Dramatic victory for Theatre 3

Theatre 3 Newtownabbey's Maureen Dunn (left), receives the Vin Smith Memorial Trophy for Best Producer, from Jan Palmer Sayer, festival adjudicator.

The festival, which ran from February 29 - March 5 at Ballymoney Town Hall, attracted entries from some of the best amateur drama groups from across Ulster.

The local group’s superb production of Lee Blessing’s play ‘A Walk in the Woods’ earned them the Committee Cup as overall festival winners and several other awards.

Theatre 3’s Paul Cuming won the Route Cup for Best Actor for his performance as Andrey Botvinnik, while Maureen Dunn received the Vin Smyth Memorial Trophy for Best Producer.

Theatre 3 also scooped the Malachy McLaughlin Cup for Stage Lighting and the O’Cahan Cup for Décor.

The full festival results were as follows:

Committee Cup for Overall Winner: Theatre 3 Newtownabbey – A Walk in the Woods.

Sir Robert Lynn Cup for Best Irish Dialect Play: Lifford Players – A Crucial Week in the Life of a Grocer’s Assistant

Route Cup for Best Actor: Paul Cuming for his performance as Andrey Botvinnik in Theatre 3’s production of A Walk in the Woods

Dalriada Cup for Best Actress: Dorothy Wiley for her performance as Lily in the Clarence Players’ production of Brighton

Tom Dale Trophy for Best Supporting Actor: James McGarrigle for his performance as Alec Brady in Lifford Players’ production of A Crucial Week in the Life of a Grocer’s Assistant

Tom Dale Trophy for Best Supporting Actress: Kate Redmond for her performance as Mona in Lifford Players’ production of A Crucial Week in the Life of a Grocer’s Assistant

Vin Smyth Memorial Trophy for Best Producer: Maureen Dunn - Theatre 3 - A Walk in the Woods

Malachy McLaughlin Cup for Stage Lighting: Theatre 3 – A Walk in the Woods

Wreath Cup for Most Ambitious Choice of Play: Rosemary Drama Group - Kindertransport

O’Cahan Cup for Décor: Theatre 3 – A Walk in the Woods

Edmund Gordon Memorial Trophy for Best Moment of Theatre: Neil Heaney in Newpoint Players’ production of Time and Remembering

Friers Trophy for Décor: Rosemary Drama Group - Kindertransport

Certificates of Merit:

Drew McConnell & Paul Parkhill – The Clarence Players

Eddie Flanagan – Lifford Players

Alan Kennedy – Rosemary Drama Group

Sarah Donnelly – Rosemary Drama Group

Andrew Tinney – Lifford Players

Des Loughridge – The Clarence Players

Austin Branagh – Belvoir Players

Helina King – Belvoir Players

1st Theatre 3, Newtownabbey – A Walk in the Woods; 2nd The Clarence Players, Belfast - Brighton; 3rd Belvoir Players, Belfast – After Dresden;4th Rosemary Drama Group - Kindertransport.