Successful night at ceremony as drama groups land top awards

Members of Alnwick Stage Musical Society celebrate their successful night at the NODA North Performance Awards 2017. Picture by Signature Times Photography

At Saturday night’s NODA North Performance Awards 2017, Alnwick Stage Musical Society, Alnwick Theatre Club and Felton and Thirston Pantomime Society all won prizes.

The pick of the bunch was the Stage Musical Society, which not only won prizes for its performance of Evita in District 9 (Northumberland), but also landed the Councillor’s Award for the best production in the whole of the North-East region – ‘a truly wonderful evening’s entertainment’.

Harry Brierley as Tony, Carol Lawrence as Edie, Oliver Pusey as Don, Molly Reading as Ruth in Alnwick Theatre Club's Kiss Me Like You Mean It

In the Northumberland district, the show won the Musical Production title while Juliette Bell and Darren Lewis were nominated for the Individual Performance Award, with both being described as ‘worthy of any West End Stage’. Darren won the crown and was also nominated in the overall Councillor’s Award for the best performance.

The society’s chairman, Carol Knowles, said: “We were absolutely thrilled. It’s our 30th year so this was really the icing on the cake.”

Alnwick Theatre Club was rewarded with the Drama Award in the Northumberland district for its four-hander Kiss Me Like You Mean It, which gave the judges ‘an evening of pure magic through their sensitive acting in this charming, moving and bittersweet tale’.

Ben Kinloch, who was just 20 when he directed the play, said: “It’s really lovely to receive this award from NODA, especially with it being my directorial debut, the award really has come as a surprise.

Carol Lawrence who played Edie and Oliver Pusey who played Don in Kiss Me Like You Mean It at the NODA North Performance Awards.

“I was blessed to have such a wonderful, hard-working and committed cast and creative team, who helped bring this play and my vision to life.

“I really must thank Harry, Mollie, Carol, Oliver, Sue, Peter and John, without whom none of this would have been possible. I will have very fond memories of the piece for a long time to come.”

Felton and Thirston Pantomime Society finished off another hugely-successful year by winning the Youth Production Award for its pantomime Peter Pan...Well, Sort Of?

The citation read: ‘These youngsters not only worked superbly in the chorus ensembles, but took on mature roles and perfected them, much to the delight of the audience, and were simply superb. They are a real credit to their society.’

There were also nominations for Bailey Fowler and Dave Price.

Buoyed by its success, the Society will perform Alice in Wonderland – But Not As You Know It! in February 2018.