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All the winners at the 2017 one act drama festival with their trophies following the presentati­on of prizes in the community theatre last Saturday night.

The 2017 Isle of Arran One Act Drama Festival

- Words and pictures by HUGH BOAG and COLIN SMEETON

There was high praise indeed for the 2017 one act drama festival when seasoned adjudicato­r Nat Little said it was the best festival he had ever judged.

Whiting Bay Music and Drama were the big winners with Poison taking the top prize and acting awards for the stars Dave Simpkin and Andy McNamara.

Just one point separated the top three plays at the festival, Mr Little revealed with Lamlash Drama Club squeezed into second place with the comedy Present Slaughter.

The winning play was a comedy drama, set in a dingy flat. It and featured just two actors and involved, as the title suggests, a case of mistaken poisoning, but with a delicious twist.

Mr Little described it as ‘fabulous from start to finish’ and Dave and Andy thoroughly deserved their acting awards for a perfor- mance the adjudicato­r described as ‘absolutely brilliant’.

The annual festival, which played to packed performanc­es over three nights at Lamlash community theatre last weekend, saw 35 performers stage eight plays, which ranged from comedy to serious drama. There were also three youth entries, two from Shiskine and one from Lamlash.

High praise

Hailing from Kirkcudbri­ght, it was Mr Little’s first visit to Arran but he had high praise for the plays and the organisati­on and the packed audiences on the three nights warmed to his light hearted, but incisive, adjudicati­on.

He praised the Isle of Arran Drama Associatio­n for its decision to continue to award trophies for individual performanc­es which had been outlawed some time ago by the Scottish Community Drama Associatio­n.

Turn over for more coverage of the festival.

 ??  ??
 ?? 01_A09awards1­0 ?? The winning Whiting Bay team: Joyce Kerr, Jill Gregory, Ann Luttrell and Dave Simpkin. Andy McNamara could not make the prizegivin­g.
01_A09awards1­0 The winning Whiting Bay team: Joyce Kerr, Jill Gregory, Ann Luttrell and Dave Simpkin. Andy McNamara could not make the prizegivin­g.
 ?? 01_A09play01 ?? Pauline and Ted meet the newly-awakened Frankenste­in.
01_A09play01 Pauline and Ted meet the newly-awakened Frankenste­in.
 ?? 01_A09play29 ?? Antoine is completely unaware Oliver is bleeding profusely in Present Slaughter.
01_A09play29 Antoine is completely unaware Oliver is bleeding profusely in Present Slaughter.
 ?? 01_A09play14 ?? The ‘ladies’ meet Countess Draculana in Home at Last.
01_A09play14 The ‘ladies’ meet Countess Draculana in Home at Last.
 ?? 01_A09play08 ?? Dennis gets aggressive in Poison.
01_A09play08 Dennis gets aggressive in Poison.
 ?? 01_A09play10 ?? The receptioni­sts of the Jilted Lovers Helpline.
01_A09play10 The receptioni­sts of the Jilted Lovers Helpline.
 ?? 01_A09play26 ?? A scene from The Little Foundling.
01_A09play26 A scene from The Little Foundling.

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