Portadown Drama Festival awards presented as curtain falls on 88th annual event

The audience were treated to a rich variety of straight, comedy and Irish plays.

Adjudicator Michael Poynor brought the curtain down on the final night following the performance by Lislea Dramatic Players of Dead Guilty.

Newpoint Players from Newry won the festival’s premier award with Ghetto by Joshua Sobol. The Confined Section was won by Castleblaney Players for their production of The Woodsman by Steven Fetcher.

The results are:

• Rowel Friers Award – décor: Castleblayney Players, The Woodsman.
• B&H Martin Cup – lighting: Bart Players, The Whiteheaded Boy.
• The Gateway Theatre Award – stage management: Castleblayney Players, The Woodsman.
• The Bertil Gallagher Award – stage presentation: Bart Players, The Whiteheaded Boy.
• The Eric Thompson Trophy – best supporting actress: Newpoint Players’ Frances Morgan in Ghetto.
• The R Spence and Son Trophy – best supporting actor: Newpoint Players’ Mickey Brannigan in Ghetto.
• Fiona Hughes Memorial Cup – most promising new actor / actress: Slemish Players’ Roisin Carey in The Night Alive.
• Mandevill Cup – best actress: Bart Players’ Lynn Gordon in The Whiteheaded Boy.
• Charles Cooper Cup – best actor: Newpoint Players’ Peter Havern in Ghetto.
• The Portadown Festival Association Cup – most promising actor / actress: Slemish Players’ Michael Rose in The Night Alive.
• The William McKay Kenny Cup – best moment of theatre: Slemish Players, The Night Alive.
• Topsy Wilson Challenge Cup – for highest audience appeal: Lislea Dramatic Players, Dead Guilty.
• Portadown Players Cup – comedy play: Bart Players, The Whiteheaded Boy.
• Clonavon Cup – play by an Irish author: Slemish Players’ The Night Alive.
• RV Hawthorne Challenge Cup – straight play: Newpoint Players, Ghetto.
• Gerard McCreesh Memorial Cup – director’s interpretation of a straight play: Newpoint Players, Ghetto.
• Mrs Warnock Cup – best producter: Newpoint Players’ Sean Treanor for Ghetto.
• Campbells Jewellers Shield – best play, confined section: 3. Lislea Dramatic Players, Dead Guilty; 2. Newtownstewart Theatre Company, The Remains of Maisie Duggan; 1. Castleblayney Players, The Woodsman.
• The Portadown Drama Festival Premier Award Guinness Trophy – best overall production: 3. Bart Players, The Whiteheaded Boy; 2. Slemish Players,The Night Alive; 1. Newpoint Players, Ghetto.