Benderloch pair take a bow after drama festival triumph

Kintyre Drama Festival made a triumphant return to the Victoria Hall last Saturday, with three excellent productions playing to a packed house.

 

Adjudicator Bruce Adam made very positive and constructive comments to all participants in the Scottish Community Drama Association district event which was last held in 2020, just weeks before the first Covid-19 lockdown.

 

He began with Benderloch and North Connel's play, A Flock of Tigers by John Finnemore, saying here were two actors – Michael Rowell and Marian Milarvie – at the height of their game.

 

Set in 1934, the first performance of the evening was a comedy of misunderstandings when two strangers, repressed businessman Edmund and inquisitive American Dolorosa, meet in a railway carriage.

 

"attachment_886138" "aligncenter" "300"] Benderloch and North Connel's A Flock of Tigers was set inside a railway carriage.

 

Mr Adam said there was a good contrast between the characters and some nice comic timing, and added that the production was managed with some skill, even though there was little opportunity for movement within a railway carriage.

 

Next up was a time-travelling musical extravaganza by Dalintober Drama Club's enthusiastic young cast in Back to the Summer by Wade Bradford.

 

"attachment_886129" "aligncenter" "300"] Dalintober Drama Club performed Back to the Summer.

 

Not ready to go back to school at the end of the summer break, three youngsters try to return to the beginning of the holiday after one of them invents a time machine; this, however, leads to an adventure through the ages, from the 1980s to Ancient Egypt and nineteenth-century New York.

 

Mr Adam said the cast, who are all pupils of Dalintober Primary School, showed good “off the ball” acting and awareness of humour. He also mentioned some lovely cameo performances and said the principal was hilarious.

 

"attachment_886141" "aligncenter" "300"] Dalintober Drama Club gave a high-energy performance.

 

He took his hat off to the director as the play was very well managed; the musical sequences were very well handled and a lot of work had clearly gone into the set, costumes and props.

 

The evening's final play was by Campbeltown's own Accent Players – Eric Spence, Maureen Johnson, Martha Rennie and Kim Lafferty – with their performance of John H Newmeir's Simply the Best.

 

"attachment_886135" "aligncenter" "300"] Accent Players' Maureen Johnson, Martha Rennie, Eric Spence and Kim Lafferty starred in Simply the Best.

 

This was a surreal comedy about self-made millionaire Jack and his collection of spoilt cars vying for his attention. Their spiteful rivalry descends into open warfare when they learn that one of them is to be traded in – but which one?

 

The adjudicator praised the actors, Jack as very natural and believable, and each car a good contrast from the others.

 

"attachment_886144" "aligncenter" "300"] Self-made millionaire Jack's spoilt cars vied for his attention in Accent Players' surreal comedy Simply the Best.

 

He added that there were excellent monologues and body language and the director did a great job; there was good pacing, the play flowed and he created excellent pictures.

 

Mr Adam then had the difficult job of choosing a winner, and declared Benderloch and North Connel first, Accent Players second and Dalintober the youth winners and third.

 

"attachment_886147" "aligncenter" "227"] Adjudicator Bruce Adam made very positive and constructive comments to all participants.

 

Several other awards were presented (full results below), including the new Robert Black Memorial Prize in memory of a much-loved member of Accent Players, who lost his life during the pandemic doing the job he loved as a paramedic.

 

The award went to worthy winners, Dalintober Drama Club, for “doing their bit” and adding something special to the festival. The prize was presented by Robert's wife Catherine, who said Robert enjoyed drama so much because he loved being part of a team and never took himself too seriously.

 

"attachment_886519" "aligncenter" "300"] Robert Black's wife Catherine, left, presented a new trophy, the Robert Black Memorial Prize, to Dalintober Drama Club. She is pictured with Tracy Brogan, Claire Mitchell and Fraser Cosgrove, Dalintober Primary School's youth work team, who run the drama club as an extra-curricular activity.

 

Festival chairperson Martha Rennie thanked everyone who worked hard to make the festival, which has been running for more than 70 years and was once a three-night event, such a success.

 

In particular, she thanked the wonderful audience for turning out in such numbers to support the festival.

 

She added that she hoped next year would see a return to a bigger festival and drama clubs old and new to consider taking to the stage in 2024.

 

SCDA Kintyre Drama Festival 2023 trophy winners:

 

Winners (Rex Trophy): Benderloch and North Connel; runners up (Charteris Rose Bowl): Accent Players, Campbeltown; third place (Dunaverty Trophy): Dalintober Drama Club. Youth winners (Galbraith Cup): Dalintober Drama Club. Best production (Enniskillen Quaich): Benderloch and North Connel. Best stage presentation (Campbeltown Drama Club Trophy): Dalintober Drama Club. Best moment of theatre (The Visitors’ Quaich): Benderloch and North Connel. Best comedy performance (John Bryce Salver): Michael Rowell, Benderloch and North Connel. Team gaining the highest marks for acting (Jenny Black Memorial Trophy): Benderloch and North Connel. Most entertaining play (Hilda McSporran Memorial Trophy): Benderloch and North Connel. An individual or group who added something special to the festival (The Robert Black Memorial Prize): Dalintober Drama Club.