A haunting psychological tale of loss and guilt won the award for the best play at a recent drama festival.

The visiting theatre group, Martello Productions, from Dublin, Ireland, wowed the adjudicator and audience alike with their play ’Portia Coughlin, at the Easter Festival of Plays, which took place at the Gaiety theatre last week.

The theatre group took away the FM Cubbon trophy for best play, along with the audience appreciation trophy and seven other group and individual awards, presented at the end of the festival.

Orla Malone, who led the cast as the titular character, was awarded the prize of best female performance, and Tony Bailey was named best director.

The Irish group also won praise and awards for their stunning stage sets and dramatic lighting, which recreated the setting of a river and flowing water, and they were awarded the prize for the best dramatic scene a where a body was lifted from a river.

Elsewhere, there was a highly-comical and unconventional performance of the Hound of the Baskervilles, which featured the lead roles played by two female actors, Mary Musker as Sherlock Holmes and Imogen Farnsworth as Dr Watson.

The president of the organisers, the Manx Amateur Drama Federation, Michael Lees said: ’We have had a terrific week of theatre, and the winning play, "Portia Coughlin", was stunning, absolutely incredible.

’We also put on a night of three one-act plays performed by local teams, who all really shone.

’We had six visiting teams this year. We are now getting ready for our 70th anniversary festival, which takes place next year.’

by Mike Wade

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