Celeb mentors for Kildare’s All Ireland thesps

The All-Ireland Drama Festival is gone a little bit ‘Voice’ or ‘Ireland’s Got Talent’, with the introduction, by RTE, of the idea of celebrity mentors for the various acts.

As per usual, without the assistance of new fangled celebrity hangers-on, Kildare has produced no less than three of the nine finalists in the All Ireland finals, entirely on their own merits.

The idea is that the mentor will offer support to their respective drama group, in the hope that it will be the one to perform the winning play in front of the thousands of visitors the Festival attracts.

Arts show presenter Sean Rocks has been paired with Prosperous Drama Society and their production of Boeing Boeing. Joe Duffy is paired with Bradán Players and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and Ronan Collins will mentor the Moat Club with their production of the Steward of Christendom.

The finals run in Athlone from this coming Thursday until Friday week.