Chairman’s report 2023-2024
This has been a very busy and interesting year for Lurig Drama Group.
In April 2023 the Country Antrim Fleadh was held in Cushendall.
This was a huge event in the traditional music calender and we welcomed musicians from all over Ireland.
Our technical team provided the sound and lighting for the rehearsals and main Fleadh event.
The Comhaltas Concert held in Cushendall Golf Club was an extremely successful evening much enjoyed by a full house.
This was quickly followed by Lurig Drama’s performance of Widows Paradise by Sam Cree.
A group of ten actors performed the play over three night to packed audience each night.
Many nights of dedicated rehearsals combined with a spectacular set ensured an hilarious night for everyone.
In June we followed up our 2022 Bloomsday 100[th] anniversary celebration with yet another Bloomsday gathering in our local Johnny Joe’s pub.
On a lovely June evening we held this very enjoyable event outdoors. We welcomed many visitors. Music and song of the era filled the summer air.
Also in June, our talented and dedicated technical team assisted The Glens drama Group as they rehearsed and performed their summer show in Cushendall Golf Club.
This is a local junior drama group which aims to help primary age children build confidence, make new friends, and explore aspects of theatre through drama.
Each August sees the Cushendall village in the full flow of The Heart of The Glens Festival. The highlight of the weeks events is” The Street Party”
This year the theme of the festival was Masquerade. Lurig Drama group prepared an installation on the theme of Zorro, where all involved dressed as the hero, to the great amusement of locals and visitors alike.
The Glens storytelling festival has grown considerably over the years and our technical assistance has been a constant feature every year from its inception.
This October we provided technical support for storytellers and musicians, creating magical backgrounds with wonderfully atmospheric lighting and sound.
Cushendall Golf Club has had a long association with St Agnes Choral Society Belfast.
This year we were treated to the usual high quality performances with our technical team providing sound and lighting.
“Attention All Shipping” by Charlie Connolly, a celebration of the shipping forecast is a pacy, hilarious show which took us all the way from Viking to South East Iceland. This was performed in February 2024 with our technical team providing lighting and sound, as well as stage management..
In March we welcomed the Slemish Players from Ballymena who performed their festival play “The Passing Day”. We have had a long association with this group as some of our members also performed with them in the past. We were delighted to offer our facilities to a local amateur group as they prepared for the Amateur Drama Festival circuit.
Lurig Drama goup performed “Ottilie” in Studio 1, Bangor, in March 2024. This was a dramatized reading exploring the life and work of Ottile Paterson, a wonderful jazz signer from Northern Ireland.
We were thrilled to stage a show written by Philip Johnston, a dancer and choreographer now living locally.
It had been brought to the group’s attention that this year, 2024, is the 100[th] anniversary of street lighting in the village of Cushendall.
Of course this gave the group many opportunities for dramatic celebration.
The group were in the early planning stages of a show which will celebrate this event, with a view to performing in September.
And finally….
Over the years, Lurig Drama Group has earned the reputation of being a friendly drama group presenting high quality productions while not being afraid to take on challenging pieces.
We have a loyal following in the community and we are fortunate to have rehearsal and performing premises in Cushendall Golf Club, for which we are eternally grateful
We will always welcome new acting members but equally we cannot operate without backstage crew so we encourage people to join us. There will always be jobs to be done.
A huge thanks to all those many people from the Cushendall community and beyond who have supported Lurig Drama Group in so many ways.
And especially the committee whose collective efforts and commitment of time and effort have developed such a high standard of social and cultural entertainment in Cushendall.
In particular our exceptional technical team deserve special mention.
We would never be able to deliver such good quality productions without their hard work and expertise.
Not only do they run Lurig Dram Group shows, they also provide technical assistance to visiting amateur and professional theatre groups as well as many, many community groups.
Rosaleen Agnew
Chairman 2023-2024