GAMPA Seniors win Best Play in this year’s Drama Festival

GAMPA Seniors were awarded Best Play at the gala evening of the week-long 69th Gibraltar International Drama Festival at Ince’s Hall.

GAMPA Seniors performed an adaptation of the monologue, A Hundred Words For Snow, a drama by Tatty Hennessy.

Leading the cast was Isabella Azopardi as Rory, a teenager who runs away to the North Pole to scatter her late fathers ashes.

Natalie Bonavia directed the play and portrayed Rory’s mother and Tanya Santini McClelland played Frida, a woman Rory meets on her travels.

Together Ms Bonavia and Ms Santini McClelland co-produced the play alongside lights technician Adele Caetano, sound technician Julianne Coleing and stage manager Aidan Carroll.

The cast was composed of an ensemble of Ryan Maynard Polston, Hayley Ferrary, Tristan Benyunes, Mya Gonzalez, River Mifsud, Arianna Gianani, and Adarsh Budrani.

Ms Bonavia also won the award for Best Director and told the Chronicle it felt incredible, adding that the cast and crew has worked hard to deliver the play.

“I am just so proud to tell this story and the fact that is resonated with so many people is just amazing,” she said.

She described how she fell in love with the story and adapted the monologue into an ensemble piece. GAMPA Seniors began working on the project last November and now look forward to performing the play at the UK National Drama Festival.

Ms Bonavia teaches sessions with Isabella and chose to centre a play around her after seeing her talent.

“She’s incredibly talented, so intelligent, so hard-working and I knew she was the right person for this character,” Ms Bonavia said.

Isabella said the whole cast had worked hard and thanked Ms Bonavia for the opportunity.

She described how learning all the lines was time-consuming, adding that acting was a hobby and she looks forward to a career in law, highlighting that drama has transferrable skills.

Alongside GAMPA Seniors, the Theatre Makers performed on the gala night as finalists. They performed Zero for the Young Dudes!, a dramady by Alistair Mcdowall.

The play was about young resistance at a camp exploring themes of oppression, control and conformity.

The cast was comprised of Elsie Griffiths, Erin Murray, George Munns, Hannah Caward-Madeira, Jasmine Ghio, Katie Reyes, Loreto Atkins, Lucia Love, Mariana Sequeira, Owen Griffiths, Theo Seed, Thea Scruton-White and Lucia Diaz.

The crew included directors and producers Daniel Strain-Webber and Erica McGrail, set designers Dale Desoiza and Steve Lawson, lights technician Tim Seed, stage manager Emma Cruz, sound technician Sam Smith, and video design and editing by Dale Moreno.

Drama Festival judge David Price said this was the best organised festival he has attended and has been “blown away” by the “exceptional standard”.

“I want to thank everybody involved in this festival, everybody that contributes, the teams, the directors, the tech team here, and especially every single one of you that's taken to the stage,” Mr Price said.

The Minister for Culture, Christian Santos, presented the awards and addressed the audience, thanking Mr Price.

He added that next year, for the 70th anniversary, the local theatre community should turn-out.

WINNERS
ADJUDICATOR’S AWARD was awarded to GAMPA Teens for the ‘Producers’ in Bright. Young. Things, a play presented by GAMPA Teens.
BEST SET PRESENTATION was awarded to Theatre Makers for Zero For The Young Dudes!
BEST TECHNICAL PRESENTATION was awarded to GAMPA Seniors for A Hundred Words for Snow.
BEST SUPPORTING YOUTH ACTOR was awarded to Ryan Maynard Polston for his role in A Hundred Words for Snow.
BEST SUPPORTING YOUTH ACTRESS was awarded to Talia Robinson and Sophia Joyce for their roles in Bright. Young. Things.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR was awarded to Stefan Garcia for his role in Bright. Young. Things.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS was awarded to Sylvana Felice for her role in Goodbye, Charles, a play presented by Theatre Makers.
BEST YOUTH ACTRESS was awarded to Isabella Azopardi for her leading role in A Hundred Words for Snow.
BEST YOUTH ACTOR was awarded to William Felice for his leading role in The Dreaming, a play presented by Bestside Drama Group.
BEST ACTRESS was awarded to Laura MacGregor for her multiple roles in Goodbye, Charles.
BEST ACTOR was awarded to Julian Felice for his leading role in Me, Myself and Iambs, a play presented by Dramatis Personae.
BEST DIRECTOR was awarded to Natalie Bonavia for her play, A Hundred Words for Snow.
BEST ORIGINAL SCRIPT was awarded to Kerrie Thompson for her original play, Jumped, presented by Medway Little Theatre Company.
FESTIVAL WINNER for the BEST PLAY was awarded to GAMPA Seniors for their play A Hundred Words for Snow.

This article has been updated to reflect that both Talia Robinson and Sophia Joyce won best supporting youth actress.