Tops Programmes

1964 – Tops Programe – Snowcream Vs St. Otterans Click on the image below to see the programme. For more Tops programmes click here. 1964 – Tops Programe – Snowcream Vs St. Otterans For those of a certain age in Ireland, “TOPS OF THE TOWN” or “John Player Tops” may evoke fond memories. This annual variety competition ran from 1962 to …

1968 – Tops Programme – Waterford Crystal Vs ACEC For more Tops programmes click here. 1968 – Tops Programme – Waterford Crystal Vs ACEC For those of a certain age in Ireland, “TOPS OF THE TOWN” or “John Player Tops” may evoke fond memories. This annual variety competition ran from 1962 to 1997. This was well before the days of …

Here is the programme from the 1969 local final. Hearts Delight were to win and to go through to the national final which they narrowly lost. Click below to browse the programme and also there is a picture kindly forwarded by Geoff Harris of his brother Dave (of the Bay Cafe Dunmore) in the cast of Hearts Delight with some …

Another classic Tops programme – this one from 1963 and it’s the turn of Snowcream vs Waterford Grocers and Drapers. Click below for a look.

Another vintage programme for the archive – this time the local rounds and the 1963 competition. This is ACEC vs Sack & Bag. Click below to have a browse.

This is an oddity – it appears to be a variety show sponsored by the Tops sponsor – Dublin Dairies – but does not appear to be part of the Tops competition despite being on Easter Sunday night… anyway – have a browse of the programme below.

Another programme from 1963 – this time Clover Meats vs Waterford Glass. Click on the image below to view.

Here is the earliest programme we have yet thanks to a new stock of Tops memorabilia that came in over the last week courtesy of local playwright Pat Daly. It is Papermills vs the Foundry. Have a browse – free of charge. If you were to buy one as it says on the programme it would have cost ‘threepence’. Click …

Here is another one of the classic John Player Tops programmes – this time from the 1981 national Semi Final between Denny Corcorans Waterford Crystal show and Irish Biscuits. Click below to view.

Another classic Tops programme – this time from 1982 and Raytex produced by Patsy Sheridan vs Clover produced by Michael Grant. Click below to browse. 1982 – Tops Local Rounds – Raytex vs Clover

Here is another of the ever popular Tops programmes – this one from the 1980 local rounds between Waterford Glass and Banks and Finance. Banks and Finance were to go on to go the whole way to the national final in 1980 which was televised. 1980 – Waterford Glass vs Banks and Finance – Programme

It is hard to believe it is almost 30 years since Tramore took to the stage against An Post in the National Quarter Finals of the John Player Tops. Here is the programme from that particular performance. Click Below to have a read of the programme. 1992 – Tramore vs Dunnes Stores – National Quarter Final – Topshttps://waterfordtheatrearchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1992-National-Quarter-Finals-Tramore-An-Post.pdf

Here is a vintage Tops of the Town programme from the local final of 1973 where Waterford Crystal with “Cheaper by the Dozen and a Half’ took on the Teachers with ‘Here Today – Gone Tonight’. Click below for a browse. 1973 – Tops Local Final Programme – Waterford Glass Vs Teachers

Back to the day when Waterford Glass took on Henry Ford Ltd from Cork in the national quarter finals of the Tops. Click below to browse the Show Programme. 1979 – National Quarter Finals – Waterford Glass Vs Ford – Show Programme

Here is another blast back forty odd years to the 1979 local final of Tops with Waterford Glass taking on Banks & Finance. Click below for a browse. 1979 – Tops Local Final Programme – Waterford Glass vs Banks & Finance

Here is the show programme from the 1992 Tops – Tramore vs the Port And Docks 1992 – Tramore vs Port And Docks – Show Programme

Here is the Tops Of The Town Local Rounds programme from 1990. Click below to have a read 1990 – Tops Of The Town Local Rounds Show Programme

Here is the 1994 National Final Programme from the last time that Waterford won the national Tops title. It was of course Waterford Crystal vs Woodville. Click below for a read! 1994 – Tops Of The Town – National Final Programme

Here’s another one of those classic Tops programmes. This time it’s from 1989 and the national quarter finals in Dundalk where Tramore travelled to compete with Clara on the night. It was the end of Tramore’s adventure that year. 1989 – National Quarter Finals – Tramore vs Clara

Here is the show programme from the 1990 Tops Quarter Finals that took place in the Theatre Royal in Waterford featuring ‘A Scoop for NTV’ from Nokia. 1990 – National Quarter Finals – Nokia

Here is the show programme from the national final of the 1993 Tops – from the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. 1993 – John Player Tops National Final Programme – Tramore vs Dunnes Stores

Here’s a rare treasure – the programme from the 1987 televised national Tops final that featured our own Waterford Glass and Cork Teachers & Students. So many clips from this show have featured in the archive – here’s the programme to go with it. Click below to read. 1987 – Tops National Final Programme

Back 46 years to 1974 and the National Semi Final of the Tops of the Town competition – the ACEC were on the way to another national title with ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ as the main scene. The link is below for the 1974 programme. 1974 – Tops Of The Town National Semi Final Programme

Here is the programme from the 1977 local final between ACEC and Waterford Glass. The ACEC show featured the famous ‘Evita’ scene and went on to win the national final in the Gaiety. Click below to read on. 1977 – Local Final – ACEC vs Waterford Glass You can hear the full audio from the show on the link below. …

Here is the programme from the 1989 Tops show when Tramore travelled to Dundalk for the national quarter finals. Click below to have a read. 1989 – National Tops Quarter Final – Tramore vs Clara

Here is the programme from the national final of Tops in 1974, the year of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’. There’s a nice bit of reading in it as well as the details on the show. Click below to have a browse. 1974 – National Final Tops Programme – ACEC vs Cork Examiner

Another classic ‘Tops’ Programme – this time from 1982 and featuring Raytex vs Clover. 1982 – Tops Of The Town Local – Raytex vs Clover

In 1986 Waterford Glass reached the televised final of the Tops only to finish as runners-up. Here is the show programme from the quarter-final performance in Limerick vs the ESB group. 1986 – National Quarter Finals – Waterford Glass vs ESB – Show Programme

In the 1970’s the ACEC dominated Tops both locally and nationally. 1978 saw the company present a 2 hour special show in the Theatre Royal to celebrate this success. Here is the show programme and on it’s pages is a who’s who of Waterford Tops in the ’70’s. 1977 – ACEC Celebration Show – Show Programme

Back 40 years to 1978 today and a programme from the first local rounds of the Tops Competition that year. It’s the turn of Slieverue and Waterford Crystal. 1978 – Tops Local Rounds – Slieverue v Waterford Crystal

Normally all 4 shows in a year wouldn’t be put into the one programme- but 1989 was an exception to the rule. Have a browse of St. Paul’s, Tramore, Nokia and Clashmore and their cast and crews. 1989 – Local Rounds Programme

Here is the 1990 programme from Wexford when Nokia reached the national semi final stage 1990 – National Quarter Finals – Nokia – Programme

A show programme today from the 1980 Local Rounds – Waterford Shopping Centre vs Waterford Glass. 1980 Local Rounds – Waterford SC Vs Waterford Glass

Here is the show programme from the 1979 Tops local competition – this time it’s Banks and Finance Vs St. Pauls . Have a browse. 1979 – Tops Of The Town Local – Banks and Finance vs St. Pauls

Back to 1987 today and a show programme from the National Tops competition where Waterford Crystal marched to the National Final. Produced by Michael Grant it featured an epic Les Miserables scene. Have a look. 1987 – Waterford Crystal Vs Cork Teachers & Students – Show Programme

1975 was the famous year of the ‘Joseph’ Tops presented by Dermot Grahams Waterford Glass team. Here is the programme from that famous production – in this round taking on the Foundry team who were headed up by  Denny Corcoran and Nancy Parker. 1975 – Waterford Glass vs The Foundry – Show Programme

Way back 52 years to the early days of Tops today and the show programme from the 1966 local rounds of the Builders vs Snowcream. 1966 – Tops Local Rounds – Builders vs Snowcream

1975 and the ACEC were presenting ‘The Colour Cast Show’ against CIE’s ‘Railroad to Rhythm’. Here is the show programme from that years second round meeting. 1975 – Second Round – ACEC vs CIE – Show Programme

Waterford Crystal got to the national final in two successive years in the 1980’s – ’86 and ’87, both produced by Michael Grant. Unfortunately neither resulted in a win for Waterford, but it was very very close! Here is the programme from the 1986 national final, courtesy of Aidan McGrath. Enjoy! 1986 – National Final Programme – Waterford Crystal

This programme has an absolute multitude of reading in it. From interviews about the tops to pictures of the tops, memories of legends gone by – its worth a read for anybody with even a passing interest in Waterford Theatre. 2003 – Denny Corcoran Tribute Concert – Show Programme

It seems like I could add Tops Programmes forever there are so many of them over the years. Today’s selection include – 1978 Raytex vs Banks and Finance in the first local round, 1981 Teachers vs Waterford Crystal in the first round and 1982 Clover vs Waterford Crystal in the local rounds. As always they are added to the Tops …

Adding to the archive of Tops material we have 3 vintage Tops programmes – the 1975 National Semi-final in Salthill between Waterford Banks and Finance and Sunbeam ltd, the 1980 local rounds between St. Paul’s (non competitive) and Waterford Crystal, and the 1974 local final between the ACEC and Waterford Crystal. 1974 – Local Final – ACEC and Waterford Crystal …

If you were in, or know somebody who was in the 1985 National Semifinal – Waterford Crystal vs Analog, the 1987 Local Rounds Tramore Parish vs Nokia, the 1989 National Quarter Final – Tramore Community Group vs St. Bridgets Credit Union Clara or the 1990 Local Final – Waterford Crystal vs Nokia then this update is for you. 4 show …