2006 : Brighton & Hove Arts Council’s Full-Length Drama Competition
Adjudicator : Nigel Fairs
Competitors : in order of appearance
1
September 7 – 9
Young Wick
Multiplex
By Christopher William-Hill
Produced by Mark Best
2
September 13 – 16
Wick Theatre Company
Blithe Spirit
By Noel Coward
Produced by Bob Ryder
3
September 20 – 23
Hurstpierpoint Players
Fallen Angels
By Noël Coward
Produced by unknown
4
October 4 – 7
Southwick Players
Look Back in Anger
By John Osborne
Produced by Brian Gill
5
October 14 – 15 & 17 – 21
New Venture Theatre
The Memory of Water
By Shelagh Stephenson?
Produce by Alex McQuillen-Wright
5
October 25 – 28
Cuckfield Dramatic Society
A Separate Peace
By Tom Stoppard
Produced by unknown
6
October 25 – 27
Rottingdean Drama Society
Love on the Dole
By Roland Gow & Walter Greenwood
Produced by unknown
2006 : Brighton & Hove Arts Council’s Drama Awards Evening
When : November 20 2006
Where : Hove First Avenue Imperial Hotel
Bea Waters Challenge Cup for Best Overall Production
Southwick Players
Look Back in Anger
The Arthur Churchill Award For Excellence – runners-up
New Venture Theatre
The Memory of Water
The Gabbus Denney Award for Best Director
Mark Best
Multiplex
Young Wick Theatre Company
Best Actor
Guy Steddon for Jimmy
Look Back in Anger
Southwick Players
Best Actress
Lesley Arnold for Mrs Hardcastle
Love on the Dole
Rottingdean Drama Society
Best Lighting Design
Mike Medway & Lee Wenham
Southwick Players
Look Back in Anger
Best Sound Design
Edward Gamper
New Venture Theatre
The Memory of Water
Best Set
Len Shipton
Southwick Players
Look Back in Anger
Best Costumes
Maggi Pierce & Cherry Briggs
Wick Theatre Company
Blithe Spirit
Chairman’s Award for Best Presentation of Publicity Material
Wick Theatre Company
Blithe Spirit
Adjudicator’s Award
Danny Bayford for Spike
Multiplex
Wick Theatre Company
Review #1:
Publication: Shoreham Herald
Publication Data: November 2006
Text Header: Betty’s a diamond!
Text: Content
It was the sweet smell of success for Southwick at the Brighton and Hove Arts Council drama awards evening. Southwick Players won the award for best overall production with their 50th anniversary production of Look Back in Anger, directed by Brian Gill. A merit certificate for best actor went to Guy Steddon for his performance as Jimmy, the angry young man. The company also gained awards for best lighting [Mike Medway] and best stage setting [Len Shipton].
Members of the Young Wick Theatre Company, just six years old and in only its third full-length production, were thrilled to receive two major awards. The first was the adjudicator’s award for the most promising potential professional, which went to Danny Bayford for his performance as Spike in Multiplex, and the second for best director, won by Mark Best. The company was also named runner-up in many of the other categories.
The main Wick Theatre Company was awarded two merit certificates, one for best costumes, and the other for publicity material for its production of Blithe Spirit.
Principal star of the evening, though, was Betty Dawes, Wick’s president and founder member. She was presented with the ‘contribution to the arts’ award for her enduring work in the theatre. This started in 1946 when, as a member of Unity Youth Club in Fishersgate, she had the idea of branching out into a drama section. This eventually became the Young Wick group and, as members became a little bit older, the ‘Young’ was discretely dropped. The main company has been Wick ever since.
Betty, who lives in Southwick, was also active in the hard work that went into getting the original Barn in Southwick turned into a theatre. She has been busy ever since with acting, directing and administration for Wick. Also, in the early 1970s, she branched out into opera and has directed a string of productions for another company, Southwick Opera.
Betty said: “I was surprised and pleased to be given the award 60 years on from when I first started in youth theatre. A great satisfaction to me now is how youth activity in the theatre has been revived across the generations, with the latest Young Wick Group enjoying great success.”
