Longford Drama: All Ireland recognition for Vanessa

Longford may not have won any gongs at the DLI All Ireland One Act Final that took place in Castleblayney over the weekend, but one local drama enthusiast was honoured with a Highly Commended award.

Longford's Vanessa Flood Galligan received a Highly Commended award for Against All Odds in the DLI/ADCI Playwriting Award 2023.

The awards are tasked with inspiring excellence in writing plays and to promote, support and encourage improvement in playwriting on the one-act circuit in Ireland.
Vanessa's achievement is all the more impressive given the number of entries to this year's competition.

There was another local link to the overall winner. The winning one act play was 'Clarity at Last' by Charles McGuinness. Charlie directed Longford's Backstage Theatre production of Sive earlier this year, and is scheduled to return in the director role for The Snapper to be staged next March.

Charles McGuinness created the winning one act play 'Clarity at Last' 

There were 44 entries this year for the judges to consider, with the “Its great to see new Irish writing flourishing and have lot of new one act plays to be explored and enjoyed.”
The DLI thanked the prize sponsors: “We are extremely grateful to The Ramor Theatre for sponsoring the amazing prize of a residential writing week in the Tyrone Guthrie Centre Annaghmakerrig, not only for the past 3 years, but for the next 3 years too.”

The adjudicating panel consisted of Walker Ewart (Chairperson), Anne Mekitarian (representing DLI) and Trish Keane (representing ADCI), and Longford man Ollie Kenny, who was the Playwriting Award coordinator on the ADCI/DLI Joint Committee.
Vanessa was also in attendance at the festival as a performer.
Her group, Hoodwink Theatre Productions from Cavan, performed “Bloodties”, a one act written by Elaine Birkett who also acts in the show along with director Phil Gilbride and Vanessa. Director Phil won the Best Actor award in the Confined section.

Taking to social media after the win Vanessa wrote: “What a fantastic experience we have had over the last few months. Three strangers become friends, a new theatre group is formed, a play is written, directed and cast between them and they reach the All Ireland One Act Final 2023.

“We would like to congratulate the groups who won overall and those who placed. We are thrilled to get recognition in receiving an Adjudicators Award and also Phil receiving Best Actor Confined,” it said.