The Spelthorne and Runnymede Drama Festival

The Spelthorne & Runnymede Drama Festival is one of the oldest one-act drama festivals in the country and has been going for over 60 years. Originally called the ‘Spelthorne Drama Festival’ we operated as an independent drama festival, but in more recent years we have become affiliated to the National Drama Festivals Association (NDFA) and our winning entries are eligible for selection to the British All Winners Festival. Additionally the winner of our new play category is eligible to be put forward to the NDFA one act playwriting competition.

Entrants have the opportunity to perform in the theatre at the Riverside Arts Centre, Sunbury on Thames which is a really lovely venue and has the benefit and support of our experienced festival team to support their technical needs. They also receive a professional adjudication from an independent GoDA adjudicator.

Spelthorne and Runnymede Drama Festival 2021

Tuesday 19^th to Saturday 23^rd October 2021

Adjudicator Paul Fowler GoDA

Awards and Nominations

Award	Winner	Nominations
Best of Festival	Back to Front Theatre " Hello Out There " by William Saroyan
Runners Up	The Young Theatre "Katheryn Howard" by Catherine Hiscock
Youth 16-21	The Young Theatre "Katheryn Howard" by Catherine Hiscock
Actor's Award	Peter McGrath Performance as The Young Man Back To Front Theatre "Hello Out There" by William Saroyan	Derek Stringer (Riverside Players of Sunbury)
Actress' Award	Jenny Strawson Performance as Mary Horsell ADS "Equal Terms" by Jill Hyem	Frankie Godliman (Runnymede DG) Sarah Boyle (Riverside Players of Sunbury) Evie Gibbon (The Young Theatre) Sophie Marcus (Back to Front Theatre) Claire Racklyeft (Horsell ADS)
Best Director	Gary Griffiths Back To Front Theatre "Hello Out There" by William Saroyan	Nancy Lund (Runnymede DG) Helen Sendall (The Young Theatre) Beth Monroe (Maidenhead Drama Guild) Colin Orbaum (Horsell ADS)
Comedy Award	UpstageSurrey "The Phone Call" by Evon Wheeler "Familiar Faces" by Karen Buchanan "Best Served Cold" by Evon Wheeler
Stage Presentation	Back To Front Theatre "Hello Out There" by William Saroyan	Runnymede DG The Young Theatre Horsell ADS
Technical Merit	The Young Theatre "Katheryn Howard" by Catherine Hiscock	Runnymede DG Back to Front Theatre Maidenhead Drama Guild
Adjudicators Award	Beth Bowers Youth player, for stepping into the role of Rachel Lennon MP at the last minute in Bishopstoke Players production of "You Tell Me" by Peter Yates	Guildburys TC Runnymede DG (for ensemble work) Saffron Stringer (The Young Theatre) Maidenhead Drama Group Upstage Surrey
Best Supporting Player	Trevor Leek Performance as The Man Back To Front Theatre "Hello Out There" by William Saroyan	Debby Dean (Guildburys TC) Lucy Brougham (The Young Theatre) Kevin Bowers (Bishopstoke Players) Kimberley Jones (Bishopstoke Players)
Most Promising Youth Player	Lizzie Sellars Performance as Lexi Lennon Bishopstoke Players "You Tell Me" by Peter Yates
Best Supporting Youth (under 21)	The Chorus The Young Theatre "Katheryn Howard" by Catherine Hiscock
Best New Play	"Katheryn Howard" by Catherine Hiscock	Eligible "Final Curtain" by Robert Sheppard "Star of Wonder" by Richard Fordyce "You Tell Me" by Peter Yates "The Phone Call / Best Served Cold" by Evon Wheeler "Familiar Faces" by Karen Buchanan
Mayor's Backstage Award	Guildburys Theatre Company "Final Curtain" by Robert Sheppard

Entries

Runnymede Drama Group - 100 by Diene Petterle, Neil Monaghan, Christopher Heimann
Guildburys Theatre Company - Final Curtain by Robert Sheppard (New Play)
Riverside Players of Sunbury - Star of Wonder by Richard Fordyce (New Play/PG)
The Young Theatre - Kathryn Howard by Catherine Hiscock (Youth U21)
Back to Front Theatre - Hello Out There by William Saroyan (PG)
Maidenhead Drama Guild - F**king Feminists by Rose Lewenstein (PG)
Bishopstoke Players - You Tell Me by Peter Yates (New Play/PG)
Horsell Amateur Dramatic Society - Equal Terms by Jill Hyem
UpstageSurrey - The Phone Call by Evon Wheeler, Familiar Faces by Karen Buchanan, Best Served Cold by Evon Wheeler (New Play)

View or download our Festival Programme here.

2021 Virtual Drama Festival

The Virtual Drama Festival 2021 Awards Night was streamed via a Live YouTube link on Sunday 24^th October at 8pm. Simply click this link - Festival Awards Night - to see how it went.

The video entries are still available for you to watch on the YouTube Channel, so click here to see what it is all about! - YouTube Channel Playlist. Please feel free to share these links.

Awards and Nominations

Award	Winner	Nominations
Festival Winner	Gone Didcot Phoenix Drama Group	Divine Intervention From the Brink The Intruder Hold Still
Best Director	Karen Carey Gone Didcot Phoenix Drama Group	Carrie Millinger - Hold Still Geoff Buckingham - Amazing Grace, Taking It On The Chin, The Camaigner
Most Original Piece	At The Gates of Valhalla Upstage Surrey	Hold Still - Riverside Players Gone - Didcot Phoenix
Best Writer	Peter Gould Divine Intervention The Intruder The Questors Theatre	Annie Nunn - From the Brink Carrie Millinger - Hold Still Jonathan Edgington - Gone
Best Actor	David Hovatter as Dave in The Intruder The Questors Theatre	Peter Cornish - Hold Still Matt Markham - Hold Still Paul Foster - Going Out and Time Heals Jo Easterbrook - Gone
Best Supporting Actor	Glen Kirton as Major Giles in Zoom, The Second Wave and Zoom, The New Normal The CoVideo Production Company	Barry Winsper - Charlie - Gone Mills Ross - Tasmin - Zoom, The Second Wave & Zoom, The New Normal, Valkyrie - At The Gates of Valhalla Albert Clogston - Erik - At The Gates of Valhalla Sara Robinson - Serena - Zoom, The Second Wave & Zoom, The New Normal
Best Solo Performance	Annie Nunn From the Brink Theatre AD	Paul Foster - Going Out and Time Heals Alex McDevitt - Divine Intervention Nicky Breslin - Taking It On The Chin Robery Hardy - The Camaigner
Most Heartfelt Performance	David Erdos as Gerry in The Intruder The Questors Theatre	Geoff Buckingham - Amazing Grace Annie Nunn - From the Brink
Best Ensemble Piece	Zoom, The Second Wave and Zoom, The New Normal The CoVideo Production Company	Gone
Best Comedy / Comedy Moment	Taking It On The Chin Riverside Players	From the Brink Divine Intervention Zoom, The Second Wave and Zoom, The New Normal
Best "Period" Piece	Hold Still Riverside Players	At The Gates of Valhalla
Production Support	Tess Townsend and Christopher Cathles Zoom, The Second Wave and Zoom, The New Normal The CoVideo Production Company	Bob Simpson - Amazing Grace, Hold Still, Taking It On The Chin, The Camaigner Gavin Jones - Divine Intervention, The Intruder Karen Carey - Gone
Best Use of Sound	The Intruder The Questors Theatre	From the Brink Hold Still
Best Use of Lighting	At The Gates of Valhalla Upstage Surrey	From the Brink Divine Intervention
Most Imaginative Use of Camera	Gone Didcot Phoenix	At The Gates of Valhalla Divine Intervention
Technical Imagination and Effects	Gavin Jones The Questors Theatre Divine Intervention and The Intruder	Karen Carey - Didcot Phoenix - Gone
Best Use of Costumes	Hold Still Riverside Players	At The Gates of Valhalla
Best Presentation/Production	Divine Intervention The Questors Theatre	Gone Hold Still From the Brink
Festival Spirit	The CoVideo Production Company	Riverside Players of Sunbury