SOMERSET NEWS: County has plenty of panto prowess – o yes it does!

THE annual Cinderella Awards earlier this month once again showed that Somerset has a wonderful array of pantomime magic to be proud of.

A total of 27 pantomime groups from around Somerset competed in the awards with the presentation ceremony held at the Winter Gardens in Weston-super-Mare.

The awards are organised each year by the Somerset Fellowship of Drama and are recognised in the county as being the Oscars of the panto scene.

There was plenty of success for groups from South Somerset.

PHOTO - ABOVE: Paris May Grassi, of the Yeovil Amateur Pantomime Society, won two individual awards for her portrayal of Tom the Cat in Dick Whittington.

PHOTO - RIGHT: Sam Hardwell, of Yeovil-based Castaway Theatre Group won a young linkman award. Jack Osmond, also of Castaway, won the same award. They shared the role of Bobby in Castaway's Sleeping Beauty production.

The Yeovil-based Castaway Theatre Group scooped five awards for its production of Sleeping Beauty.

It was only the Castaway’s second pantomime and it was the first time they had entered the Cinderella Awards – so there was plenty of shock among their party at their prize haul.

They won best chorus, while Sam Hardwell and Jack Osmond – who shared the role of Bobby in the panto – both won young linkman awards.

Ryan Farrand was named young comic for his castle chef character in the panto, while the group’s figurehead and inspiration Lynn Lee Brown won the cameo of the year award for her Wandering Minstrel role.

The Crewkerne-based CUDOS picked-up two awards for best village musicians and best original script for their production of Cinderella.

Patrick Rendell, of Curry Rivel Entertainers, won the solo accompanist of the year award in their group’s production of Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs, while Mia Newman was named best young dwarf for her portrayal of Dopey in the show.

The Somerton Dramatic Society won the Fellowship of Drama Shield and Pint Pot Award for their production of Humpty Dumpty.

PHOTO - RIGHT: Maggy Goodall, of Coverleaf Productions at Combe St Nicholas, won the best female singer award for her performance in their show Sleeping Beauty.

The Jack and the Beanstalk panto performed by Wincanton Amateur Dramatic Society won awards for the best UV scene and best properties.

And Paris May Grassi, of the Yeovil Amateur Pantomime Society, won two individual awards for her portrayal of Tom the Cat in Dick Whittington. Paris won the Bradford Trophy for people aged 16 or under and she also took the best animal act award.

Overall winner of the Cinderella Trophy were Frome Musical Theatre Company for their performance of Cinderella. They won nine awards overall.

Full results: Dancer of the Year - Laura Sandford-Hughes, Puss in Boots, Burnham District Pantomime Society; Best Theatre Design – Mo Cooper and Alastair Murray, Puss in Boots, Burnham  District Pantomime Society; Best Special Effects – Mo Cooper and Val Holmes, Puss in Boots, Burnham District Pantomime Society; Special Award Narrator – Shannon Manlow, Puss in Boots, Burnham District Pantomime Society.

Young Dancer – Holly Potter, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, CARDS.

Best Chorus – Sleeping Beauty, Castaway Theatre Group; Young Comic – Ryan Farrand, Sleeping Beauty, Castaway Theatre Group; Young Linkman – Sam Hardwell, Sleeping Beauty, Castaway Theatre Group; Young Linkman – Jack Osmond, Sleeping Beauty, Castaway Theatre Group; Cameo of the Year – Lynn Lee Brown, Sleeping Beauty, Castaway Theatre Group.

Best Sound Effects – Dan Jones, Sleeping Beauty, Chardstock Amateur Dramatic Society; Best Lighting – Andy Hughes, The Sleeping Beauty, Clevedon Comedy Club.

PHOTO - RIGHT: Ryan Farrand was named young comic for his castle chef character in Castaway Theatre Group's Sleeping Beauty.

Best Female Singer – Maggy Goodall, Sleeping Beauty, Cloverleaf Productions; Best Village Stage Management – Sue Wilsher, Cloverleaf Productions; Best Village Musicians – Cinderella, CUDOS; Best Original Script – Ann Brolly, Cinderella, CUDOS; Solo Accompanist of the Year – Patrick Rendell, Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs, Curry Rivel Entertainers; Best Young Dwarf – Mia Newman, Snow White & The Dwarfs, Curry Rivel Entertainers.

Cinderella Trophy – Cinderella, Frome Musical Theatre Company; Best Direction – Joanne Plenty, Cinderella, Frome Musical Theatre Company; Eddie Bowker Award – Ben Hardy-Phillips, Cinderella, Frome Musical Theatre Company; Principal Girl of the Year – Beth Ivavoo, Cinderella, Frome Musical Theatre Company; Best Theatre Musicians – Cinderella, Frome Musical Theatre Company; Choreographer of the Year – Sarah Plenty, Cinderella, Frome Musical Theatre Company; Linkman of the Year – Ben Hardy-Phillips, Cinderella, Frome Musical Theatre Company; Comedy Duo of the Year – Humphrey Barns and Andrew Carpenter, Cinderella, Frome Musical Theatre Company; Goody of the Year – Teresa Bray, Cinderella, Frome Musical Theatre Company.

Make-Up Award – Claudia Pepler, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass, Merlin Theatre Company; Special Award for Puppetry – Robinh King, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass, Merlin Theatre Company; Principal Boy of the Year – Zoe Davis, Cinderella, Moonlight Theatre Productions; Best Theatre Stage Management – Tina Lukins, Cinderella, Moonlight Theatre Productions; Moderator’s Awards – Cinderella, Moonlight Theatre Productions; Best Comedic Scene – Snow White and the Magnificient Seven Dwarfs, Nailsea Musicals.

PHOTO - RIGHT: Lynn Lee Brown, of the Castaway Theatre Group, won the cameo of the year award for her role as a Wandering Minstrel in Sleeping Beauty.

Best Junior Chorus – Mother Goose, Polden Productions; Dame of the Year – Alan Scott, Aladdin, Puriton Players; Best Village Design – Richard and William Richards, Aladdin, Puriton Players; Comic of the Year – Chris Marshall, Pirates of the Backwater, Roadwater Players; Fellowship of Drama Shield, Somerton Dramatic Society; Pint Pot Award – Humpty Dumpty, Somerton Dramatic Society.

Spotlight Trophy – Peter Pan the Pantomime, St Gregory Players; Best Musical Director – Peter Selby, Peter Pan the Pantomime, St Gregory Players; Best Villain – John Penelhum, Peter Pan the Pantomime, St Gregory Players; Best Original Costume – Peter Pan the Pantomime, St Gregory Players.

Young Fairy – Hannah Ebsary, Sleeping Beauty, Wellington Pantomime Group; Bridgwater Shield – Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Wells Little Theatre; Best UV Scene – Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Wells Little Theatre; Best Properties – Jack and the Beanstalk – Wincanton Amateur Dramatic Society; Young Singer – Manda Graffham, Jack and the Beanstalk, Wincanton Amateur Dramatic Society; Bradford Trophy aged 16 or under – Paris May Grassi, Dick Whittington, Yeovil Amateur Pantomime Society; Best Animal Act – Paris May Grassi, Dick Whittington, Yeovil Amateur Pantomime Society.

PHOTO - ABOVE: Members of Crewkerne-based CUDOS and their pantomime Cinderella won two awards.

PHOTO - ABOVE: Members of Yeovil-based Castaway Theatre Group won five awards for their production of Sleeping Beauty.

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