As part of their 75th anniversary celebrations Manx Amateur Drama Federation (MADF) is delighted to announce its ‘Mastering Shakespeare’ initiative.

This initiative will promote a wider participation in and enjoyment of classic theatre across the Island. The purpose of the ‘Mastering Shakespeare’ initiative is to bring to life Shakespeare’s work and inspire the next generation of theatre creatives to sustain the legacy of theatre on the Island. We are delighted to be able to do this through the support of IOM Arts Council and their ‘Extraordinary Events’ funding.

The initiative is curated by Shakespeare practitioner Edward Bennett (biography) and will be run through a series of workshops in February 2025. These sessions are open to all GCSE and A level English Literature students and will cover:

• Ability to explore complex characters and universal themes such as jealousy, friendship and consequences.
• Ability to recognise the enduring relevance of Shakespearean themes in their own lives and contemporary society.
• Fostering critical thinking to draw connections between past and present.

MADF are also staging a production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in September 2025 at Government House and to support those wishing to be involved in the production an additional weekend workshop will be held, open to all, to focus on character development.

Following these workshops attendees will be encouraged to participate in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ – this will be open to anyone in any creative aspect both onstage or behind the scenes.

Edward will continue to support the cast through the summer of 2025 with regards to character development and the production team in the creative aspects of the play. This will be delivered through a series of 4 weekend visits, building on the initial workshops and aid cast members’ understanding of the text. Engaging an external, professional practitioner brings a fresh perspective to performing theatre in the Island – all will benefit from his extensive experience. These visits will build on the foundations laid in the February workshops.

Edward has been recommended to MADF by the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has worked extensively with Creative Counties West Sussex (Board Member) and the Chichester Festival. He is also an experienced actor appearing in several seasons at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and a range of Film and Television work.

Edward’s supporting practitioners are Phoebe Hyder and Luke Osbourne who work with him at the Chichester Festival.

Anyone interested in participating in the workshop must submit their audition form by 22nd February. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity!

The Full Length Plays awards:

The F.M. Cubbon Trophy – Best Play: The Father performed by White Cobra

The Dick Craine Cup – 1st Runner Up: Lilies of the Land performed by White Cobra

The Vanda Lambert Award – Best Female Performance: Victoria Miles as Margie in Lilies on the Land

Nominations:
Victoria Miles as Margie in Lilies on the Land
Kate Bilingham as Anne in The Father
Kim Arkle as Laura in The Father

The S. E. Benn Award – Best Male Performance: Ian Spiby as Andre in The Father

Nominations:
Ian Spiby as Andre in The Father
Richard Jordan as Pierre in The Father
Joseph Maclean as O’Brien in 1984

The Raven Players Award – Best Producer/Director: Martin Borley-Cox for The Father

The Jackie Banner Award for Comedy: Lilies on the Land performed by White Cobra

The Michael J. Lees Award for Drama: The Father performed by White Cobra

Youth Awards:

Cyril Spencer Trophy – Best Play – Youth (Under 20) Category:
Viral performed by Platform Theatre School

John Bowring Trophy – Best Director in Youth Festival: Leandra Lawler for Viral

Olga Gray Award – Best Youth Actress: Eve Puzzar for Viral
Nominations:
Mia Quine for Two
Eve Puzzar, Seren Kirkpatrick, Scarlet Brophy for Viral

One Act Adult Plays Awards:

Northern Arts Rose Bowl –  Best Festival Play:
Victoria Station performed by Parodos Theatre Company

Service Players Trophy – Best Play Runner Up:
Dumb Waiter performed by Service Players

Caine Family Trophy – Best Director: Sharon Walker for Dumb Waiter

Jean C Webb Award – Best Actress: Jude Dicken for Two
Nominations:
Danny Berry for Escaped Alone
Jude Dicken for Two

Mark Clift Trophy – Best Actor: Geoff Pugh for Victoria Station
Nominations:
Geoff Pugh and Lorcan O’Mahony for Victoria Station
Jack Verity for Two
Tom Cain and Toby Smith for Babysitting Calvin

Nadine Talbot Award – Best Dramatic Moment:
Victoria Station – “I have a POB”
Nominations:
Cat phobia speech in Escaped Alone
Cracking the bottle in Two
The instructions during the Dumb Waiter

Daphne Clark Memorial Trophy – Best Comedic Moment in Festival:
The can of beer moment from Babysitting Calvin
Nominations:
Fred &Alice and Mrs Eiger from Two
Bob and the mirror from Babysitting Calvin
The suit jacket from Babysitting Calvin
The can of beer moment from Babysitting Calvin

Festival Awards:

Sure Mobile Award – Best use of Sound & Lighting in Festival: 1984
Nominations:
1984
The Father
Viral

The David Sugden Memorial Trophy for Set Conception, Design and Construction: Dumb Waiter
Nominations:
The Father
1984
Lilies on the Land
Dumb Waiter

The J & B Green Award for Costume and Makeup: Lilies on the Land
Nominations:
Viral
Lilies on the Land
Babysitting Calvin
Dumb Waiter

The Olga Gray Adjudicator’s Award – Outstanding Contribution:
The slapstick double act Bob and Calvin – Babysitting Calvin

Last night we enjoyed the second of our Full Length Plays, The Father by Florian Zeller performed by White Cobra.

Well this one made us think! Close to the bone as they say. Chris made the comment that the subject of Dementia is “A conversation we all need to have with ourselves.”

Following on from Caryl Churchill and Harold Pinter. It makes no sense! Both to the afflicted and their families. Logic goes out of the door! The elements sympathetically portrayed in the play: time shifts, false memories, abuse (real or imagined), forgetfulness, misplacing and hiding of possessions, fear and eventual obliteration of the person we know and love. It’s not all doom and gloom, however, there was humour and compassion.

A brave choice professionally executed by White Cobra. Thank you for a taste of theatre to mirror life!

– Ron Beswick

Tonight we have our next two One Act plays:

Rushen Players present Two by Jim Cartwright
A real time, one scene snapshot of life in a local pub one weekend evening. The action revolves around the landlord and landlady, who run the pub,and different pairs of people who are customers. It moves back and forth, spotlighting the different relationships,
coming back to the landlord and landlady each time. Most of the characters are portrayed by the two actors on stage.

Interval

Platform Theatre School present Viral by Maria McConville
In this ensemble-driven drama featuring an all-female cast, five high school girls recount a cruel locker room bullying incident that is initially cloaked in secrecy, but ultimately goes viral online. What happens next forces the students to question their respective roles in the events that unfolded in that fateful day.

Last night we enjoyed the first of our Full Length Plays, Lilies on the Land by Lion’s Part performed by White Cobra.

We went from English tea in the garden on Saturday to full blown life on the farm.
I hope they didn’t use Victoria Station’s cab company to get to Sussex or maybe it was the Driver who dumped their cases in the mud? This was a beautiful series of scenes in the lives of the Land Army Girls presenting the fun, fear and hopes of these famous but often forgotten young girls.

We laughed at the detailed description of the hardships of no flush toilets, the sh*** of the farmyards and the creation of new life on the farm. We moved to the music in the Saturday Night dances, felt sadness for the fleeting relationships with the nearby aircrew. Lovely singing and those boxes moved deftly like a 3D game of Tetris.

Thank you White Cobra for an entertaining and
thought provoking evening.

– Ron Beswick

Tonight White Cobra presents The Father by Florian Zeller.

Seen through the eyes of a man with dementia,
The Father exposes the emotional toll it has on him and his family. Moving and at times heart-breaking, Andre’s story will be recognised by all too many families. Blistering honest but ultimately uplifting, it’s a story of our times.
Recently an Oscar and BAFTA winning film starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Coleman,
this production includes the founders and stalwarts of White Cobra and original music by Martin Heath.

NB. The subject matter of this play could be upsetting

Last night we enjoyed two one act plays.

Escaped Alone by Caryl Churchill performed by Rushen Players.

Terrible rage, terrible rage, terrible rage, terrible rage! These four ladies had a few problems didn’t they!

We opened to a pleasant garden scene with 4 chairs and three ladies entering, plus a tea service on the table. Pleasant ladies’ chat we thought. Mrs. Jeffries enters stage left, obviously not invited but sort of welcomed. The ‘chat’ evolved into some disturbing stuff and these 3 ladies certainly had problems. Psychological issues, was it murder or self defence and a cat psychosis? Would you want these guys as neighbours? Then there was Mrs. Jeffries with her apocalyptic view of a catastrophic world. Where will it end? Well certainly without any drop of tea!

Typical Caryl Churchill, Chris Baglin explained, you’re not supposed to ‘understand’ the script,
make of it what you will.

A great piece of theatre to open our Festival, thank you Rushen Players.

Victoria Station by Harold Pinter performed by Parodos Theatre Company.

How about Mr. Pinter’s friendly, customer service focussed cab company? What a spooky pair they were. I felt sorry for the poor guy left at Victoria Station. Did he ever get to see his grandmother? He should have booked an Uber.

Great characterisation of the Controller and Driver. You could feel the Controller’s frustration building and building. The spaced out attitude of the Driver was comic in the beginning, but what really happens to the POB female asleep on the back seat? Is it love or something sinister, we will never know. And that’s exactly what Mr. Pinter planned. It’s all in YOUR mind.

A gripping presentation and food for thought,
well done Parodos Theatre.

– Ron Beswick

See you all tonight for White Cobra’s Lilies on the Land by Lion’s Part.

Lilies of the Land is an extraordinary piece of theatre telling the story of Britain’s Women’s Land Army of World War Two. Based on hundreds of actual letters from original Land Girls, the play focuses on four very different women who all come together during Britain’s darkest hour determined to ‘do their bit’ for King and Country.