The 2023 Waltham Forest Festival of Theatre
Thursday 23rd to Saturday 25th March 2023
Adjudicator: Keith Phillips GODA.
Forest Community Centre, Guildford Road, Walthamstow E17 4EA
Festival award winners
Congratulations to the winners of this year's award for Best Team - Waterbeach Theatre Company - who will be going forward to the next round of the All England Theatre Festival in Oxted on 28th May.
Festival Award for Best Team
Waterbeach Theatre Company – One Night in Toledo
Festival Award for Second Team
Bawds (Cambridge) – Philip and Rowena
Romeril Award for Third Team (in memory of Phyl and Eric Romeril)
Wadham Players – Shakers
Roy Seammen Award for Adjudicator's Selection
Wadham Players – Lucy Ashton for stepping in last minute for Shakers
Also nominated:
Wadham Players - neon sign for Shakers
Woodhouse Players – set for All Hallows Eve
Festival Award for Best Performance by an Actress
Winner: Tricia Peroni (Bawds) - Rowena in Philip and Rowena
Also nominated:
The cast of Shakers (Wadham Players) – group nomination
Christine Easterfield and Wendy Croft (Waterbeach Theatre Company) – Leanna and Penny in One Night in Toledo – joint nomination
Danielle Keene (Woodhouse Players) – The Homeless Woman in Tracks
Festival Award for Best Performance by an Actor
Winner: James Dowson (Bawds) - Philip in Philip and Rowena
Also nominated:
James O’Donnell (Wadham Players) – Tom in I am Hamlet
Richard Penney (Woodhouse Players) – Hugh in All Hallows Eve
Festival Award for Best Stage Presentation
Waterbeach Theatre Company for One Night in Toledo
Also nominated: Woodhouse Players for Tracks
Vi Gostling New Writing Award
(Not awarded)
Wanstead Players Pat Dancer Award for Best Supporting Player
Winner: Helen McCallum (Bawds) – Lilian in Philip and Rowena
Also Nominated
Michelle Gouldie (Thurrock Courts Players) – Maureen in Flaming Liberty and Mrs Bradshaw in Saving Grace
Khadija Balchin (Woodhouse Players) – The Nun in Tracks
Pauline Neal (Thurrock Courts Players) – Joan and Midwife in Saving Grace
Festival Award for Best Team in the Youth Section
(Not awarded)
Wadham Players Award for Second Team in the Youth Section
(Not awarded)
CADOS Award for Most Promising Performer 18 and Under
Jack Homberger (Woodhouse Players) – Emmett in All Hallows Eve
This year's plays
Thursday 23 March 7.30pm
Thurrock Courts Players present Flaming Liberty
A comedy by David Titchener New Play
Bawds (Cambridge) present Philip and Rowena
A gentle, sensitive, heart-warming drama by Gillian Plowman
Wadham Players present Shakers
A comedy by John Godber and Jane Thornton Unsuitable for children
Friday 24 March 7.30pm
Woodhouse Players present Tracks
A drama by Peter Tarsi
Wadham Players present I am Hamlet
A comedy thriller by Richard James
Waterbeach Theatre Company present One Night in Toledo
An adult drama by Mark Easterfield New Play Unsuitable for children
Saturday 25 March 3pm
Waltham Forest Youth Theatre present The Laundry Girls
A drama by Bill Owen
Saturday 25 March 7pm
Thurrock Courts Players present Saving Grace
An original drama by Michael McFarlane New Play
Woodhouse Players present All Hallows Eve
A melodrama by Peter Harrison
On Saturday after the second play there will be a short interval, followed by the announcement of prizewinners by the Adjudicator.
On Saturday after the second play there will be a short interval, followed by the announcement of prizewinners by the Adjudicator.
This year's adjudicator
Keith Phillips GODA
Keith’s involvement and interest in the theatre began in the 1960s when, as a nine year old, he played a tree in an infant school production. From little acorns his interest continued through junior and senior schools where he contributed to productions either behind the scenes or on stage. Memorably, for him, playing in drag (for the first and only time) at 16 in Ionesco’s ‘The Bald Prima Donna’.
After his school years he joined a local amateur group, in Barnet, and continued to learn and gain valuable experience in every aspect of theatre; from acting to stage managing, scenery design and building, lighting and sound and eventually producing and directing. After a move a moderate distance north, he joined a club in Huntingdon, contributing to every production even if that was serving tea in the interval. After becoming a Trustee of the local ‘Shakespeare at the George Trust’ he played in a number of productions as well as directing. In the 1980’s Keith was asked to start a Huntingdon Drama Festival which ran for a few years before local council funding ended.
Keith then became very active in the Cambridge amateur theatre community and also co-founded two Theatre Companies, to take new and classic plays further afield; including a number of shows at the Edinburgh Fringe. Occasionally, when inspired, he will pound a keyboard and turn out pantos or one-act plays but is too modest to mention his three new play awards.
Keith’s 50 years’ experience and expertise in amateur theatre led to his joining GoDA in 2014. He is honoured and delighted to be asked to adjudicate at the wonderful Waltham Forest Drama Festival this year.
