Clara's Aoife nominated for AIMS Best Comedienne award

For the second year in a row, the hugely-talented Aoife Digan from Clara has been nominated in the Best Comedienne category at the prestigious Association of Irish Musical Societies (AIMS) annual awards.

In what has been an extremely busy year for the local teacher - during which she took the stage by storm in three musicals across the Midlands, in Athlone, Roscrea and Clara - it was for her side-splitting portrayal of Leonora Frigid in the Roscrea Musical Society's production of the 1950's musical 'Cry Baby, The Musical' that Aoife Digan secured an AIMS nomination as Best Comedienne in the Sullivan category.

Ironically, the talented Clara woman played the exact same role this year in Athlone Musical Society's production of 'Cry Baby, the Musical' which received no AIMS nominations for the 2024/'25 season.

While Aoife Digan celebrates her latest AIMS nomination, there is also another strong local link with the Roscrea Musical Society production of 'Cry Baby, The Musical' as the direction was in the capable hands of another stalwart of the local musical society scene, the legendary Paul 'Nippy' Norton from Tullamore, who has been the recipient of numerous AIMS nominations and awards.

Aoife Digan - who also played the lead role of Charity Hope Valentine in Clara Musical Society's production of 'Sweet Charity' this year - was nominated in the Best Comedienne category of the AIMS annual awards last year also for her hilarious portrayal of Little Sally in the Athlone Musical Society production of 'Urinetown.'

The two other nominations for Best Comedienne in the Sullivan Section this year, who will be vying with Aoife Digan for the overall award, are Mary Dempsey as Grandma in The Addams Family- Claremorris Musical Society and Gemma Galvin as Lady Jacqueline in Me & My Girl- Aghada Centre Theatre Group.

Tullamore Musical Society received one AIMS nomination this year for their 70th anniversary production of 'Jesus Christ Superstar' having been nominated for the Best Visual in the Gilbert Section. They face competition from Galway Musical Society for 'Sweeney Todd' and Nenagh Choral Society Youth Academy for 'Shrek: The Musical' in their bid to secure the overall Best Visual award.

The AIMS Awards will be announced at the Annual Awards Festival on Saturday, June 14 next, in Killarney