Sleeping Beauty named among best pantos in Somerset
UPDATED 28/05/2020: The Full Monty will now take place in April 2021, and 2020’s Cinderella has been cancelled.
We now have another top gong to add to our trophy cabinet after winning big in an annual pantomime competition.
Our Sleeping Beauty was named the second best amateur panto in Somerset by the Somerset Fellowship of Drama at its annual Cinderella Awards at the weekend.
We were pipped to the top spot by Taunton’s Wayfarers Pantomime Society’s Cinderella. Alongside winning the runners-up Cinderella Trophy, we also bagged a number of top awards, including:
Best Dance Troupe (led by choreographer Shelley Smith);
Adjudicator’s Special Award for Jo Turley and Matt Turner as the King and Queen; and
Principal Boy of the Year for Emma Powell, who made her stage debut with us.
There was also a special shout-out for the show’s young Sleeping Beauty, Lottie Gilby, who was named as a Promising Young Perfomer.
We also picked up a number of nominations, including:
Junior Principal Girl for Elisha Webster;
Dancer of the Year for Lola Punchard and Anna Gifford;
Female Singer for Emma Powell;
Romantic Duet for Elisha Webster and Emma Powell;
Goody Supernatural for Becky Cook;
Best Director for Brian Epps
Theatre Design; and
Junior Chorus.
Sleeping Beauty’s Director Brian Epps, who was nominated for Best Director, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for an equally fantastic team both on and off stage. These shows aren’t just about those performing; it’s also about the creative team, stage crews, the costume makers, the make-up team, our front of house crew, our chaperones and the mums and dads, among many others who make it such a success.
“The awards show off the best of what Somerset has to offer in amateur theatre, and despite the current uncertain times, I’m glad we were able to come together virtually to celebrate the evening.”
Due to the current coronavirus lockdown, the awards were streamed live on Facebook, with cast and crew of Sleeping Beauty joining forces on a virutal video meeting to celebrate the awards.
The ongoing coronavirus situation has led to the postponement of our latest show, The Full Monty, following government guidance which closed Strode Theatre in Street, where we regularly performs.