One Act Play Festival 2018
GADOC’s 70th Annual One Act Play Festival ran from Wednesday 23rd May until Friday 25th May 2018. The plays were:-
Wednesday 23rd May
The Pied Piper of Hamelin by Ruth Kenward & Nick Perrin
Directed by Jenny Falla (GADOC)
Rats have taken over Hamelin, led by the leader rat, ‘Big Cheese’! Grumpy street cleaner Mr Brümhandel is fighting a losing battle with the messy citizens, and the Mayor is doing nothing to help.
A boy called Peter – who struggles to keep up with the other children – finds out that being last all the time is not always a bad thing. Left behind in a game of chase, he meets the magical Pied Piper, and this chance meeting ends up proving that Peter is the true leader desperately needed to rescue Hamelin town.
Temptation Sordid or Virtue Rewarded by Winifred Phelps
Directed by Lesley Perchard (St. Stephen’s Players)
A ‘hiss & boo’ Victorian melodrama. Sir Jasper wishes to marry Lady Lucre’s innocent daughter, Arabella, so he can get his hands on Lady Lucre’s fortune, but Clarence, who Arabella adores is there to thwart him and his sidekick, a scarlet woman, Fanny the Nanny!! Good will triumph in the end.
Thursday 24th May
The Curious Incident of the Frog in My Sightline by Jenet Le Lacheur
Director: Pete Le Lacheur (GADOC)
‘The Curious Incident of the Frog in My Sightline’ follows the exploits of Otkas, a hapless, unassuming character who goes to bed one night and awakes the next morning to find a world composed entirely of frog. By lucky chance, Otkas is joined in his nightmarish and patently absurd situation by Posil, an amateur herpetologist with a “penchant for frogs”, and together the chalk-and-cheese pairing begin to fumble towards an explanation for – and hopefully a solution to – their shared predicament.
Muddling Through by Gillian Jackson
Directed by Gillian Jackson (GADOC)
‘Muddling Through’ is a comedy set against the background of wartime England in 1942. Mrs Farrington and her companion Jean have left London’s air raids for the peace and quiet of Judith Seton’s guest house in the remote countryside.
However – things do not run smoothly. Mayhem breaks out eventually culminating in the surrounding of the house by the police and MI5.
Friday 25th May
Letter to Sydney by Joan Ozanne, from a book by Ron Blicq
Director: John Gaisford (GADOC)
Letter to Sydney concerns two friends who were schoolgirls at the start of WW2. In 2010, Jane and Hilary have apartments in the same retirement home. Jane seeks to tidy up loose ends before she is too old, and writes a letter to her son Sydney with important information that might upset him: should she send the letter, or not? The back story is revealed as the action returns to the war years.
Our adjudicator for 2018 was Nick Wilkes who is a member of the Guild of Drama Adjudicators.
Trophy Winners for the One Act Play Festival 2018
Joan Machon Award for the most promising performer under 21: Ollie Purdue, ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’
RGI Trophy for the best performance by an individual under 18 (Any age group cast): Ollie Purdue, ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’
St. Stephen’s Players Trophy for the most outstanding performance by an individual in a supporting role: Bridget Carey, ‘Muddling Through’
The George Foote Memorial Trophy for the best humorous performance: David Foote, ‘The Curious Incident of the Frog in My Sightline’
The Rollie Wolley Memorial Trophy for the most outstanding performance by an individual: Anne Atkinson, ‘Muddling Through’
The Elaine Ralls Memorial Trophy for a “Magic Moment” from any entry: ‘Letter to Sydney’ directed by John Gaisford
The Lee Trophy for the most effective ‘first impression’ created by stage setting: ‘Muddling Through’ directed by Gillian Jackson
The Redgrave Trophy for the best backstage crew: ‘Letter to Sydney’ directed by John Gaisford
The Margaret Moffatt Trophy for the first time director with the highest overall mark: Pete Le Lacheur, ‘The Curious Incident of the Frog in My Sightline’
Joyce and Cecil Cook Trophy for the Director of the play with the highest overall mark who has never won either the Bucktrout or the Edward Willis Trophies: Pete Le Lacheur, ‘The Curious Incident of the Frog in My Sightline’
The Edward Willis Trophy for the Director with the highest mark for Direction: Jenny Falla, ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’
The Burns Trophy for the original unpublished play with the highest marks: Gillian Jackson, ‘Muddling Through’
The Hazel Rowe Trophy for the Musical Play with the highest overall marks: ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’ directed by Jenny Falla
The GADOC Jubilee Trophy for the play with the highest marks with the cast aged under 15: No entries
The F.W.Thomas Memorial Trophy for the play with the highest marks with the cast aged under 21: ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’ directed by Jenny Falla
The Frankie Billington Trophy for the play with the highest marks with an All-Male cast: ‘The Curious Incident of the Frog in My Sightline’ directed by Pete Le Lacheur
The Gaisford Trophy for the Director aged under 21 with the highest marks for direction: No entries
The Anthony Booth Trophy for the play with the highest marks with an All-Women cast: ‘Muddling Through’ directed by Gillian Jackson
The Bucktrout Challenge Trophy for the play with the highest marks: ‘Muddling Through’ directed by Gillian Jackson
The Audience Award Salver for the play which receives the most votes from the holders of Season Tickets who have seen all the plays: ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’ directed by Jenny Falla