Creative Writing Night fundraiser for MADRA

Our annual Creative Writing Night will showcase new writing from several talented artists. From poetry to plays and short stories to songs.

This year we are proud to be fundraising for MADRA – Mutts Anonymous Dog Rescue and Adoption.MADRA is a dog rescue that rehabilitates unwanted, neglected abused, and abandoned dogs.

Due to Covid 19 restrictions, this year’s event will take place online, which is exciting as there is no limit to our potential audience! You can tune in on Thursday the 23rd at 8pm via our Facebook page.

The Full Line Up

Meet the Writers Behind the Words

A Crown Of Sonnets About My Death by Nancy ‘Fons

Nancy ‘Fons is a Scottish poet living on a Greek island, working as a bartender and a farmhand. A fool and a romantic, he writes a sonnet every day for his long-term lover.

Bawdy Maudie by Vivian Lermond

Vivian is an award-winning playwright who has penned more than 100 plays and monologues that have entertained audiences in the US, Mexico, England, Scotland, Canada, and Australia. Her full-length drama/comedy, Back to Bethlehem (PA), premiered Off-Broadway in 2006 at the Manhattan Theatre Club. In addition to her stage plays, Vivian has also written two full-length screenplays that were awarded first place in two highly competitive screenwriting contests. She has taught playwriting at a local college and has facilitated playwriting workshops at writing conferences. Vivian has lent her talents to Gallagher Literary, an LA talent management company, where she evaluated pitches and screenplay submissions. She also
has freelanced for afilmwriter.com, where she was a script analysis specialist for stage plays. Vivian has been a proud member of The Dramatists Guild since 1998.

Mermaid Story by Allie Costa

Allie Costa is an actor, screenwriter, playwright, director, and singer working in film, TV, theatre, and voiceover. Her acting credits include Future Shock, 90210, Spring Awakening, You Me & Her, and Alien vs. Musical. She’s also appeared in commercials and podcasts, narrated audio books and documentaries, and lent her voice to video games and animated projects. Her scripts have been produced internationally, on screen, on stage, on the internet, and on the radio, including the critically-acclaimed Two Girls, Safe Distance, Boxes Are Magic, and Can You Keep a Secret? Occasionally, she sleeps. http://www.alliecosta.com

Cat Since The Dog Died by Wayne Denniston

Wayne is a writer originally from Longford who emigrated to Leitrim. My plays such as my one man shows, The Arignaramus and Making A Mountain Outta Mohill, often deal with themes of isolation and loneliness through close up examinations of fractured human psyches with a capturing of local idiom.

Challah If You Queer Me by Allison Fradkin

Allison Fradkin (she/her/hers) creates stories for the stage and the page that (sur)pass the Bechdel Test and enlist their characters in a caricature of the idiocies and intricacies of insidious isms. In addition to writing, Allison delights in vintage shopping, volunteering, and tending to her thespian tendencies.

I do not see you there by Cathal Flood

Cathal is a 29-year-old environmental researcher at Maynooth University studying pine weevils, forecasting their emergence in the present and future climates. He is also passionate about water quality for several years organising a citizen science project in Emyvale and Longfordwith DKIT lecturer Enda Fields titled “The water boys of Emy Lough” (See @wateremy on twitter).  He is also a part-time farmer in county Longford where he is from with a small suckler beef holding.

Although never published, he has always written and found great comfort in doing so throughout his life. At bad moments, when he had nothing else, he could write. he is interested in movies, drama, and literature.  He has his own writing page online “The quiet whisperings” on Facebook and Instagram. The name is a description of sorts for the feeling of the land where he farms, of where all his ancestors lived, and what that represents to him.  

“My association with Echo Acting is through their fantastic beginners’ course I took during the covid lockdown online. It was fantastic and certainly got me to try some spoken word events with an aim for more involvement in the spring.”

All I Want For Christmas is a Chartbuster by Alan Grant

Alan is a writer/actor/voice-over artist from Kells, Co. Meath. He began writing for the stage in his early years and has written several plays and sketches ever since, and in 2018 ventured into writing prose, and completed a Certificate in Writing for Publication from Maynooth University in 2019. Alan has a keen interest in writing comic fiction and loves to make people laugh. He is hoping to release a collection of comic short stories in 2022….

Sunset by Siobhan Hickey

Siobhán Hickey is a Dublin based writer and actor. Siobhán has appeared in various stage productions over the years, including a sell-out performance of her one-woman stand up show ‘Dear Diary… and other notions of a romantic nature’. She published her first collection of poetry ‘After Midnight’ in 2020.

No Way Out by Rose Byrne

Rose Byrne is a Northsider from Dublin and now lives in Roscommon. She has been writing
for over fifteen years and writes plays, screenplays and short stories. Her first short film
“Expiry Date” was produced (2020) and is currently submitted into film festivals. “Expiry
Date” was screened in Longford Cinema as part of Cruthu Arts Festival, Longford.
(November 2021)
Rose’s short monologue “Ambition” was performed in 2020 by Sinead Sexton as part of
Eva’s Echo Fundraising night for The Samaritans.
Her short film which she wrote and produced, “Skylark” was shot in July 2021 and is
currently in post-production. It will be ready next year and will receive its premier screening
in 2022 as part of Cruthu Arts Festival and will be submitted into national and international
film festivals.
Her forty five minute comedy, “Double Dealing” was produced by Near FM, Dublin and her
fifteen minute comedy, “Murder They Wrote” was produced by Shannonside Radio. (2008)
A variety of her short stage plays were performed in Cruthu Arts Festival, Longford and in
King House, Boyle. Several of her flash plays were in rehearsed readings in The Dock Arts
Centre, Carrick on Shannon. She was a finalist in the screenwriting awards in the Waterford
Film Festival, 2018.
Some of her short stories have been published in various anthologies. She won the Longford
Literary Award in 2013 and was runner-up in various short story competitions including the
New Roscommon Writing award on two separate occasions. Rose has a passion for creating
interesting characters with a story to tell. Bringing the audience or reader into their world and
taking them along on the character’s journey.

SELF TAPE SYNDROME by Sarah Fahy

Sarah Fahy

A native of Craughwell, Co. Galway Sarah has been involved in The Arts; acting, directing and writing for 30 years. She has written five short plays four of which have been staged. Her first full length play Latte will be staged in 2022 with Eva’s Echo Theatre Company. Sarah’s play Mothers Day which won the Best Script Award at The Clairemorris Fringe Festival in 2018  was staged this year by Carlow Little Theatre on The Drama League of Ireland One Act Circuit.

She recently branched into short films; writing and producing three shorts during lockdown. Her first film Between Us won best script at The Ealing Film Festival 2019. Her play Significant Loss was adapted for screen in 2018 winning The Birr Film Festival 57 Hour Challenge which in turn earned her a screening at The Galway Film Fleadh. She has a best actress award under her belt for her role in Lucy in the Sky with The Seumas O’kelly Players. 

Her future plans include Radio Drama. Her play Fancy Meeting You Here which won best script with The Theatre Room Galway has been adapted for radio with The Portumna Players and featured in this year’s Shorelines Arts Festival.

As a member of Baffle Poetry Society she received The Baffle Bard trophy in 2019.

Sarah is now based in Loughrea where she is a member of The Seumas O’Kelly Players, Loughrea Musical Society, Baffle Poetry Society, The Scriobh Aughty Writers and is a presenter on Loughrea Community Radio.

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