It does not seem a year since we headed off south to a British Final, but here we were again, off this time to Theatr Clwyd in Mold.
The weather was glorious, Mold was a lovely little market town to spend a weekend in, and the Beaufort Park Hotel was a delightful place to meet up with old friends and many new drama enthusiasts.
There was great excitement in the foyer of the newly refurbished Theatr Clwyd on Friday as we all took our seats for the start of the festival. Richard Jones welcomed us and introduced adjudicator Jennifer Scott-Reid, well known to many Scottish audiences.
First to perform were old friends TACT with their production of The Weight of Small Things by Tilly Lane, a modern folk tale about survival, sacrifice, and the people who choose to carry one another through the darkest times. As usual this was a beautifully staged performance, with multiple scenes which worked well. The use of puppets was an interesting addition to the piece.
Second on stage were Bangor Drama Club with the well-known play The Donahue Sisters by Geraldine Aron. The attic of a family home is the setting for this sinister play, in which three sisters reminisce on their unhappy lives long into the night. A great set helped provide a good atmosphere of an old attic. Much of the acting is conversation and needs clarity and pace, which these three actors had in abundance.
With two plays performed, now was the time to hear what Jennifer thought of it all. She was impressed with TACT’s set, and the use of puppets was believable. She felt the director knew how to choreograph the whole ensemble, and the lighting had helped with the moods of the piece. This was a thoughtful and realistic production.
Jennifer looked at the challenges that faced Bangor with their piece. The importance of the set and the hatch was well handled, as were the costumes. The physical movement as well as the dialogue was handled well between the three sisters, who were a joy to watch, and the director had a clear understanding of the family dynamic. It was a great start to the festival as we headed off for the usual Friday buffet.
Saturday morning was again a beautiful sunny day. We all got together in the large conference room of the hotel for the civic reception. The Mayor of Mold, Councillor Jo Edwards, was delighted to welcome us to Mold and hoped we would have a chance to look round the market town. Becky Gittins, MP for Clwyd East, was also delighted to show off the newly refurbished theatre; she was proud of its history and hoped we would enjoy performing there as she had herself as a child. Ian Thomas, UKCDFF Chair, presented Jo with the federation shield and the representatives from the four teams exchanged the usual gifts. Then we all settled down to the rehearsed reading of Keith Mackenzie’s winning Geoffrey Whitworth play, A Thousand Invisible Choices.
The evening performance started with our own Bon Accord Players with Metamorphoses by Sami Ibrahim, Laura Lomas and Sabrina Mahfouz. Once again they did Scotland proud, with an even better production than we saw at Pitlochry. The strong ensemble playing and smooth changes of scene made a brilliant start to the evening.
Last but by no means least was Penarth Operatic and Dramatic Society with All By Myself by Robert Scott. Larry has been stranded on his own on a small island for many years – or has he? This lively and sometimes hilarious comedy was a great end to the festival.
What had Jennifer thought of the productions? Of Bon Accord, she was impressed with the strong ensemble playing and the transformation of scenes. The stylised set went well with the costumes, and the creative storytelling kept everything connected. There were some beautiful pictures, in particular the forming of the tree. It had been a joy to watch.
On Penarth’s performance, she thought the minimalist set, music and costumes all helped with the playful transitions. The storytelling was good, and the director had a clear understanding of comedy and had produced a very entertaining end to the festival.
The inevitable platform party assembled, and the friendship quaich was passed on to AUDF Chair Clare Greer, who invited us all to the Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen, on 2–3 July 2027. Jennifer then summed up the festival. All the teams should be proud – they were all winners – and she felt it had been an excellent two nights of theatre with, again, a difficult decision, but the Howard de Walden Trophy was to go yet again to England.
A disappointing result for Scotland once again, but Bon Accord really did us proud this year, and the general consensus was that there couldn’t have been much in it – after all, it is just one person’s opinion. As we headed off to the end-of-festival party, all agreed it had been a great weekend of meeting up with old friends and making new ones.