The Woking Drama Festival (WDA) is one of the largest drama competitions in the British Isles
[Stewart Mison, Chairman of the Woking Drama Festival](_blank)
/ref> for amateur dramatics
An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, self-taught, user-generated, DIY, and hobbyist.
History
Hist ...
focussing on one act play
A one-act play is a play that has only one act, as distinct from plays that occur over several acts. One-act plays may consist of one or more scenes. The 20-40 minute play has emerged as a popular subgenre of the one-act play, especially in writi ...
s with a dedicated Youth Section. It is notable not only for its size, but also for the quality of its leading performances, with the winner of the festival having gone onto win the British All Winners Festival on a number of occasions.
Foundation
The festival is one of the most enduring amateur festivals of its kind in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1959 and celebrating its 50th festival in 2008 (from 30 September 2008 to 11 October 2008). The festival is organised by the Woking Drama Association. The first winning play was ''"Master Dudley'' by Philip Johnson
Philip Cortelyou Johnson (July 8, 1906 – January 25, 2005) was an American architect best known for his works of modern and postmodern architecture. Among his best-known designs are his modernist Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut; the pos ...
, performed by the Pyrford Little Theatre.
Woking Drama Association
The Woking Drama Association, or WDA, was founded to encourage and support the performing arts in Woking
Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in northwest Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'' and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement o ...
. As such, most of the leading local theatre and drama groups in the Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
area belong to the WDA, as well as from further afield across the south of England. The WDA is also affiliated to many of the leading drama associations, particularly the National Drama Festivals Association
The National Drama Festivals Association (NDFA) was formed in 1964 to encourage and support amateur theatre in all its forms and in particular through the organisation of drama festivals in the United Kingdom.
Since 1974 the NDFA has organised th ...
. One of its primary aims is to present an annual drama festival in Woking every October. Outside of the annual drama festival, the WDA works as a focal point for local theatre groups and as a point of reference for directors looking for on-stage talent, backstage; props; costumes or set building.Woking Drama Association (WDA)
/ref>
Rhoda McGaw Theatre
The festival is held in Woking
Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in northwest Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'' and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement o ...
, Surrey, in the Rhoda McGaw Theatre (within The Ambassadors, Peacock Centre).
Participating drama groups
Over the years the Woking Festival has grown to become "one of the largest drama competitions in the British Isles and certainly one of the most respected for its quality of performance". In 2008 the WDA had 16 member groups. Some notable groups that are or have been members of the festival are:
* Runnymede Drama Group
* Horsell Amateur Dramatic Society
* The Characters
* Ottershaw Players
* Godalming Theatre Group
* Woking Youth Theatre
* Another Theatre Company
* Storrington Theatre Workshop
* Woking College Theatre Company
* Send Amateur Dramatic Society
* Simply Theatre
* The Fringe Files
* Thursday night project
* Pyrford Little Theatre
Subsequent success at the British All Winners Festival
As a festival affiliated to the National Drama Festivals Association
The National Drama Festivals Association (NDFA) was formed in 1964 to encourage and support amateur theatre in all its forms and in particular through the organisation of drama festivals in the United Kingdom.
Since 1974 the NDFA has organised th ...
, winners from Woking can be invited to participate in the NDFA's British All Winners Festival which they have done with some historical success. The winner from the Woking Drama Festival has gone on to win or attain the runner-up spot in the British All Winners Festival on a number of occasions:
* 2008: Winner – Send ADS with ''The Island'' by Athol Fugard
Athol Fugard, Hon. , (born 11 June 1932), is a South African playwright, novelist, actor, and director widely regarded as South Africa's greatest playwright. He is best known for his political and penetrating plays opposing the system of apart ...
* 2007: Winner – Woking College Theatre Company with ''Home Free'' by Landford Wilson
* 2006: Runner-up – Runnymede Drama Group with ''And Go To Innisfree'' by Jean Lenox Toddie
* 2002: Winner – Runnymede Drama Group with ''Five Kinds of Silence
''Five Kinds of Silence'' is an in-yer-face theatre play by the playwright Shelagh Stephenson, first published in 1997. It tells the story of a family living under the power of the vicious Billy, who physically, emotionally, and sexually abuses hi ...
'' by Shelagh Stephenson
Shelagh Stephenson is an English playwright and actress.
Background and education
Stephenson was born in Tynemouth, Northumberland in 1955. She read drama at Manchester University.
Career
Acting
Stephenson worked as an actress with the Royal S ...
* 2001: Runner-up – Storrington Theatre Workshop
Storrington is a small town in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England, and one of two in the civil parish of Storrington and Sullington. Storrington lies at the foot of the north side of the South Downs. it has a population of around 4,6 ...
with ''The Room'' by Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that spanne ...
* 2000: Winner – Runnymede Drama Group with ''Scarecrow
A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley B ...
'' by Don NIgro
Don Nigro is an American playwright; his plays ''Anima Mundi'' and ''The Dark Sonnets of the Lady'' have both been nominated for the National Repertory Theatre Foundation's National Play Award. He has won a Playwright's Fellowship Grant from the ...
)
Awards
There are a number of awards that are contested for at the festival. These awards are adjudged by the adjudicator of the festival, who is required to be a member of GODA.
* The Bruzard Challenge Cup (Festival Winning Play) – donated in 1960 by the late Mr G.J. Bruzard of West Byfleet and presented for the festival winning play
* The Eileen Harper Memorial Trophy – donated in 1997 by members and supporters of the Woking Drama Association for presentation to the festival runners-up
* The Edna Nash Cup – donated in 1983 by the Runnymede Drama Group in memory of Edna Nash and presented for the third-place play
* The Youth Award – donated by the Woking Drama Association for the Best Play by a cast under 21 years of age on 1 September preceding the festival, provided that the total marks gained are at least 80 per cent of those gained by the festival winning play
* The Barbara Huntley Cup – donated in 1976 by Horsell Amateur Dramatic Society in memory of Barbara Huntley and presented as the Adjudicator's Award for any entry in the festival, or any feature of an entry, which the adjudicator considers to be of special merit and for which there is no other appropriate award
* The Godalming Theatre Group Celebration 85 Salver – for directing, donated in 1985 by the Godalming Theatre Group to commemorate their 21st year and presented to the director who, in the opinion of the adjudicator, has shown the most imagination and flair
* The Ian Home Rose Bowl – donated by friends in 1968 in memory of Iain Home of Pyrford Little Theatre and presented for the best performance by an actor
* The Richards-Smith Cup – originally donated by Mr. G. Richards-Smith for dramatic work in the Woking Music Festival and gratefully accepted by the Woking Drama Association in 1968 for presentation for the best performance by an actress
* The Handley-Jones Cup – donated in 1978 by the Old Woking Theatre Group in memory of H. Handley-Jones, originally for the best performance by any supporting player but reassigned by the Woking Drama Association in 1993 for presentation to the best supporting actor
* The Irene Hutchence Cup – donated in 1961 by the late Mrs Irene Hutchence of Horsell A.D.S., originally for the best play by an all-women cast but reassigned by the Woking Drama Association in 1993 for presentation to the best supporting actress
* The Desmond Holt Memorial Cup – donated in 1979 by the Godalming Theatre Group in memory of Desmond Holt and presented for the best performance by a junior player aged under 21 on 1 September preceding the festival
* The Guildbury Shield – for Technical Excellence, donated in 1984 by Guildbury Productions for presentation to the company who, in the opinion of the adjudicator, demonstrate the greatest appreciation of the role of staging techniques in the success of a production
* The Spotlight Award – for the best use of lighting, donated in 1985 by Councillor Mrs P.E. Bohling as Mayor of Woking in that year
* The Madeline Boden Rose Bowl – donated by Malcolm Boden in memory of his wife, Madeline, and presented for the best original play, defined for this purpose as one which has had no previous public performance
* The Pauline Brown Award – donated by Councillor Gordon Brown and Mrs. Pauline Brown, and presented by the Festival Stage Crew for the best backstage management
* The Graham Brockis Award (Best Use of Sound) – a new award introduced in 2005
Defunct awards
* The Runners-up Cup (1959–1996) – replaced in 1997 by The Eileen Harper Memorial Trophy
* The Best All-Women Play – in 1993 the Irene Hutchence Cup was reassigned by the Woking Drama Association for presentation to the best supporting actress
External links
Woking Drama Festival website
References
{{reflist
Theatre festivals in England
Festivals in Surrey
1959 establishments in England
Recurring events established in 1959
Annual events in England
Woking
Festivals established in 1959