Sponsored by the NFU Mutual Insurance Society Limited, the YFCU One Act and Three Act Drama festivals took place in venues throughout Northern Ireland and showcased the wealth of theatrical talent that exists within the Association.
Almost 150 members representing the casts that participated in the events attended the Tullyglass House Hotel in Ballymena to find out the outcomes of the adjudication of the two festivals.
Overseeing the adjudication of the Three Act Festival was Richard Mills MBE. Richard helped found the Belvoir Players in 1967 and in the intervening 40 years has been instrumental in leading the group to become the most prominent dramatic society in Northern Ireland.
Local actor Roger Dane was responsible for the adjudication of the One Act Festival. Roger has appeared in many award-winning festival plays both full length and one act including Alan Ayckbourns "Absurd Person Singular" and Arthur Miller's "All My Sons" and was recently awarded a bursary by the Association of Ulster Drama Festivals to go towards training which will help to develop amateur drama in Northern Ireland.
Before the adjudicators distributed the awards the Adjudicators took the time to give an overview on their thoughts about the two festivals. Roger Dane commented that he was delighted to see so many young people taking drama so seriously. Mr. Mills supported these comments and said the he had noticed that performances had continued to improve since the last time he adjudicated the festival.
After this the adjudicators announced the prizewinners.
The results were as follows:
One Act Festival
1st Place & Group Theatre Cup - Finvoy YFC
2nd Place - Garvagh YFC
3rd Place - Moneyrea YFC
Best Producer & NFU Mutual Trophy
Samantha Williams & Stephanie Fulton, Finvoy YFC
Most Promising Male Actor
Martyn Blair, Finvoy YFC
Most Promising Female Actor
Karena Shaw, Finvoy YFC
Certificates of Merit for Acting
John Edgar (Trillick YFC)
Linda Eakin (Kilraughts YFC)
Frances George (Moneyrea YFC)
Valerie Orr (Moneyrea YFC)
James Gilpin (Moneyrea YFC)
Sam Martin (Ballywalter YFC)
Stephanie Fulton (Finvoy YFC)
Karena Shaw (Finvoy YFC)
Martyn Blair (Finvoy YFC)
James Taylor (Coleraine YFC)
Russell Cooper (Garvagh YFC)
Aaron Graham (Lisnamurrican YFC)
Certificate of Merit for Production
Jim Sayers, Kilraughts YFC (William the Conqueror)
Roger McCracken, Ballywalter YFC (Wife Required)
Lorna Torrens, Garvagh YFC (William the Conqueror)
Robert McBurney & William Kennedy, Lisnamurrican YFC (The Worst Day of My Life)
Certificate of Merit for Set
Moneyrea YFC (A Bride for Heatherhill)
Certificate of Merit for 'Best Moment of Theatre'
Elizabeth Black (The Glens YFC)
o to page 25Three Act Festival
1st Place and Cherry Cup - Glarryford YFC with "Honeypot"
2nd Place - Lisnamurrican YFC with "Cupid Wore Skirts"
3rd Place - Rathfriland YFC with "Basinful of the Briny"
Best Producer
Rita Greg & Mervyn Dickey (Glarryford)
Most Promising Male Actor
Thoburn McCaughey as Grandad Coulter (Lisnamurrican YFC)
Most Promising Female Actor
Claire Hanna as Mrs Piper (Rathfriland YFC)
Certificates of Merit for Acting
Melissa Fox (Lisnamurrican YFC)
Stephanie Fulton (Glarryford YFC)
Judith Holmes (Moycraig YFC)
Lyle Hamilton (Rathfriland YFC)
William Calvin (Moycraig YFC)
Certificate of Merit for Set
Rathfriland YFC (Basinful of the Briny)
Certificate of Merit for Most Ambitious Choice of Play
Moycraig YFC - "Stop It Nurse"
YFCU President Adrian Cooper brought the evening to a close by thanking all of the casts and their producers for taking part and expressed sincere thanks on behalf of the association to NFU Mutual Insurance Society Limited for their continued sponsorship and commitment to the YFCU Arts Programme.