A team from Stewarton Drama Group have won through to the National Final of the Scottish Community Drama Association’s 2019 One Act Play Festival.

The group won their place at the National Final, when they were placed second overall at the West of Scotland Final of the competition with their production of ‘A Galway Girl’ written by Geraldine Aron.

The play is a beautifully written and carefully observed story of a marriage between two people with different approaches to life.

Dermot (played by Walter Findlay) and Maisie (played by Nancy McPherson) reminisce as they take the audience through their developing relationship through the years with its doubts, trials, gentle moments and tragedies.

Set in Ireland and first performed in 1979. The three-night West of Scotland Final was staged in The Fullarton Theatre, Castle Douglas from April 4 to April 6. Each of the eight competing teams performed a short play between 20 and 55 minutes in length, all of which were judged in public at the end of each evening by professional drama adjudicator, Walter Ewart.

Marks were awarded according to each team’s performance in various categories including acting, production, stage presentation and general achievement.

At the conclusion ofthe competition,the Stewarton team were awarded ‘The Pringle Trophy’ for Second Place overall.

Stewarton Drama Group now go forward to represent the West of Scotland at the National Final of the competition in The Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy which runs from Thursday, April 25 to Saturday, April 27.

There they will compete as one of the top eight plays in Scotland, alongside teams from as far afield as Wick, Stromness and Carnoustie.

The team crowned Scottish champions will go forward to the British Final of the competition in Harrogate at the start of July.

The Stewarton team will perform at 7pm on Friday, April 26. Tickets, priced at £16 each, are available from the Adam Smith Theatre box office.

Stewarton Drama Group’s next performance locally will be Neil Simon’s witty American comedy play ‘Plaza Suite’ which they will perform in the Stewarton Area Centre at 7.30pm on Thursday, May 30 and Friday, May 31.

Tickets, priced at a flat rate of £8 each, are selling very well already.

They are on sale every day at Stewarton Library or can be reserved now by emailing stewarton dramagroup@hotmail.co.uk A lic