SPOTLIGHT ON… Newbridge Drama Group
According to our calendar Newbridge Drama Group is due to be opening a new show this week on the Riverbank stage, but unfortunately due to Covid 19 restrictions we will have to wait! Instead we are having a ‘virtual celebration’ of the company over the next four days, here on our website and our social media channels. Long time NDG member and photographer, Kieran Galvin, has put together a collection of video clips from various NDG productions down the years. We will post one here at 6pm each day 25th-28th November… let enjoy these great memories together, while we look forward to having them back on stage for a live performance soon!
The four videos are here, and a short history of the company is below.
“In 1963 the Torch Players drama group was set up in Newbridge by Tommy Berwick and Kieran Sheedy and some friends. In 1969, the group changed its name to Newbridge Drama Group (NDG). In those early years, the group staged performances in the local school halls, mainly St. Conleth’s and Mary’s and the Holy Family secondary school. When the Riverbank Arts Centre opened in 2001, NDG was delighted to stage ‘Philadelphia, Here I Come!’ in the Riverbank auditorium. Since then NDG has been staging two performances per year (May and November) at Riverbank Arts Centre. Sadly, with the restrictions imposed by Covid 19 in 2020 it has not been possible for NDG to stage live performances.
When Riverbank approached us about putting up material on their website during lockdown, our long time member and photographer, Kieran Galvin, offered to put together a collection of video clips from various NDG productions down the years. We hope you, the viewer, will enjoy these clips and that they will perhaps evoke memories of our plays which you may have attended over the years.
Another current project is a documentary film about people who have been involved with the group in any way onstage, offstage, costumes, hair, makeup etc being produced by Kieran Galvin. To be part of this very special film please contact Kieran at 087 7427549. He will keep your name and number and when restrictions are lifted will contact you to organise a suitable time to film your recollections. NDG looks forward to seeing you on our return to Riverbank for live performances.” Jo Doyle & Newbridge Drama Group Committee
“We are very excited to present this series of videos celebrating the commitment, the talent and the versatility of Newbridge Drama Group. As we are waiting for our venue to reopen, it is really vital to recognise the importance of our local theatre groups like the Newbridge Drama Group, and their impact on our cultural experience over the years. We do hope that 2021 will be a better year for all of us in the arts community but in the meantime – sit back and enjoy these short journeys into the past.” Alex Rosiak, Acting Director, Riverbank Arts Centre
Thanks to Jo, Kieran and all the team at NDG – there are four videos compilations in total which will be published 25th-28th November, 2020.
If you have memories of being in a NDG play or a favourite production of the company, let us know on Facebook – we would love to hear your memories!
We look forward to having Newbridge Drama Group back on stage at Riverbank Arts Centre soon!