Some images from rehearsals and performances 'Christmas Lights A bah humbug Christmas' 

All of us at ATG appreciate your continuing support to what we are doing at Abbey Lane Theatre and look forward to 

2025 with exciting new writing and productions to entertain and delight. 

Next in the new year our popular Open Mic back again on 31st Janurary with guests 'Paul Hughes Family Music' trad group

followed in February with 10 original Mini Plays  in Abbey Lane. Another eagerly awaited set of productions featuring  new writers 

directors and actors taking the opportunity to see their writing on stage.

Best wishes to all our supporters for this festive season and New Year.

     Listen to a few songs from our November guest artist Sean Donnelly before he appears at Abbey Lane Theatre Armagh on the 29th @ 8pm. www.seandonnellyfolkmusic.com   

Colm Gavin returns to Abbey Lane Theatre as part of an All Ireland tour this  November 9th along with singer songwriter D Cullen.  Expect an evening of easy listening,singalong songs penned by these two talented Dublin writers/musicians.

. This will be Colm's second visit to Abbey Lane after guesting at our Open Mic in 2023.  Warmly received and welcomed by our audience Colm has been hoping to get back to perform more of his hits and loved the imtimacy of our venue.

This is sure to be one of the nights of the year so get on the link below and secure your tickets before they sell out.

# 8PM start Doors open 7.30pm

 https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/colm-gavin-dcullen-live-in-abbey-lane-theatre-armagh-tickets-1009232851627?aff=oddtdtcreator

Our second The second place winner of our Poetry Competition 30-3-100 Michael Kennedy receives his framed certificate from ATG chair Rachel Toner

at October's Open Mic.  Michael's poem 'The Rag Bag' is below with comments from our judge David Braziel.

The Rag Bag

Summer gone, September sighing

I returned the deck chairs to their attic store

And came across the rag bag.

Overflowing with the fabric of our past

Wafting lavender laundered cotton and musk of work wear

Destined for a patchwork quilt; some day.

A strip of yellow linen bright and joyous

As the pregnancies it covered

A square of green torn from a hospital drape

That became a tiny shroud

An apron faded and thinned to the edge of function

The measure of care.

Surprised by the power these scraps contained

To stimulate emotion and memory

I continued the lucky dip

And one by one they told their story

A child’s gingham dress, an old school tie

A threadbare jumper repurposed as a cat bed

Orange corduroy and blue floral print spoke of new love

That square of woollen rug must still

Hold sun warmth and itch on naked skin

Overwhelmed, I left it to its bloated slumber

Descending again into the now, I pondered

Could that quilt ever be made ?

********************************************************** 

Our latest in house play for the festive period is    'CHRISTMAS LIGHTS' 

Written by our smash hit team of writers Tim Hanna ,Byddi Lee and Malachi Kelly this dynamic trio

have once again raised the bar and produced a new take on panto season (adult style)! 

You all remember the 'What's my Scam'2018 sketches; the 'Impact' play, 2019-23'; Our three zoom plays during Covid

(Zoomeo &Juliet- Social Bubble Toil and Trouble and Six Angry Women all still on youtube)20'-22' 

And now in 2024 the trio have come together once again, at great personal cost to each, to delight and 

entertain the wonderful people of Armagh in this soon to be Season of Goodwill. 

Enthusiastic actors flocked to Abbey Lane for this historic reading and boy did they have a laugh! 

As you can see below the camera never lies. They can hardly keep their faces straight while reading - but they did. 

Tickets out soon for this side splitting pantotype fictional look at Armagh.

Full of do-goody fairytale characters fighting a complete lack of festive good cheer from our miserable city burghers.

Jamacian Dub poetry from poet/artist Raquel McKee and smooth blues sounds from Armagh's Garage Band

started and finished our Open Mic in Abbey Lane last Friday night. 

Also great contributions from Theo Sinton, singer/ musician; Jay Rafferty poet;  Joseph Conlon stories;

Mark Brownlee, author and poet; Rachel Toner, excerpt from short story;   and Malachi, 'It's all going to shite' 

With our highly anticipated raffle prior to a session from The Garage Band the quality of entertainment on the 

night was unsurpassed... and all for £5!!! 

Absent on the night and sorely missed by all was Dymphna and gang. Dymphna is layed up in hospital presently

and is aggrieved to have missed the craic as are we missing Dymphna's. She hopes to be out soon but meantime 

is entertaining the ward patient's and staff and assures me she is gathering new material for September's OMN.

Sending all our best wishes to Dymphna and all those regular Open Mic-ers presently unable to attend. 

                                                                   ******

Work continues on the extension and fingers crossed will be open for our next Open Mic September 27th when we

will host the WINNER'S FINAL of our poetry competition 30-3-100.

Judged by renowned poet David Braziel and open to previous winners of our monthly competition the deadline

closes on 15 Sept for entries. 

                                                                 *******

Flash Fiction Armagh continues as part of the Armagh Cider Festival in Crannagael House this Thurs 5th..another sell out !