The 67th Annual Newry Drama Festival finished at the weekend after nine nights of drama on stage from Amateur Dramatic groups the length and breadth of Ireland.
Adjudicator Brian Marjoribanks had the unenviable task of selecting the award winners, but after deliberating the 2019 Premier Award was awarded to Prosperous Dramatic Society for their production of Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen (Version by Rebecca Lenkiewicz.)
In 2019 it really was a case of keeping the best to last with Prosperous taking to the stage on the final night of the festival.
Runners up were Bunclody/Kilmyshall Drama Group with their production of Moonglow by Kim Carney and taking third place were Newpoint Players with a production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot.
Other awards received by the winning production team at Prosperous included Best Lighting, Best Actor and Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
The Awards
Premier Award
Prosperous Dramatic Society with their production of Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen (Version by Rebecca Lenkiewicz)
Runner Up
Bunclody/Kilmyshall with their production of Moonglow by Kim Carney
Third
Newpoint Players with their production of Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
Fourth
Theatre 3 Newtownabbey with their production of Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton
Audience Award
Bunclody/Kilmyshall Drama Group for Moonglow
Best Decor
Bunclody/Kilmyshall for Moonglow.
Best Stage Manager
Liam Farrell Bunclody/Kilmyshall, Moonglow.
Best Technical Production
Bunclody/Kilmyshall for Moonglow.
Best Producer
Kieran Tyrell Bunclody/Kilmyshall for Moonglow.
Best Moment of Theatre
Bunclody/Kilmyshall production of Moonglow.
Most Ambitious Choice
Slemish Players with their production of Scenes from the Big Picture by Owen McCafferty
Best Lighting
Prosperous Dramatic Society with their production of Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen (Version by Rebecca Lenkiewicz)
Best Actor
Prosperous Player Robert Massey as Dr. Thomas Stockman in Enemy of the People
Best Actress
Theatre 3 Player, Fiona Mort for her role as Mrs Manningham in Gaslight
Best Actor in Supporting Role
Prosperous Dramatic Player Gerard O’Shea as Aslaksen in Enemy of the People
Best Actress in Supporting Role
Bart Player Sandra Ardill as Mrs Fraser in Stepping Out
Best Music and Sound
Bart Players - for the Piano Playing Sequence in Stepping Out
Best Young Actor/ Actress in Supporting Role
Ballymoney Literary & Debating Society actress Sarah-Jayne McGill as Ginny in Relatively Speaking.
