SCA – Thirty-Seventh Festival of Arts & Crafts

Review #1:
Publication: Shoreham Herald
Publication Data: April 6 1990 issue – page 10
Text Header: Players double up at drama festival
Text: Content

THESPIANS FROM the Southwick Players dramatic society scooped two awards at the Southwick Drama Festival last week. Performing excerpts from Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible – a 17th century tale of witch hunting in Salem, Massachusetts, they won the best play awards. Jill Chapman won best actress prize for her portrayal of Mary Warren in the same play.

Amateur dramatic groups from all over West Sussex entered the three day competition, and all performed one act from a play of their choice lasting no longer than 55 minutes.

Other successes at the festival, staged at the Community Centre, in Southwick Street, included Patrick Johnson, of the Wick Theatre, who won best actor for his portrayal of Edward in Harold Pinter’s Slight Ache.

The Broadwalkers Youth Theatre won second place in the play section with their rendition of George Bernard Shaw’s Passion, Poison and Petrification. This was quite an achievement as they only formed a year ago.

A second group entered by the Southwick Players performed an excerpt from Shakers, a modern tale of four girls who work in a cocktail bar.

The competition was judged by Leif Welton, a member of the Guild of Drama Adjudicators, and the presentations were made by chairman of Adur District Council, Julian Brooks.

Southwick Community Association secretary Mike McNish said the three day event was a great success. Association chairman George Porter agreed but said next year’s festival would be held towards the end of the week to ensure fuller houses. He said, “It was probably a mistake holding it at the beginning of the week because we generally get more people coming along at the end.”

Review #2:
Publication: Shoreham Herald
Publication Data: April 6 1990 issue – page 10
Text Header: Shoreham’s youth take second spot
Text: Content

SHOREHAM YOUNGSTERS had to settle for second place in Southwick’s first Youth Drama Festival on Saturday after a Worthing group stole judges’ hearts.

St Mary and St Nicholas Church group Cyphers, staged The Seasons directed by Ray and Joanna Hopper. The play was an improvisation of spring, summer, autumn and winter.

But Worthing Youth Theatre’s production of End of the World Sale Must Close Tuesday, scooped first place at Southwick’s Barn Theatre.

Resources

Guided by professional director Nicolas Young, 21 youngsters drew on all their acting resources to win the day. Despite performing at 9.30am, the group carried off this musical morality play extremely well.

Festival organiser Pat Moss said, ‘They had the distinct disadvantage of performing at such an unconventional hour.’

Third place went to Hurstpierpoint Junior Theatre Workshop with its production, Conversations with a Golliwog. Group Performers Noel Armstrong and Sophie Pridell received best actor and best actress awards.

Commended

Other entrants were Southwick’s Pisces Workshop with Singing in the Wilderness and Durrington’s Saints Junior Theatre group with Making Waves.

Judge Leif Welton congratulated all 53 performers involved with plays and commended them on their acting, presentation and staging. County drama advisor Ann Fenton said she was delighted with the festival. ‘I feel it will go from strength to strength.’ she said. Southwick Community Centre secretary Mike McNish said the event was a great success.

The one-act, one day event will be repeated next February.