www.southenddrama.co.uk

Well hurrah with big brass knobs on!! After some pretty tough competition from a week of excellent plays presented for the Southend Drama Festival, Southend Drama Society did rather well when it came time for the trophies to be handed out!!

Of the nine categories for which we were eligible, we were nominated for every one and, better still, we came away as winners in four of those categories too!!!

Southend Drama Society were nominated for:

• The Arts Council Shield for Best Stage Presentation for Blackadder
  
• The Whitehead Cup for Best Performance in a Supporting Role to John Banks, Steve Hulse and Paul Jennings for Blackadder
• The Florrie Holland Cup for Best Female Performance to Chloe Baum for The Donahue Sisters
• The Frank McGrath Trophy for Best Male Performance to Rick Fiore and Darran Lebeter for Blackadder
• The Chris Dunham Director's Award to Christine Kay for Blackadder
  

Southend Drama Society won the following:

• The Wesley Cup for Best All-Female Cast to Gemma Barnetson, Paula Pearce and Chloe Baum for The Donahue Sisters, directed by Peter Nawrat
• The Borough Players Shield for Best Comedy for Blackadder
• The Bofors Special Award (Adjudicator's Special Award) to costume design for Blackadder
• The Ray Cooney Trophy for the Winning Team for Blackadder
  

... which means that we are now through to the second round - the East Division Final. This will take place at the Eastwood Studio Theatre, Leigh on Sea on Saturday 8th May 2004 at 7pm.

The adjudication of both The Donahue Sisters and Blackadder was handled excellently with some very constructive and positive comments made about both presentations.

Southend Drama Society would like to thank everyone who has supported us in making our entries for this year's festival such a triumph.

Evening Echo Report:

Blackadder takes top spot in drama contest

It may have missed the top spot in the BBC search for the nation’s favourite sit-com, but Blackadder was a clear favourite in the All-England Theatre Festival held in Eastwood last week.

Southend Drama Society’s stage version of Ink and Incapability, from the third series of the show, was named best play in the week-long event.

The play was first premiered by the group in July last year, after they asked writer Ben Elton for permission to adapt the TV show for the stage.

It enjoyed a successful run at the Focus Youth Theatre, Southend, first time round and had a sell-out crowd on Saturday.

As well as winning the Ray Cooney Trophy for best play, the group won prizes for best costumes and best comedy.

“This breaks the mould,” says festival organiser Frank McGrath.

“Normally, people pick obscure things because they think it will impress the adjudicator. By entering Ink and Incapability, Southend Drama Society thought they were either going to win or get slammed. Not only did they win but they won three awards.”

Belfairs VI Form took second place for their original play, They’re Everywhere.

Director Sharon Goodman was named best director, the play was named best original play and the group won best junior team and best stage presentation.

Southend Drama Society will now go through to the divisional final at the Eastwood Studio Theatre, Eastwood, on Saturday, May 8.

Southend Arts Council Website Report:

The 1st Round of the All England Theatre Festival at Southend is now complete.

From the initial hiccup of a group dropping out at the last minute to the closing curtain on Southend Drama Society's hilarious take on Blackadder the Third, it has been an challenging and interesting week.

Singled out for praise this week have been Belfairs VI Form's production THEY'RE EVERYWHERE about a chilling double murder and how the press deals with this in a sensationalist fashion, well done to Director Sharon Goodman and her cast who won no less than four separate awards.

Three frustrated women who need a handyman in more than one way saw RODS giving us a
delightful performance of Jimmie Chinn's INTERIOR DESIGNS.

Southend Drama Society brought us the chilling tale of three sisters in THE DONAHUE SISTERS by Geraldine Aron.

Convoluted and complicated was the only way to describe the 2nd RODS production TILL WE
MEET AGAIN, with excellent performances from the entire team.

There was East Essex Players THE TRIAL a horrific tale of torture and humiliation as
disturbing now as it was in the 1970's when it was first performed.
Hilarity was abound in Lindisfarne Players VISTORS FROM PHILADELPHIA and Southend Drama Society's INK & INCAPABILITY from BBC-TV's Blackadder was the surprise success winning the Best Comedy, Best Costumes and Best overall play in the festival.

GODA's Scott Marshall was the official adjudicator and regaled us with his charming and erudite observations every night. He gave construction criticism without ever resorting to negative comment. The audiences were very impressed with his knowledge of his subject. We now look forward to the winners Southend Drama Society advancing to the Divisional on Saturday 8th May at Eastwood Theatre, Rayleigh Road, Leigh on Sea.

ALL ENGLAND EAST DIVISION FINAL: 8TH MAY 2004

Last night saw the second round of the All-England Drama Festival Finals. Once again, against some very tough competition, Southend Drama Society performed the Blackadder script Ink and Incapability... and WON!!!!

This means that we're now through to the next round - the Eastern Area Finals. This takes place on Saturday 22nd May at the Eastwood Studio Theatre, Leigh on Sea.

We'll post more details and any reports on the evening as they become available.

Evening Echo Report:

Blackadder wins again for society

Southend Drama Society continued their winning ways at the weekend, after finishing first in the divisional final of the All England Theatre Festival.

The group's performance of Ink and Incapability, adapted from the Blackadder III TV series, earned them the winner's trophy at the Eastwood Studio Theatre on Saturday, having beaten the winners from both the Havering and Waltham Forest legs of the competition.

Adjudicator Rex Walford praised the endeavour and teamwork of the group and in particular the portrayal of George by Daran Lebeter.

The group now go on to the eastern area final, which will be at the Eastwood Studio Theatre, on Saturday, May 22nd at 6pm.

Tickets cost £7 for adults, or £6 for concessions and are available on 01268 775410.

The winners from four divisions will compete to appear in the English final in Maidenhead on Saturday, June 5th.

Southend Arts Council Website Report:

Saturday 8th May saw the Eastern Divisional Final All England Theatre Festival at Eastwood Theatre, Leigh.

There were three competing groups:

Kytes Theatre Group (Winners Havering festival) performed Sparrows by Charles Mander.

Wadham Players (Winners Waltham Forest festival) performed Sequence of Events by George McEwen Green

and Southend Drama Society (Winners Southend Festival) again performed Ink & Incapability from the Blackadder III series by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton.

The adjudicator Rex Walford, who has visited Southend before gave an detailed and constructive adjudication of all three plays but the team who gave the best performance of the evening was Southend Drama Society with Blackadder. They were awarded the winners trophy and will now go on to the Eastern Area final held on Saturday 22nd May at Eastwood Theatre.

The organisers were pleased to see an almost full house and to welcome guest of honour David Amess M.P

Last night saw four drama groups competing in the Eastern Area Final of the All England Theatre Festival.

After an absolutely fantastic result in the Southend and Eastern Divisional Drama Festivals, we're sorry to report that Southend Drama Society's production of the Blackadder play 'Ink and Incapability' didn't make it through to the English Final.

Without a shadow of a doubt, this was our best effort so far, with everyone giving 110%. The audience clearly enjoyed the production and all those involved came away knowing that they had done their very best.

In the end, the winning team were the Young Theatre of Beaconsfield for BALLBOYS. The two main characters of which were excellently acted and very convincing. Good luck to them in the next round.

A reproduction of Southend Arts Council's report on the evening can be found here.

We're very sad to be putting Blackadder to rest at last. A very big "Thank You" is owed to Richard Curtis and Ben Elton for letting us take a stab at recreating the magic of Blackadder for the stage.

"Here lies Edmund Blackadder - and he's bloody annoyed!" - Capt. E. Blackadder, 1916.

Southend Arts Council Website Report:

The Eastern Area final of the All England Theatre Festival took place at Eastwood Studio Theatre, Leigh on Saturday 22nd May.

There was much competition from the four divisional winners. The evening kicked off with strong stylised drama from the ancient Greeks with Another Theatre's powerful production of OEDIPUS with excellent technicality and sparse staging adding to the strong imagery.

This was followed by Woldingam Players production of Dennis Potter's BLUE REMEMBERED HILLS a play about the innocence of childhood with a group of young children being played by adults.

Then came Southend Drama Society with INK AND INCAPABILITY from BBC-TV's Blackadder, which the audience enjoyed immensely.

Finally policitial comment and marxist philosophy came to bear with David Edgar's production BALLBOYS expertly performed by Young Theatre of Beaconsfield.

The ajudicator Paul Fowler, made some astute comments on the work during the evening and the two awards were:

Best Stage Presentation: Another Theatre for OEDIPUS

Winner of Eastern Area Final: Young Theatre of Beaconsfield for BALLBOYS.

The winning group now go through to the All England Final at Norden Farm Arts Centre, Maidenhead on Saturday 5th June.

Southend East M.P. Teddy Taylor was the guest of honour and awarded the prizes.