The Phoebe Rees Awards 2016
October 16 2016, News The Phoebe Rees
A record 160 people, representing all 12 of the Societies who entered the 2015/16 Phoebe Rees Competition, gathered at the Shrubbery Hotel in Ilminster last night to celebrate another wonderful year of amateur theatre. The Phoebe Rees Competition is the Somerset Fellowship of Drama’s full-length play competition and the awards ceremony is the highlight of the season.
The evening was hosted by moderator Clive Wooldridge who said that the standard this year was as high as it had ever been, as evidenced by the broad range of nominations. He made the point that it was really difficult to get a nomination nowadays – both the adjudicator and the moderator had to consider the performance to be exceptional in order to get onto the list – and he congratulated all those present who had been singled out in this way.
He read out the nominations in each category and then a very brief excerpt from the winning adjudication before announcing the chosen winner who came up to receive their award from the adjudicator responsible. Photos taken by Roger Price are available on Photobox (www.photobox.co.uk/album/2822774545 ), password Saturday.
This year there was a new award – The Gordon Neagle Memorial Cup – which was to be given to the Best Non-Theatre Production in memory of Gordon, who had done so much for the SFD in its first 10 years or so, and who died all too early in September 2014. His widow Jo was there to present the award to Tickenham Drama Group for their stunning production of Steel Magnolias. She reminded some of us afterwards that Gordon had started his own touring theatre group, called Easy Life Theatre, in the early 90s and that he would have wholeheartedly approved of honouring Societies who put on great theatre in village halls, town halls, leisure centres and outdoors.
Anna Bowerman, who retired last year as Phoebe Rees Coordinator, had been invited as guest of honour and was delighted to present the final two awards of the evening; Lyn Lockyer won Best Direction for Ilminster Entertainments Society’s When We Are Married and Frome Drama Club won the Phoebe Rees Trophy for Best Production for Our Town, directed by Cheryl St George, pictured with Anna below.
The adjudication team this year comprised: Clive Wooldridge as Moderator, and Polly English, Philip de Glanville, Lyn Lockyer, Hilary May, Dave Walsham and Lynne Wooldridge as Adjudicators. The competition coordinator is Philip de Glanville
The winners are listed below.
EFFECTS
Swan Theatre Co Ghostwriter
SOUND
Barnstormers Pygmalion
PROPS
West Huntspill Players ‘Allo ‘Allo
STAGE MANGEMENT
CUDOS The Vicar Of Dibley
CREATIVE LIGHTING
Frome Drama Club Our Town
COSTUMES
West Huntspill Players ‘Allo ‘Allo
SET CONSTRUCTION
Street Theatre Noises Off
CREATIVE SET DESIGN
Tickenham Drama Group Steel Magnolias
YOUTH PERFORMANCE UNDER 16
Amelia Sharp as Rebecca Gibbs Our Town Frome
FEMALE PERFORMANCE UNDER 21
Amy Kemp as Abigail The Crucible Swan Theatre Co
MALE PERFORMANCE UNDER 21
Joe Bell as Kevin Outside Edge West Huntspill Players
CAMEO (FEMALE)
Charlotte Briggs as Edith Blithe Spirit @2K
CAMEO (MALE)
Mark Rudd as Hedley Ghostwriter Swan Theatre Co
ACTRESS IN SUPPORTING ROLE
Rosie Taylor as Joan Weech The Titfield Thunderbolt @2K
ACTOR IN SUPPORTING ROLE
Ian Muton-Phillips as Harry The Ladykillers Street Theatre
ACTRESS IN LEADING ROLE
Penny Williams as Eliza Pygmalion Barnstormers
ACTOR IN LEADING ROLE
David Pitts as Henry Higgins Pygmalion Barnstormers
BEST ARTISTIC IMPRESSION
Street Theatre The Ladykillers
GEORGE CROCKER TROPHY
CUDOS The Vicar of Dibley
CHAMPAGNE MOMENT
Barnstormers The opening of Pygmalion
GORDON NEAGLE MEMORIAL TROPHY
Tickenham Drama Group Steel Magnolias
BEST DIRECTION
Lyn Lockyer When We Are Married IES
BEST PRODUCTION
Frome Drama Club Our Town
The Best Direction Award was won by Lyn Lockyer
Best Production Award – Frome Drama Club