* 2016 note: Springboard Festival – Brighton & Hove Performing Arts Festival – was formerly known as the Brighton Competitive Musical Festival and started in 1925 under the auspices of Brighton Borough Council. Competitions were held in the Pavilion Estate, including the Corn Exchange, Royal Pavilion, Dome and Pavilion Theatre.
The development of the Festival was largely the work of Olive Von der Heyde who remained involved from the beginning until her death in 1997.
Review #1:
Publication: Shoreham Herald
Publication Data: April 30 1965 issue – page 24
Text Header: WICK GROUP WINS DRAMA FESTIVAL
Text: Content
THE Wick Theatre Company with its presentation of The Queen and the Welshman, by Rosemary Anne Sisson, won this year’s Drama Festival at the Barn Theatre, Southwick Community Centre, on Friday and Saturday.
There were six entries in the Festival, with three productions each evening.
The adjudicator, Miss Olive Von der Heyde, principal of Brighton School of Music and Drama, said that never before had she had such a difficult job of judging. She had not found a higher standard anywhere.
Final choice between the Wick Theatre Company and The Phoenix Players, of Worthing, with their presentation of The Faithful Widow of Ephesus, was so difficult that the plays had to be taken to their fundamentals before a decision could be made. When it came to the point of achieving the author’s intention in every aspect of each production, there was no doubt as to the winners.
The Wick Theatre Company, founded in the town 1949, has won the Southwick Drama Festival cup four times previously.
The two leading characters in this year’s presentation, produced by Bess Blagden, were Queen Katherine, played by Jean Porter and Sir Own Tudor, by Ian Elliott. Bob del Quiaro took over the part of the Duke of Gloucester only two weeks before the Festival. Speaking about this obvious difficulty, the adjudicator asked, “If he did so well after only two weeks, what would he have done with more time for rehearsals?”
Commenting on the production, Miss Von der Heyde said, immensely impressed by the minor characters and by the beautiful duologue between Katherine and Sir Owen. “Drama is conflict. If you have no conflict, you have no drama. Conflict was apparent throughout this production, and you had no idea at all that the lines had been learned, the characters were so realistic.”
Mrs B. E. Newman, president of the Community Association, presented the cup.
The Phoenix Players’ production on Saturday evening was described by the adjudicator as “something different, with a lovely set and beautiful grouping and colour.” The play, by Tomas Cruden, was produced by Betty Cowan.
Horsham Dramatic Society presented a Victorian melodrama by Winifred Phelps, Temptation Sordid or Virtue Rewarded. “The scenery was good and the play opened well, the piano giving it an excellent start, but the whole needed more go,” the adjudicator remarked.
Jack Lomath, who played Hippocrates in Withdean Players’ production of The Ass and the Philosophers, by Gwenyth Jones, was praised by Miss Von der Heyde for his natural acting ability.
Other plays in the Festival were The Devil in the Lottery a light comedy by Mark Howard, presented by Southwick Players and The Centre Players’ presentation of There’s Always Molly by Neil McKellar.
