City of Derry Drama Festival

Lurig's 'I Do Not Like Thee Dr. Fell' Click HERE K.A.T.S, Galway 'The Pillowman' Click HERE

Clonacool Players 'Sive' Click HERE Bangor Drama Club's 'True West' Click HERE

The Festival was founded in 1981 by the late Michael Gillen who with the assistance of Kevin McCaul of Derry City Council and a team of dedicated enthusiasts, staged the first City of Derry Drama Festival in the Great Hall of Magee College from the 22^nd to the 29^th March 1981.

The Festival continued to grow throughout the 80s and because of increased audiences and developments taking place at Magee College the Festival moved to the Rialto Entertainment Centre in 1989 where it continued annually until 2002 when we moved to the Millenium Forum. One of the highlights of the Rialto days was the staging of the All Ireland confined finals in 1999. In 2006 the Festival moved to the Waterside Theatre which has an intimacy more suited to the Festival Atmosphere.

Over the years local businesses and Derry City Council, and our audiences have continued to support the Festival and enabled it to expand to its current nine night run.

Michael Gillen – A Tribute

When the notion of a Drama festival in Derry was first mooted, Mary Pears of the ADCI approached the one man best suited to initiate such a project and the choice of the late Michael Gillen was a fortunate one.

Michael Gillen has made a long and illustrious contribution to Amateur drama in the city and elsewhere. This contribution can be traced through his membership of the “College Union”, The Theatre Club, The Derry city players, and, latterly, freelance. He was the founder member of Theatre Action Group (TAG), was its most committed activist and its most influential and informed ambassador and lobbyist on behalf of a civic theatre.

His contribution to theatre is recognized throughout the country. Michael was appointed by the former Taoiseach, Charles J.Haughey, to the Board of the I.T.C., was a member of the association of Ulster Drama Council of Ireland, a member of the Drama Committee of the Arts Council of N.Ireland and elected to the Board of the National Theatre for a second term of office.

But of all his interests, The City of Derry Drama Festival was his special love. The quality we admired most, and often marvelled at was his total commitment to it, the single mindedness with which he pursued every detail of its organisation and the extraordinary inconveniences he personally underwent in the interest of the festival. It was Michael who recruited the festival personnel and created the deep bond of friendship with competing companies, many of whom look forward to their annual visit to the city. It was Michael who made this festival a household name for efficient organization, generosity and hospitality. The last two characteristics best reflect Michaels’s own nature. His hospitality was legendary. The committee meetings were held in Michael’s house where he was a generous host. Often a potentially spirited discussion was defused with generous libations from a well stocked cabinet and the crack continued well into the small hours. Those were the times that Michael cherished and we have fond memories of those nights. Probably the best tribute we could pay to him is to ensure the success of this years and subsequent festivals.

! ! Synopsis of Adjudicators public adjudication available on www.adci.ie/cityofderry.htm