Drama Festival sees Rock Theatre awarded Best Play

The Gibraltar Drama Festival saw 14 awards presented at the gala night last Saturday, with the top two plays performed on the night.

On the final night Rock Theatre performed ‘Bothered and Bewildered’ by Gail Young and the Bayside and Westside Drama Group presented ‘Pop Star’ by Julian Felice.

Ultimately it was Rock Theatre with Bothered and Bewildered who scooped the top prize.

The six-day festival saw 13 plays performed over five nights from Cubs Theatre, Trafalgar Theatre, GAMPA, The Magazine Studio, White Light Theatre, Medway Little Theatre Youth Company, and Bayside and Westside Drama Group.

The Festival was adjudicated by Cherry Stephenson, who has over 40 years of experience in theatre.

Bothered and Bewildered is a play about dementia that focuses on Irene (Monica Ritchie) and her two daughters, Louise and Beth (Bettina Cary and Kerry Marriot).

The play centres around Irene’s deteriorating health and how the two sisters grapple with the decision on whether to place their mother in full time care.

Scenes of Irene’s confusion show how secrets of the past come to haunt her in old age.

Her imaginary friend and romance novelist Barbara Cartland (Karen Lawson) provides humour and an insight to Irene’s increasingly irrational behaviour.

As well as Best Play, Rock Theatre received awards for Best Director which was presented to Angela Jenkins, Best Actress to Monica Ritchie and Best Supporting Actress to Kate Lawson.

Pop Star is an original television drama by Julian Felice, which was a technically savvy play using video cameras and televisions.

The play sees television show producer Jools (Kai Nemes) working on the newest instalment of Pop Star, a singing competition.

The winner of the television show would be in line for a record contract and singing career – albeit short lived.

Jools wants his favourite Alex (Miguel Caballero) to rank in the top finalists and become the next Pop Star.

He pulls on Alex’s sad story of his sister born with cerebral palsy and family history, and embellishing his story to gain public votes for the singing competition.

The play is a take on talent show competitions and the lengths producers will stoop to ensure certain people win the show and others fall short.

Jools and his assistant Kate (Ella Vatani) concoct plans to publicly embarrass and drag down Alex’s competitors Jenny, Dani, Will and Kelly (Grace Peralta, Carmen Anderson, Nikolaj Forrester and Natasha Richardson) with fictitious yet convincing scandals.

All the lies lead to Jools’ downfall, but Kate rises to the surface even it if takes backstabbing her boss.

Pop Star by Julian Felice was awarded Best Original Script and Bayside and Westside Drama Group also scooped the prize for Best Technical Presentation.

FESTIVAL WINNERS

Festival winner for Best Play was awarded to Rock Theatre for ‘Bothered and Bewildered’.

Best Original Script was awarded to Julian Felice for his play ‘Pop Star’ presented by Bayside and Westside Drama Group.

Best Director was awarded to Angela Jenkins for ‘Bothered and Bewildered’ presented by Rock Theatre.

Best Actress was awarded to Monica Ritchie for her role as Irene in ‘Bothered and Bewildered’ by Rock Theatre.

Best Actor was awarded to Harry Kumar for his role as Dave in ‘The Sociable Plover’ presented by Trafalgar Theatre.

Best Youth Actress was awarded to Mei Liu for her role as Charlie in ‘Befriending Bertha’ presented by The Magazine Studio.

Best Youth Actor was awarded to Matthew Navas for his role as Theo in ‘The Train’ presented by GAMPA Seniors.

Best Supporting Actress was awarded to Karen Lawson for her role as Barbara Cartland in ‘Bothered and Bewildered’ presented by Rock Theatre.

Best Supporting Actor was awarded to Mark Dallison for his role as George in ‘The Droitwich Discover’ presented by Trafalgar Theatre.

Best Youth Supporting Actress was awarded to Natasha Richardson for her role as Kelly in ‘Pop Star’ presented by Bayside and Westside Drama Group.

Best Youth Supporting Actor was awarded to Simon James for his role as Harry in ‘Innocence’ presented by Medway Little Theatre Youth Company.

Best Technical Presentation was awarded to Bayside and Westside Drama Group for ‘Pop Star’. The award was presented to Julian Felice and Edmund Lawson.

Best Set Presentation was awarded to GAMPA Seniors for ‘The Train’. The award was presented to Christian Santos.

Adjudicators’ Award was awarded to GAMPA Juniors for ‘Small Fry’. The award was presented to Tanya Santini.