Wick Players set for Highland drama final after shining in Caithness heat of one-act plays
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As Wick and Thurso groups took to the stage for the Caithness community drama festival, Hannah Sinclair went along to take in the performances
Wick Players put in a strong performance to beat their Thurso rivals to a place in the Scottish Community Drama Association Highland divisional final.
The 90th annual Caithness district drama festival of one-act plays took place at the Assembly Rooms in Wick on Saturday, with two competitive acts from the Wick and Thurso Players, with an additional performance from Thurso Junior Players.
The adjudicator of the evening was Dave Bennet who has almost 50 years of theatre experience, and was delighted to return to Wick for the festival.
He placed a strong focus on developing the actors' confidence and enhancing their skills whilst offering constructive feedback. He was encouraged by the large turnout after what had been a difficult few years with the pandemic.
The evening kicked off with a comical performance from Wick Players, directed by Marney Bruce, with their humorous rendition of Spring Cleaning.
The act consisted of Maggie, a devious cleaner, who does everything to take Jessie’s job as Mrs Gardner's maid. She tricks her into thinking she has a deadly health condition with hilarious repercussions.
The performance was praised by the adjudicator who commended how well Marney Bruce (Maggie), Margaret Thomson (Jessie) and Jane Taylor (Mrs Gardner) played the three strong characters.
When asked how it felt to have made it through to the next round, Marney said: “It was a big surprise! We were not expecting it, especially with having two points deducted as the play fell short of the 20 minutes required."
The play was written in Lowland Scots but has been adapted to the Caithness tongue to relate to the local audience. It has been performed several times but this was the first time having Jane Taylor playing the role of Mrs Gardner.
Margaret Thomson added: “It passed very quickly but I was pleased with what we did. We weren't really looking for any rewards as it was more about taking part and keeping the festival alive.
"This has been my fifth festival in a row and I really enjoyed it. I would encourage anybody to join Wick Players as it is a great way to build confidence and teamwork skills and would encourage any young people interested to come along on Monday nights at the clubhouse.”
Thurso Players presented a more poignant production with Hiding in Her Smile by Faye Sutherland. It portrays a son coming to terms with his mothers diagnosis of dementia and the family dynamics surrounding this.
The play again consisted of three actors with Andrew Harper playing Liam (son), Maeva Donaldson as Martha (mother) and Freya Jackson as Aunty Ruth.
Mr Bennet said it was “a very difficult piece to perform and to me the challenges are quite intense”. He particularly praised the actresses' effective use of volume changes in order to define the age category during the flashback period.
Thurso Junior Players also took to the stage as a non-competitive entry. The 15 youngsters performed an ensemble of Mr Artigiano’s Puppet Show by Faye Sutherland. Set in an antique puppet shop, siblings Mary and Sam are welcomed in by the eccentric owner. They soon discover that the puppets are alive and all have their own unique back stories. But the puppets reveal a dark and sinister secret to the children.
The performance was dynamic and engaging throughout. The adjudicator was most impressed by the quality of acting and particularly admired the choreography, lighting, costumes, music and fluid movement.
The evening drew to a close with the presentation of the festival awards.
The Adam Swanson Memorial Trophy was awarded to Wick Players and the Dr Ian Fell Trophy for the runners-up went to Thurso Players.
The prizes for highest acting mark, the Calcott Innes Quaich, and the Margaret Sinclair Shield for the highest direction mark were both awarded to Wick Players. Best set outwith the winning play for The Old Mill Trophy was awarded to the Thurso Junior Players.
The night was enjoyed by all and was followed by a social get-together at the Moray Street Drama Centre.
Wick Players will now move on to compete at the Highland divisional final under the direction of club chairperson Jenny Szyfelbain. The divisional final will be held at Thurso High School on March 24-25.
Ticket sales can be found on the association website at www.drama.scot and on its facebook page @SCDACaithnessDistrict
