Scottish Community Drama Association

PERTH HOSTING TOP UK DRAMA FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND

The UK's top amateur actors are gathering in Perth for a major drama festival this weekend.

And there will be "House Full" signs up outside Perth Theatre as the event is a sell-out.

Almost one thousand performers and audience members will converge on the Perthshire town over the two days for the showpiece festival which is celebrating its eightieth anniversary this year.

The British Final Festival of Drama showcases the top clubs in Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

The clubs are their country's champions so audiences are assured of theatre of the highest order.

On Friday Scotland's Kirkintilloch Players present "Shakers Re-Stirred" by John Godber & Jane Thornton followed by St. Ursula Players from Bristol with "Me and My Friend" (Act 1) by Gillian Plowman.

On Saturday the Phoenix Theatre Company from Wales presents "Mediocrity" by Anton Robert Krueger. Northern Ireland's Holywood Players end the festival with "The Invisible Man" by Jennifer Johnston.

The Scottish Commmunity Drama Association is organising the prestigious event. Organising Secretary Morna Barron said: "The theme of the festival is "Who will win the crown?". Over the last six months the four teams have worked extremely hard to get to Perth to represent their country and have the opportunity to "win the crown". We have the honour of supporting them over the two days.

"The festival will allow us another chance to see top-quality work and further our knowledge of theatre. With a full house of adjudicators, there will undoubtedly be controversy and plenty to talk about. Perth will be buzzing."

The Adjudicator with the difficult task of deciding on a winner is Brian Marjoribanks, Chairman of the Scottish Association of Speech and Drama Adjudicators and Chairman of Scottish Television. Mr Marjoribanks, who is from Falkirk, has adjudicated the SCDA's Scottish Finals and Scottish Youth Finals and the Ulster Finals in Belfast. For the past two years he has been an international juror at the Prix Italia in Sicily.

The top team will be crowned UK champions on Saturday night and be awarded the Howard de Walden Trophy which dates from the creation of the National Festival of One-Act Plays in 1926.

INFORMATION - Alan Clark, 01324 875454 or 07850 339 540