We are once again blown away by the talent showcased at our 2019 One Act Play Festival! Year after year the bar is set higher and higher, and this year the productions truly knocked it out of the park!
With eight plays (all original scripts) hitting the stage over two weekends, our esteemed adjudicators had a difficult time finding fault with the productions – in fact, the scores were so close that this year we had three shows in the final!
Well done to all the participants including our friends over at Protea Stage Productions and Startime Players out on the East Rand. Sadly Lefakgomo Youth Development Theatre from Limpopo had to pull out at the 11th hour due to unforeseen circumstances but we look forward to welcoming them back with open arms in 2020. To our Franklin members, you guys are awesome!
Congratulations to all the winners and many heartfelt thanks to everyone involved (on stage and behind the scenes) in yet another highly successful One Act Play Festival. To our valued patrons for your ongoing support, we salute you and are so very grateful for all your applause, laughter, tears and joy – we do this for YOU!!
Last but certainly not least, to our expert adjudicators Kathleen Andersen and Cati Muller, thank you so much for once again being incredibly generous with your time, knowledge and expertise – the festival just wouldn’t be the same without you!
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE AWARD WINNERS:
- Best Overall Production – Miss Independent
- Runner-Up Best Production – The Game
- Best Director – Lise Wessels (Miss Independent)
- Runner-Up Best Director – Donovan Arentsen (How Chester Wiffle Made a Big Change in Things) (Startime Players)
- Best Original Script – Ashley Nader (The Basement)
- Best Actor – Michael Lomas as Chester Wiffle (How Chester Wiffle Made a Big Change in Things) (Startime Players)
- Runner-Up Best Actor – Nick King as Rick (The Game)
- Best Supporting Actor – Juan Oosthuizen as Mr Wormwood (How Chester Wiffle Made a Big Change in Things) (Startime Players)
- Runner-Up Best Supporting Actor – Mervin Lowe as Philip (The Game)
- Best Actress – Traci Scerri as Cynthia (Miss Independent)
- Runner-Up Best Actress – Taryn Brehm as Carol (The Basement)
- Best Supporting Actress – Rhelda Louw as Pamela (Don’t Knock)
- Runner-Up Best Supporting Actress – Kristen Lomas as White Rabbit (Wonderland) (Protea Stage Productions)
- Best Ensemble – The Game
- Best Newcomers – Malan van der Walt as Stuart (Miss Independent), Diane Ladbrooke as Angela Smit (Chester Wiffle), Tess Doust as Nicky (The Game)
- Best Novice Production – How Chester Wiffle Made a Big Change in Things (Startime Players)
- Best Cameo Role – Thapelo Mahlatsi as David (The Basement)
- Best Set – The Game
- Best Lighting – Don’t Knock
- Best Sound – The Basement
MERIT AWARDS:
- Merit Award for Most Convincing Vocal Performance – Ryan Homes as Mr Gog (Chester Wiffle)
- Merit Award for Most Convincing Emotional Performance – Taryn Brehm as Carol (The Basement)
- Merit Award for Best Use of Costume – Mervin Lowe (The Game)
- Merit Award for Best Poster – Wonderland (Protea Stage Productions)
- Merit Award for Most Socially Relevant Script – Miss Independent
- Merit Award for Acting – Mervin Lower as Mr Cotton (Theodore in Oils)
- Merit Award for Acting – Ben Frey as Mark (The Basement)
- Merit Award for Acting – Kristen Lomas as White Rabbit (Wonderland)
- Merit Award for Acting – Juan Oosthuizen as Tweedle Dum/Dee (Wonderland)
- Merit Award for Acting – Maarten Rijnberk as the kidnapper (The Game)
- Merit Award for Acting – Rhelda Louw as Pamela (Don’t Knock)
- Merit Award for Acting – Maarten Rijnberk as Dr Fox (Theodore in Oils)
- Merit Award for Acting – Ashley Nader as Beverly (The Game)
- Merit Award for Acting – Maarten Rijnberk as Jimmy (Don’t Knock)
- Merit Award for Acting – Solène Asseline as Mrs Cotton (Theodore in Oils)
- Merit Award for Acting – Robert Holmes as the waiter (Chester Wiffle)
- Merit Award for Acting – Malan van der Walt as Stuart (Miss Independent)
- Merit Award for Acting – Tamsyn Watkins as Christmas (Miss Independent)
- Merit Award for Acting – Ashley Nader as Tony (Don’t Knock)
PHOTOS:
Big shout-out to Andrew Mayes from DorMay Photography (www.dormayphotography.co.za) for once again taking photographs of the final performances and awards ceremony!
POSTERS & PROGRAMME:
This year’s festival showcased a line-up of 8 productions, including three entries from fellow societies Protea Stage Productions and Startime Players.
Here are posters and synopses of the plays that took part:
The Mess We Make
(Startime Players)
Written & Directed by Nicolette Stephens
Determined to find love no matter the cost, Anna settles for a less-than-satisfying relationship with the materialistic Peter. Peter just wants someone to take care of him so he can pursue his dreams of becoming a famous novelist – without the stress of working for it. Drawn into their conflict; Anna’s best friend Tanya, and Peter’s uncle Jack, try to warn them that their actions have consequences, and sometimes the mess we call life is simply; The Mess We Make.
Theodore in Oils
(Franklin Players)
Written by Graham Shirley
Directed by Simone Samdaan
The play is set in the hometown and imagination of Gary Cotton, older brother to Angie Cotton who is mentally and physically challenged. Gary used to be a famous painter, until the past haunts him to a point of no return. The heart-wrenching story about a girl, a boy, and their teddy bear Theodore.
How Chester Wiffle Made a Big Change in Things
(Startime Players)
Written by Warwick Brown
Directed by Donovan Arentsen
Chester Wiffle is a man of discipline, order and structure. When he learns that his office crush has eyes for another man, he sets out on a mission to deal with all the ‘problems’ that have plagued his perfect life.
The Game
(Franklin Players)
Written & Directed by Soné Pieterse
Rick wakes up in a storage room to find he is being held hostage with a group of strangers. None of them know where they are, why they are there or exactly how they got into the mess in the first place. They hilariously debate how to escape and soon become friends as they share their stories and secrets. Chaos ensues when they realise that their lives are in the hands of their fellow hostages. Together they come up with a plan to overpower the kidnapper and escape, but will it work?
The Basement
(Franklin Players)
Written by Ashley Nader
Directed by Rhelda Louw
A married couple finds themselves in a tricky situation, with a dead body in the basement and a nosey homeless guy threatening to spill the beans on their little secret to the local authority. Will they be able to get away with it? Or will this be the final nail in the coffin for their strained relationship?
Miss Independent
(Franklin Players)
Written by Ashley Nader
Directed by Lise Wessels
Cynthia’s husband had an affair with her yoga instructor, Christmas. Subsequent to a confrontation after yoga one day, Cynthia leaves her husband and deals with the disintegration of her marriage in stages of anger, depression and, at times, without a care in the world. Her relationship with her son during this time takes centre stage in this dramedy about how to find your way back after your life seemingly falls apart.
Wonderland
(Protea Stage Management)
Written by Phoebe Worrell
Directed by Carole Worrell
Wonderland, where adventures begin, imagination soars and you can believe anything. Set in the Hatter’s tea garden of Wonderland; take witness to a suspicious murder.
Don’t Knock
(Franklin Players)
Written by Ashley Nader
Directed by Traci Scerri
While four friends struggle to come to terms with the high level of crime in South Africa, a dark and buried secret is revealed which causes a drastic turn of events…