Drama festival winners take a bow at the Victoria Hall

The Victoria Hall was filled to capacity last weekend as the wonderfully responsive audience, who had battled gales, floods, sleet and hail to be there, were rewarded with three fantastic evenings of entertainment at the 71st annual Kintyre-Argyll District Drama Festival.

Teams - young and not so young - from all corners of Argyll gave excellent performances, bursting with youthful enthusiasm, music, dancing, spectacular sets, laughter, drama and tragedy.

This was proof Argyll abounds with creative talent.

The festival’s adjudicator was Dr Paul Dougall, formerly vice dean in the faculty of education at the University of Strathclyde and head of department of applied arts.

He has worked at festivals across Scotland and internationally for more than 40 years. His interest in drama and dance has been ongoing since his retirement, through his research activity and the dance studio he runs in his home town of Hamilton.

The winning team was Benderloch and North Connel, with Penguin Diplomacy, a funny play set on an island in the South Atlantic, excellently presented on all levels. The two-person troupe won three awards - first place, best stage presentation and highest marks for acting.

Second place went to Campbeltown’s Accent Players, with comedy Young Souls, about odd experiments in a nursing home. The team was also presented with trophies for the highest marks for production and for the best comedy performance.

Peninver Players came third with its hilarious production of Costa Del Packet, a tale of a group of ladies whose holiday in the sun turned out to be very different to what they expected.

Benderloch and North Connel presented another wonderful comedy, Rebel Alliance, about two wedding guests. This won the ‘best moment of theatre’ prize.

In the youth section, first place went to The No Refunds Theatre Company from Dunoon, with a powerful production of Chatroom by Enda Walsh. Difficult issues, such as online bullying, were tackled in an imaginative way.

Carradale Youth Drama Club also addressed difficult themes, sometimes through comedy, sometimes through drama, in their play Mountain High, by Dave Buchanan. This won them this year’s new trophy, the Hilda McSporran Memorial Cup, for the most entertaining play.

Dalintober Drama Club’s play, An Inspector Calls, was a joyous production, filled with songs and spectacular dance routines. The young cast members were praised for their excellent work.

S’DRAMAsh, a new junior team from Lochgilphead, presented a poignant play, Bye Baby Bunting, about children working in a coal mine in the 1830s. The production was highly commended, particularly for the groupings and beautiful pictures created.

This year, four teams go through to the next round – two youth and two senior teams.

Benderloch and North Connel and Accent Players will appear in the Beacon Theatre, Greenock, from March 26 to 28, and No Refunds Theatre Company and Carradale Youth Drama Club will perform in the Queen’s Hall, Dunoon, on April 18. Prizewinners: First place, winning the Rex Trophy: Benderloch and North Connel Drama Club, Penguin Diplomacy by John Finnemore. Second place, winning the Charteris Rose Bowl: Accent Players, Campbeltown, Young Souls by Sally Brockway. Third place, winning the Dunaverty Trophy: Peninver Players, Costa Del Packet by Anthony Booth. Youth winners, winning the Galbraith Cup: The No Refunds Theatre Company, Chatroom by Enda Walsh. Best production, winning the Enniskillen Quaich: Accent Players, Campbeltown, Young Souls by Sally Brockway. Best stage presentation, winning the Campbeltown Drama Club Trophy: Benderloch and North Connel Drama Club, Penguin Diplomacy by John Finnemore. Best moment of theatre, winning the Visitors’ Quaich: Benderloch and North Connel Drama Club, The Rebel Alliance by John Finnemore. Best comedy performance, winning the John Bryce Salver: Accent Players, Campbeltown, Young Souls by Sally Brockway. Team gaining the highest marks for acting, winning the Jenny Black Memorial Trophy: Benderloch and North Connel Drama Club, Penguin Diplomacy by John Finnemore. Most entertaining play, winning the Hilda McSporran Memorial Trophy: Carradale Youth Drama Club, Mountain High by Dave Buchanan.

The winning Benderloch and North Connel Drama Club troupe on stage.

KC_c09dramafest02 Carradale Youth Drama Club, winners of the trophy for most entertaining play.

KC_c09dramafest09 The directors with their silverware.

KC_c09dramafest03 First place in the youth section went to Dunoon-based No Refunds Theatre Company.

KC_c09dramafest04 Campbeltown troupe Accent Players won second place at the festival.

KC_c09dramafest08 Lochgilphead-based S’DRAMAsh’s performance was highly commended.

KC_c09dramafest05 A scene from Peninver Players’ production of Costa Del Packet which won the group third place.

KC_c09dramafest07 A scene from Benderloch and North Connel’s second festival entry.

KC_c09dramafest06 Members of Dalintober Drama Club were praised for their impressive performance.

KC_c09dramafest11 Director Emma Cairns, left, with Carradale Youth Drama Club’s Zoe Gosling and Lizzie Bell. The club won this year’s new trophy, the Hilda McSporran Memorial Cup.

KC_c09dramafest10 Sophie Caruana, left, and Angus Vajk, right, from the winning Benderloch and North Connel group, with director Mike Rowell, centre, and the team’s prizes.