Performance award for Roscrea's Zoe Gleeson

May 17th 2017 will be forever etched in the memory of Roscrea student Zoe Gleeson.

Zoe, daughter of Tim & Patricia Gleeson and a student at Presentation Secondary School in Thurles, was awarded top prize in the Bord Gáis theatre in Dublin in the Best Performance in a Supporting Role category for her sterling performance as Mrs Wilkinson in the school's production of 'Billy Elliot'. The judges were so impressed with the way Zoe mastered the difficult accent and played a character well beyond her years with such nuance that they were left speechless.

 

Students at the Thurles school were dancing in their classrooms after it was announced that they had also retained the Best Overall Show for the fabulous production. The magnificent show played to packed audiences throughout the run with all those attending being mesmerized by the talent.

 

Over 1,700 primary and secondary school students attended the event and waited in surprise as the winners were revealed. This year over 3,000 entries were received from a record 309 primary and secondary schools.

 

Special guests as the awards ceremony included members of Bord Gáis Gala Energy Student Theatre awards judging panel, including actor and author Amy Huberman, 'Dancing with the Stars' runner-up Aoibhín Garrihy, bestselling novelist Sinead Moriarty, writer and storyteller Stephen Faloon and Bord Gáis Energy Theatre Sponsorship Programme Manager Tanya Townsend.

 

Zoe is a past pupil of Dromakeenan National School where she was under the watchful eye of Jared Madden School of Speech & Drama. She also attended Kids on Stage in Nenagh under the direction of Margaret Walshe. She is currently a member of Phoenix Productions in Thurles under the direction of Circuit Court Judge Gerard O'Brien. Zoe is also a member of Roscrea Musical Society where she was a member of the 2016 production of 'The Addams Family' under the chairmanship of Andrew Walsh.