“Treading the Boards – 70 Years of Sligo Drama Circle” will be launched at a special event in Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo on November 18th, the actual date of our 70th Anniversary. The book is a limited edition and is the culmination of three years of research. It is a large book with 94 chapters and almost 500 pages. It includes history, memories, memorabilia, photos, posters, tickets, costumes and lots more, all telling the story of our 70 years on Sligo stages.

The Book Launch is a free event but booking is essential via https://www.hawkswell.com/whats-on/shows/treading-the-boards-book-launch or via the Box Office on (071) 916 1518. You can pre-order the book via Buy the Book here https://www.buythebook.ie/product/treading-the-boards-70-years-of-sligo-drama-circle/ and either collect it on Book Launch night or have it delivered to you. The book will also be available to purchase in Liber Bookshop and Eason Sligo from November 19th.

Join us in the Hawk’s Well Theatre on Wednesday November 4th before the curtain rises on Steel Magnolias for Magnolias in Pink, a very special Opening Night Reception celebrating friendship, laughter and community. With all proceeds on the night going to Diabetes Ireland, it’s the perfect way to kick off an unforgettable evening of theatre while supporting a wonderful cause.

Dress in your favourite splash of pink, and enjoy a sparkling pre-show reception with pink fizz, fabulous ’80s tunes, and prizes for our Best Dressed in Pink!

So round up your best friends, think pink, and help us celebrate the enduring bonds of friendship that lie at the heart of Steel Magnolias.

Pink.. Friends.. Fizz..Fabulous Theatre.

What better way to spend an opening night?

Book now for this Opening Night Reception in aid of Diabetes Ireland at https://www.hawkswell.com/whats-on/shows/steel-magnolias or at the Box Office on (071) 916 1518.

Sligo Drama Circle will mark its 70th Anniversary with “Stage Memories”, an exhibition of posters, programmes, photographs, costumes, props and memorabilia for Culture Night 2026.

Join us in our Market Yard premises (beside Montmartre restaurant F91 EVK4) on Culture Night, Friday September 18th any time between 7-9pm and take a nostalgic look through our archives charting our dramatic journey on various Sligo stages.

Amongst the almost 100 photographs on display, we have a cast photograph of the very first production in the Town Hall in 1956 as well as a ticket for this production. We have a collection of rare 1970s posters, all of which were designed to be nailed to wooden telegraph poles. We have a collection of costumes which were designed for specific shows as well as some vintage stage props.

Something to note for those with mobility issues, access to the exhibition is via a set of stairs. Like all of the Culture Night events, the exhibition is free and booking is not necessary. You can also see what else is happening during Culture Night around Sligo by checking out the programme of events on the Culture Night Website.

November 18th marks the 70th anniversary of the very first Sligo Drama Circle production, when we appeared on the stage of the Town Hall for our very first performance, “Thy Dear Father” by Gerard Healy.

Now, Sligo Drama Circle is marking the occasion of our 70th Anniversary with the launch of a new book detailing the history of the group. Written and edited by Damien Quinn, the book is entitled “Treading the Boards – 70 Years of Sligo Drama Circle”.

As well as an outline of the history of Sligo Drama Circle, the book includes memories, stories, personal anecdotes as well as archival material such as posters, photos, programmes, tickets, sets and costumes.

Join us in the Hawk’s Well Theatre on Wednesday November 18th for a night of chat, dramatic nostalgia and reminiscing as we launch a book, three years in the making, marking the central role that Sligo Drama Circle has played in the social and cultural life of Sligo over the past 70 years.

This is a free event, but booking is essential: https://www.hawkswell.com/whats-on/shows/treading-the-boards-book-launch

We are delighted to announce that our 70th Anniversary celebrations will continue this November in the Hawk’s Well Theatre with a production of the comedy-drama, “Steel Magnolias” by Robert Harling. Directed by Ann Marie Byrne, the play, first staged in 1987, went on to be made into a successful 1989 movie of the same name featuring Dolly Parton, Shirley McLaine, Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Daryl Hannah and Olympia Dukakis.

The play follows the lives of six tight-knit women in Chinquapin, Louisiana, who regularly gather at a local beauty salon. Balancing hilarious banter with deep sorrow, the group navigates marriage, motherhood, and profound tragedy while drawing upon their unyielding, resilient friendships. Through their interactions in the salon, “Steel Magnolias” celebrates the unbreakable bond between the six extraordinary women who share life’s joys, heartbreaks, and everything in between.

Filled with sharp wit, unforgettable characters, and deeply moving moments, this beloved comedy-drama reminds us that true strength is found in compassion, resilience, and the friends who stand beside us through it all.

With just four performances, this production promises to make you laugh, cry and leave the auditorium with a smile on your face. Heartwarming, hilarious, and ultimately uplifting, “Steel Magnolias” is a show you won’t want to miss.

Booking for the show in the Hawk’s Well Theatre, November 4th-7th, is now open. Bookings can be made online via https://www.hawkswell.com/whats-on/shows/steel-magnolias or via the Hawk’s Well Box Office on (071) 916 1518.

This summer, we have introduced a series of Table Reads to give people a chance to see if they would really like to take on a role in a play. The informal evenings allow participants to participate in a read-through of a complete play, taking turns to read different roles or to sit back and listen.

Already this summer we have had two Table Reads – “The Government Inspector” by Nikolai Gogol, in a translation by Roddy Dyle and “Our Town”, the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by Thornton Wilder.

Our next Table Read takes place on Tuesday July 28th, reading “An Inspector Calls” by J.B. Priestly. Set in 1912, an Upper class English family are celebrating their daughter’s engagement when their evening is interrupted by a police inspector. He is investigating the suicide of a young woman and the events leading to her death. It’s a compelling mystery drama where every revelation brings new surprises.

If you are interested in participating in one of our Summer Table Read, please follow our Social Media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) where we post details of how to get involved. For the reading of “An Inspector Calls”, contact the email address in the poster above to register and to receive a copy of the script.

Now that the final curtain has dropped on our 2026 production of Roddy Doyle’s “The Snapper”, we’d just like to say a huge “Thank You” to the Sligo audiences who came out to support us this week in such huge numbers in the Hawk’s Well Theatre for the production. Five Sold Out shows in advance of opening night was unprecedented for us.

After all the long hours of planning, preparation and rehearsals and work in the background over the past almost year, it was gratifying to hear the positive responses of the audiences as well as the sustained laughter every night. Five performances and five spontaneous Standing Ovations was pretty special too. We hope that we gave you a great night’s entertainment and that you went home with a smile on your face.

Thanks is due to all of those who helped us in any way to put this production together:

The lads in Sligo Men’s Shed who helped us to build the set as well as the special settings

The staff of the Hawk’s Well Theatre

The people who loaned us props and furniture

Those who helped with transportation

The local press who helped us out with publicity

We couldn’t have done it without you.

A huge well done and thanks is due to every one of the talented large cast of 20 for their hard work, diligence and dedication during the rehearsal period, turning up for rehearsals three or four times per week, learning lines, constantly developing their craft and honing their skills to make their Barrytown characters believable for the audience.

We also couldn’t have put together this production without the help of those in the background, the members of the backstage crew and the production crew, working quietly but extremely efficiently behind the scenes to ensure that whatever needed to be done was done and done well.

After almost 70 years treading the boards, Sligo Drama Circle plans to keep going, providing high quality amateur theatre to our loyal Sligo audiences.

We have no definitive plans at the moment for our next production except to take a rest and reflect on the enormous success of “The Snapper”.

For the moment, it’s a huge “Thank You” from all of us to all of you, our dedicated Sligo audience!

We continue our seasonal offerings marking the start of our 70th anniversary celebrations with a revival of our recordings of 12 different poems all with a Christmas theme. Following on from successful recordings of “A Christmas Carol” and “The Age Old Message”, we have decided to re-release our series of seasonal poems over the Christmas period.

Starting on Christmas Day, December 25th and running until January 5th, we will release a recording of one seasonal poem per day, marking the 12 days of Christmas. The poems have all been recorded by members or friends of Sligo Drama Circle. There is great variety in the poems themselves as well as the voices that you will hear.

Please let others know about these online seasonal recordings and share the link with family and friends.

For Day 11 of our #12poemsofchristmas to mark our 70th Anniversary year, today’s seasonal poem is “Innocent’s Song” by Charles Causley. It is read by Maisie Tansey.

“The Christmas Rose” by Cecil Day Lewis is the seasonal poem for Day 10 of our #12poemsofchristmas to mark our 70th Anniversary year. It is read by Angela McGuire.

“A Christmas Childhood” by Patrick Kavanagh is the seasonal poem for Day 9 of our #12poemsofchristmas marking our 70th Anniversary year. It is read by Ceola Mc Gauran.

“New Year’s Day Song” by John Rice is our choice of seasonal poem for Day 8 of our #12poemsofchristmas to mark our 70th Anniversary year. It is read by Ann Marie Byrne.

For Day 7 of our #12poemsofchristmas to mark our 70th Anniversary year, today’s seasonal poem is “Ring Out, Wild Bells” by Alfred Lord Tennyson. It is read by Máire Hynes.

For the sixth of our #12poemsofchristmas to mark our 70th anniversary year, the seasonal poem is “In the Week When Christmas Comes” by Eleanor Farjeon. It is read by Laura Kiely.

For Day 5 of our #12poemsofchristmas to mark our 70th anniversary year, today’s seasonal poem is “Welcome Yule” by George Wither. It is read by Michele Feeney.

It’s Day 4 of our #12poemsofchristmas to mark our 70th anniversary year, and today’s seasonal poem is “The Christmas Life” by Wendy Cope. It is read by Lily Tansey.

For the third of our #12poemsofchristmas to mark our 70th anniversary year, the seasonal poem is Pudding Charms” by Charlotte Druitt Cole. It is read by Amber Blake.

To mark Lá an Dreoilín, the second of our #12poemsofchristmas to mark our 70th anniversary year is “The Wren Boy” by Brendan Kennelly. It is read by Fintan Whelan.

In the first of our #12poemsofchristmas to mark our 70th anniversary year, it’s an apt poem for the day that’s in it, “Christmas Day” by Brian Moses. It is read by Robert Fitzpatrick.

As part of our continuing 70th Anniversary celebrations, we are delighted to present a revival of last year’s recording of a seasonal tale by Pat Ingoldsby, entitled “The Age Old Message”. Recited by a chorus of voices, the story is a salutary tale of the real meaning of Christmas and how different people experience the celebration of Christmas. We hope you enjoy it.

Directed by Damien Quinn, the tale was recorded and edited by Fintan Whelan. The cover image is by Máire Hynes.

The chorus of voices includes the following: Sarah Ellis, Ann-Marie Byrne, Fintan Whelan, Emily Tansey, Lily Tansey, Maisie Tansey, Ursula Smullen, Denise Burns, Roy Mitchell, Patricia Murray, Devril Elliott, Holly Elliott, Fiona Kilroy, Clodagh Spellman, Helen Campbell, Joanna Mc Morrow, Lolene O’ Hara, Brian Mc Gauran, Ceola Mc Gauran, Gerry Ryan, Jessica Morris.

Sligo Drama Circle is delighted to present a revival of an audio recording of “A Christmas Carol” by Paul Thain, adapted from the book by Charles Dickens.

First produced in 2023, it was a new departure for us, embracing the wonders of modern technology to create our first audio recording of a play. Involving 21 people, we worked over many weeks, rehearsing, recording and editing to create something really special for the festive season.

Many thanks to all of the cast and crew who worked tirelessly on this unique project.

So, get a mince pie and a glass of wine, put on your headphones or hook up your speakers for the best sound quality and enjoy our presentation of “A Christmas Carol”. Simply press the play button below and relax for the next 50 minutes.

If you have enjoyed the recording, please tell your family and friends about it and leave a comment below. Happy Christmas!

The cast of the production is as follows:

Ebenezer Scrooge – Gerry Ryan

Bob Cratchit – Brian Mc Gauran

Mrs. Cratchit – Ann-Marie Byrne

Fred – Marcel Gordon

Mission Women – Fiona Kilroy & Sarah Ellis

The Ghost of Jacob Marley – Robert Fitzpatrick

First Spirit – Amber Blake

Second Spirit – Siobhán Terry

Third Spirit – Angela McGuire

Mr. Fezziwig – Hugh O’ Neill

Mrs. Fezziwig – Emily Tansey

Carol Singer – Angela McGuire

Dick – Fintan Whelan

Bella – Ursula Smullen

Belinda – Sarah Ellis

Martha – Michelle Feeney

Peter – James Blake

Bob – Seán Finan

Betty – Lily Tansey

Tiny Tim – George Ellis

Narrator – Damien Quinn

The production was directed, recorded and edited by Fintan Whelan.

Photography and costumes was by Máire Hynes.

Publicity was by Damien Quinn.

This production of “A Christmas Carol” in one act by Paul Thain is produced by special arrangement with StagePlays.com