It was wonderful to be back on stage and live at the Barn Theatre for the 87th Welwyn Drama Festival, 16-21 May 2022.

We made new friends, we hugged old friends, we saw so many wonderful performances and witnessed the thrilling results of hard work by many people, all who love theatre!

Special thanks to all those who volunteered Front of House and kept our crew well-fed – thank you, we could not have done this without you!

Our adjudicator, Dave Bennet GoDA, was very impressed with all the teams, the festival stage crew and our wonderful audience. Here are the full results!

First Place and Winners of the Welwyn Cup

SMP Theatre with Nightwalking by Frank Canino

Director James Clarke also won the Behrens Steinfeld Trophy for the Director with the Most Complete and Imaginative Approach and SMP Theatre were awarded the Charles Pilgrim Trophy for Stage Presentation.

Second Place and the Roy Brewer Cup

SMP Theatre with One Available Vacancy by Paul Adam Levy

Carla Segel, playing Sue, won the Winifred Butler Award for Best Actress and John Stivey, playing Hunt, won the Welwyn Award for Best Actor.

Third Place and the Margaret Osborn Trophy

Nantwich Players with Swallow by Stef Smith

FJ Osborn Audience Appreciation Award

The Players’ Theatre (Wales) with Singing in the Wilderness by David Campton

Derek Baldock Cup for Best Unpublished Play

The Blonde Bombshell by Roy Maddox (presented by CADS)

Louis Davis Trophy: Adjudicator’s Award for a Special Contribution to the Festival

John Bain and Graham Lay for Sound & Projection Design for HD&OS