Produced by Sydney E. Willes
Produced by G. Thomas Denney
by J. M. Barrie
by N. F. Simpson
Review #1:
Publication: Shoreham Herald
Publication Data: May 4 1962 issue – page 12
Text Header: SOUTHWICK PLAYERS WIN DRAMA CUP
Text: Content
There was a “home win” for Southwick Players at last weekend’ drama festival held by Southwick and Fishersgate Community Association at the Barn Hall as part of the annual Festival of Art and Crafts.
On Saturday they staged J. M.Barrie’s Edwardian drama, Shall We Join The Ladies? produced by George Baker, and there was general agreement on the part of the full audience when the adjudicator, Mr D. Doggett, the Sussex Rural Community Council’s East Sussex County Drama Adviser, described the play as “most beautifully dressed and staged.”
Detailed
Announcing that the festival cup had gone to the Players, he said that all the characters had come out clearly and great attention had been paid to detail. There had been great care over costumes and the movement of the large cast.
The other companies competing over the two nights were not told their placings in public, but Mr Doggett had much to say in favour of all the plays and added, “I cannot remember a festival where the standard has been so consistently high.”
The winning cast comprised Ron Kingsnorth, Elizabeth Howard, Jack Wingfield, Doreen Atkinson, Reginald Guy, Sylvia Smithers, John King, Phyllis Beard, Joe Billings, Eileen Banfield, Edward Hood, junior, Muriel Press, Pauline George, Neville Banfield, Julia Walsh and Edmund Andrew.
Other Entries
The other entries on Saturday were by the Brighton Arts Theatre, who staged a colourful comedy of Mexican life, The Red Velvet Goat by Josephina Niggli, and produced by G. Thomas Denney; another Brighton company, Thespis Workshop, who presented a dramatic play for broadcasting by Sir George Rostrevor Hamilton, Man in the Basement directed by Peggy McKerchar; and Horsham Dramatic Society, whose diverting choice was The Form by N. F. Simpson, produced by William Marshall.
On Friday the Young Wick Players presented their recent full-length production of Terence Rattigan’s The Deep Blue Sea. Winners of last year’s festival with an excerpt from Tea and Sympathy, the group again acted their way into the affections of Mr Doggett, who said that he thought the play was “beautifully done with some excellent dramatic positions”. The cast was Barrie Bowen, Jean Porter, Ralph Dawes, Ian Barnett and John Perrett. Producer was George Porter.
Completing Friday night’s bill was Arms and the Man performed by the Withdean Players, and The Sixth Hour, by Wilfred Grantham, offered by St Winifred’s Players [Brighton].
