The Cumbria Drama Festival a preliminary round of the All England Theatre Festival Programme for 2011

Reg. Charity No. 1071518

The 2011 Festival - March 12th, at the Victoria Hall, Grange-over-Sands

Well, just when we thought things were looking up, we found ourselves back to two entries, a bit disappointing after last year but at least it was a manageable number which fitted easily into one evening.

Admission prices were £6 (adults), £5.50 (sen. citizens) and £3 (children/students).

Plays Performed

Saturday, March 12th, from 7.00 pm
Cumbria Amateur Theatre Society (CATS) Pity about Kitty by JIMMIE CHINN Director: BERYL DIXON Stage Manager: JEAN HOWARTH
The place: A room in a hospital  Time: The present Kitty, popular, good-looking, good natured and ever willing to help, is giving evidence at a medical tribunal investigating a patient’s death. But she finds herself carried along by events and the helpful deeds she performed are misinterpreted.
Cast:
Staff Nurse Kitty Curtis Senior Nursing Officer Cross Sister Betty Strong Sir Cuthbert Spry Dr Lance Wooley Councillor Dingle	JENNY SHIPLEY KATH SMITH JANE FRANCE RAY TURNER JUSTIN PLY IVOR WOODHEAD
Burton Amateur Dramatic Society The Great Escape by JOHN PEEL Director: IAN STOKES Stage Manager: ANNE NICHOLS
Setting: The Eventide Home for Gentle Folk and elsewhere  Time: The present Contrary to what the title might suggest, this is not a drama about escaping war-time prisoners. In fact, the action starts ‘in the present’ as the curtain opens to reveal the garden of The Eventide Home for Gentle Folk. Two residents of the home, Elsie and Mary are just settling down for their ‘compulsory’ afternoon nap.
Cast
Elsie Trotter Mary Higgins Ms Stollenhausen Female voices Male voices	FELICITY HOLLOWAY SUSAN STOKES ALYSON YATES ALYSON YATES IAN STOKES

The Adjudicator - Mr Colin Snell, BA, FRSA, GoDA

Colin has adjudicated one act and full length play festivals for the Greater Manchester Drama Federation, the Cheshire Theatre Guild and the All England Theatre Festival for a number of years. His own productions, as the artistic director of In Yer Space, have achieved considerable success on the festival circuit in addition to regular award-winning performances at the Buxton and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals and many former company members, including some high profile actors and theatre directors, have worked with him throughout this time. He is co-founder of the Isle of the Man Academy of Television, Film and Theatre and the UK Academy of Television, Film and Theatre and runs regular drama workshops and residential courses throughout the year; he also reviews professional theatre and runs the Grand Youth Theatre Company (GYTC) in Blackpool. In 2009 he was elected a Fellow of the prestigious Royal Society of Arts for his services to youth theatre.

Trophies Awarded

The Elaine Richardson Trophy - for the winning company
Awarded to CATS

The South Lakeland District Council Trophy - for the best individual performance
Awarded to Jenny Shipley (CATS)

The Sir John Fisher Trophy - for the best actor under 21
No eligiible actor

The Lady Maria Fisher Trophy - for the best supporting role
Awarded to Jane France (CATS)

The Renaissance Theatre Trust Award - adjudicator’s discretionary award
Awarded to Sue Stokes and Felicity Holloway (Burton ADS)

The Doreen Brockbank Trophy - for set decor
Not awarded

The New Generation Trophy - an award for merit
Awarded to Burton ADS

The David Shipley Memorial Trophy - for backstage work
Awarded to Burton ADS

Subsequent Rounds of The All England Festival and British Final
North West Quarter-Final	Venue: The Victoria Hall, Grange-over-Sands Date: May 7th, 2011 Adjudicator: Robert Meadows
Northern Semi-Final	Venue: Todmorden Hippodrome, Todmorden Date: May 21st, 2011 Adjudicator: Jan Palmer-Sayer
English Final	Venue: The Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate Date: 4th June, 2011 Adjudicator: Scott Marshall
British Finals	Venue: The Wyvern Theatre, Swindon Date: 1st/2nd July, 2011 Adjudicator: Mike Tilbury