No Drama Theatre – “It’s all fun and games ‘til someone loses a line!”

Every once in a while some like-minded individuals with a certain vision cross paths and something spectacular happens.

No Drama Theatre is one such spectacular thing. Conceived in dusty old rooms and bar snugs back in 2008 with a view to providing a welcoming, easy-going environment for people to practice drama in Dublin city centre, No Drama Theatre, since a toddler, has strived to avoid the ordinary and nurture the extraordinary.

Three years, four productions, numerous Shindigs and festival appearances later, No Drama Theatre’s passion, vision and momentum is stronger than ever. By word of mouth and the help of its very own Boards.ie Forum, No Drama Theatre workshop membership is at an all time high with over forty participants each week.

Workshops that delve into everything from characterisation, improvisation, physical theatre to script work take place in Synge St. CBS, Synge St. on Tuesdays from 7PM – 9:30PM. There are also structured courses on offer covering various aspects of acting and improvisation. Indeed, it was the group’s passion for improvisation that spawned LAUGHALOT IMPROV, No Drama Theatre’s comedy improvisation troupe which is causing quite the stir on the Irish comedy festival circuit.

Previous productions include

  • Whose Life Is It Anyway (Sean O’Casey Theatre, Dublin Jun 2012)
  • Ressurection Blues (Teachers’ Club, Dublin, Nov 2011)
  • Ecstasy (Teachers’ Club, Dublin, June 2011)
  • Terry Pratchett’s Wyrd Sisters (Teachers’ Club, Dublin, November 2010)
  • Love, Hate, Whatever! (The Electric Picnic Festival, Stradbally, September 2010)
  • Me and my Friend and Old Saybrook (Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, June 2010)
  • Wanted: One Body! (Teachers’ Club, Dublin, January 2010)
  • and Night at the Invasion/Tales from the Fairground (La Catedral, Dublin, 2009).

Laughalot Improv. has had sell out shows throughout Dublin, played at Kilkenny Fringe Festival and TedFest in February 2011.

The Committee

The day to day running of no drama is handled by a committee who meet on a regular basis to discuss programming, workshop content and the general crossing of T’s and dotting of I’s required to keep a group this size running efficiently

  • CHAIRMAN – Neil Curran: chairman@nodramatheatre.com
  • SECRETARY – Christine Leonard: secretary@nodramatheatre.com
  • TREASURER – Patrick O’Callaghan: treasurer@nodramatheatre.com
  • MEMBERS’ LIASION OFFICERS: Maria Dillon and Yvonne Durran: secretary@nodramatheatre.com
  • WEBMASTER – Dave McGowan: webmaster@nodramatheatre.com
  • ARTISTIC DIRECTOR – Brian Quinn: bjpquinn2@hotmail.com
  • PUBLIC RELATIONS – Saskia Carroll: public.relations@nodramatheatre.com

No Drama’s very existence gives the lie to the dismissive canard that online social contact is somehow antisocial…”

Kathy Foley (The Sunday Times).

“Terry Pratchett surprised an amateur theatre group in Dublin last night by dropping in on their rehearsals”

Phantom FM

“Maybe it was the atmosphere – the opening night was sold out and there was a real excitement to the crowd. Or perhaps it was the play itself…………Whatever the reason, every few minutes I’d realise I was grinning like an idiot”

Dave Madden (DublinCulture.ie)

“From the very very start all 3 witches….had me hooked…and the three of them put something often missing from plays – a bit of divilment into their characters – a feistiness and personality that Pratchett has written into them but that the animated film of years ago just couldn’t capture”

Darragh Doyle (Blogger).