Flying the Next Stage Youth Flag High at the Mid-Somerset Drama Festival!

On Tuesday 12th March members of Next Stage Youth Theatre Company took to the stage to perform their challenging extracts as part of this year’s Mid-Somerset Drama Festival. Now in it’s 118th year, the Festival saw a record number of 5000 competitors over 16 days. This year Next Stage Youth entered 5 groups across 2 acting classes in the competition. The extracts in class 57, Year 9 and under were from Alan Ayckbourn’s Invisible Friends and Simon Stephen’s award-winning The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. In the Senior class, 19 years and under, the 3 extracts were from Sue Townsend's, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 3/4, Simon Stephen’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman. All 5 performances were outstanding and friends and family watched from their seats in admiration as Next Stage's talented youthers competed with other groups, sometimes made up of much older children. 

After much deliberation, the results were in! Taking 1st place in the Senior group were Next Stage Youth Group D with Curious Incident whilst in the Juniors Next Stage Youth Group A achieved a distinction and second place with the same extract. The remaining groups all gave solid performances and scored between 84 - 86 marks earning commended certificates. Thanks and congratulations to all the NSY Tutors who helped their groups achieve these results and well done to all competitors, you worked very hard and delivered at your best.

Senior Winners: Next Stage Youth Group D - Catherine Jones, Lavinia Hann, Eleanor Harris, Georges Boutin with NSY Tutor TJ

Catherine Jones, Georges Boutin and Eleanor Harris with NSY Tutor Katerina

Second Place Juniors: Next Stage Youth Group A - Eleanor Lewis, Tom Pegler, Eve Howard, Harry Lewis, Freddie Stockton, Finlay Gilmour with NSY Tutor Georgi Bassil

Next Stage Youth Junior Group B - Max Leming, William Heaton, Isabella Wood, Nia Dauncey with NSY Tutor Andrew Ellison

Next Stage Youth Senior Group C - Ysobel Andrew, Henry Skinner, Keira Barry, Jazmine Vale, Isabella Fenton with NSY Tutor Hayley Fitton-Cook

Next Stage Youth Senior Group E - Floss Ingledew, Hamish Row, Ralph Leming, Eleanor Bennett, Max Dooley, Daisy Wells with NSY Tutor Ann Ellison

Judge’s Remarks:

“Clear and well defined...the cast were very mature in their handling of the material and told the story with care and compassion.”

— Group A

“The cast worked hard at demonstrating strong relationships and a good sense of togetherness. There were some wonderful facial expressions and reactions...”

— Group B

“A great deal of physical focus demonstrated by all members...the narration skillfully developed the ebb and flow of the scene.”

— Group C

“The diction and vocal interpretation was very clear and crisp...there was a strong sense of theatrical ebb and flow.”

— Group D

“Excellent relationships between the couples...the part of Adrian was played earnestly and with conviction by Max.”

— Group E