Adjudicator : Mrs S. Sharpless
Review #1:
Publication: Shoreham Herald
Publication Data: January 10 1975 issue – page 16
Text Header: PLAYERS’ TRIPLE TRIUMPH
Text: Content
THE WICK Theatre Company swept the board in Saturday’s Brighton and District Drama Festival, winning all three major cups.
It was a triumph, not only for the Southwick-based dramatic group, but for Anna Welsh whose first production it was.
The play was Jean Anouilh’s The Lark which won the best play award. Monica Joyce as Joan of Arc won the best actress award and Southwick bank manager Douglas Tucker carried off the best actor award for his interpretation of the Inquisitor.
With the three cups went a bottle of champagne which the cast sampled with rare enjoyment.
The cups will be on display at the Barn Theatre, Southwick, during The Wick’s production of The Secretary Bird which will run from February 11 – 15.
Review #2:
Publication: Brighton & Hove Gazette
Publication Data: January 10 1975 issue – page ?
Correspondent: Local Limelight
Text Header: The Wick wins top drama award
Text: Content
MORE THAN 100 members and friends of drama groups assembled for the Brighton and District Drama Association annual party last Saturday in the Social Club attached to the RE Records Office.
Derek Collins, assisted by his charming wife Anne, was Master of Ceremonies for the occasion and Tom Blackburn sand to his own guitar accompaniment.
The business of the evening, however, was the announcement of the decisions of Mrs S. Sharpless, who had adjudicated the five plays entered for the Drama Association full-length play festival. Mrs Sharpless said that she had found a higher overall standard than she had met for a very long time and that this had made the decision very difficult. She had also noted the inadequacy of the Union Hall stage for productions like Little Boxes which was presented by the Prospect Players.
With fewer than ten points between the highest and lowest of the scores, the premier award, the Kenneth Kent Trophy went to the Wick Theatre Company for their production of The Lark by Jean Anouilh. This company also carried off both Sidney Kingsley awards for best actress and actor in the festival, one going to Monica Joyce for her performance as Joan, and the other to Douglas Tucker as the Inquisitor.
The Leah Laughton Cup for runners-up was given to Brighton Arts Theatre for their production of George Bernard Shaw’s Candida.
The Barry Roach awards for the man and woman who, not being in winning teams, had contributed most to their group’s productions were awarded to John Milford in the title role of the Myra Stewart Players’ presentation of The Noble Spaniard by W. Somerset Maugham, and to Brenda Heasman as Lily in Coffee Lace in the Prospect Players production of John Bowen’s Little Boxes. This group was also awarded the Adjudicator’s Diploma for their stage setting.
