RTÉ’s online drama competition StoryLand this year sees eight new dramas selected to compete for online votes with a view to having their series broadcast. RTÉ received over 120 entries and the eight selected projects will compete, episode by episode, in the coming four months for viewers’ online votes.
Voting on the first four episodes begins on Wednesday, February 23rd when all eight dramas will be web-cast on www.rte.ie/storyland. This year’s selection includes Ivan McMahon’s ‘The Outlaw Concy Ryan’, a mockumentary that follows proud Moyhill native Concy Ryan as he struggles to preserve his way of life in the face of a new government initiative to regenerate the area; Joseph Burke’s ‘Street Cobra’, where the trashiest celeb crime fighter, and Skinny Bean, the most dangerous man alive, have to team up to fight their way through Dr. Rekcam's Viral Video Game Death Maze.
Other dramas competing online include Colm Cafferkey’s ‘Lucky Run’, a drama set in a small town in the West of Ireland where lead character Robbie has 48 hours to repay a finger-chopping gangster €5000 and prevent his train-wreck of a life from steamrolling into the fireworks factory; Eoin Cleland’s comedy drama ‘Free House’, set in rural Wexford which follows the fortunes of Donal's hostel and the people it attracts over one tumultuous, anarchic season; Mary Duffin and Laura McGann’s ‘Wartgirl’, a fast-paced comedy drama with a comic book style which is set in Newbridge and follows Viv and her friend Tom and his father "Sandra" as they embark on a mission for revenge with the help of the Mufia (the Lesbian Mafia).
The final three dramas competing for the top Storyland prize include ‘The Last Security Man’ from Liam Hourican, David Stone and David Crann, a comedy about Dirk, a Belgian security guard and self styled action hero, who stands for security and civilisation while working in a Dublin shopping centre and his rookie side-kick Tom; Lee Cronin’s ‘The Masetrplan’ which centres around tone-deaf James who has a plan to blow the doors off at the rock show so his teacher Ms. Harrison will fall for him and Dave Minogue’s ‘Rent a Friend’, a comedy drama set in Kilkenny where Dave and Der – two guys who are out of college and out of work decide to sell the only asset they have - their friendship.
Previous Storyland winners have included ‘Zombie Bashers’ from Tailored Films Productions which took the top prize last year and Martin Maloney’s mockumentary, ‘Hardy Bucks’ won the first StoryLand in 2009. The series received over three million hits on You Tube and broadcast on RTÉ Two in 2010.
Speaking about the new series RTÉ Drama Development Executive Eilish Kent said: ” We’re really looking forward to showing these exciting new series to our audience and finding out what they think, StoryLand has consistently brought new and exciting voices to our screens and this year is no exception, I think audiences will have a tough call to make.”
To view the first episodes of this year’s Storyland finalists visit http://www.rte.ie/storyland/
