THE largest ever Irish Student Drama Association Festival commences in UCC next week, hosted by the UCC Dramatic Society.

The festival, which runs from March 18th to the 23rd, will have 11 colleges participating, including each of the Republic's universities and representatives from Queen's University, Belfast, the Royal College of Surgeons, the University of Ulster, Coleraine, and the DIT.

They will stage 19 plays in three different venues: UCC's new Granary Theatre, which was built with student and experimental drama in mind, the Cork Arts Theatre and the Firkin Crane Theatre, the largest of the three venues.

While the organisers are emphasising originality and experimentation, audiences can be assured of the appearance of a number of the usual suspects: two Berkoffs (East by the University of Ulster and, oddly enough, West by UCD), two Becketts (Endgame by UCC and Happy Days TCD) and no fewer than three Importance of Being Ernests (UL, DCU and a fringe production by UCC.

There will also be six original scripts in competition, two from Queen's and one each from UL, TCD, UCG and DCU. "Over the last couple of years, the adjudicators have taken to encouraging original scripts," says festival co director Roisin O'Brien. "It had tended to get a little conventional, but that has changed in recent years."

A panel of five judges will present 11 awards covering all aspects of theatre and the festival presentations will be complemented by workshops.

Among those who have already agreed to host workshops are actor/director Alan Stanford, Graffitti theatre company director Geraldine O'Neill and Stanislavsky coach Mary Elizabeth Burke Kennedy.

Further details available from (021) 902276.