for First Place in Open Section, Sligo Drama Circle; John Stevens Cup for Best Producer, Liam Mc Kinney; Best Actress of Festival, Maria Mc Dermottroe as ‘Lucy’ in “Men Without Shadows”.

Miss Gerda Redlich (Claremorris Adjudicator): “A terrific play. The setting is ingenious, the lighting is beautifully handled as is the music which had magnificent timing. The filthy, dirty and blood-stained clothing is stark reality. All the actors understood that acting is being. This is as good as could be seen in Dublin or the West End of London.” Listing the cast Miss Redlich had the following observations to make: John Caheny and Eddie O’ Reilly (Soldiers) “I could not give enough praise to them”; Lionel Gallagher (Francis) “He lived every moment of his short life and died as excellently as he had lived”; Tony Wehrly (Roberts) “A very strong performance. He conveyed his self-torture most sincerely”; Mick Kilcoyne (Conors) “Very good”; Maria Mc Dermottroe (Lucy) “Marvellous and interesting. Her staring eyes will haunt my memory”; Columb Mc Bride (Henri) “Excellent throughout”; Barney O’ Reilly (Shan) “Had qualities of leadership. Expressed his isolation splendidly”; Martin Doohan (Pellerin) and Manus Shields (Andrews) “They worked really well together”; Robert Burnside (Lockett) “A magnificent performance – in this role he was the personification of evil”; Production (Liam Mc Kinney) “Very fine and most sensitive”. Awards – 1st Place in Open Section, Sligo Drama Circle; Best Actor of Festival, Robert Burnside as ‘Lockett’.

Extracts from ‘Sligo Champion’: “Mc Kinney at his brilliant best ……. Involves and absorbs the audience to the maximum extent …… an ingenious split-level set with multi-level compartments, the confined and caging effect of which heightens the tension throughout and helps to keep the audience on the edge of the seat”.

Press Cutting, 1974