::: Newry Journal ::: - 2007 Drama Awards

So late were we running in the Town Hall last evening that the final adjudication – and the prize-giving – almost overstepped into this Sunday morning April the First.

And so certain was I of the probable perversity of Scott Marshall’s Awards-sharing that I remained imbibing in the Bridge and allowed one of my party to deliver the news. I have never done that in thirty-five years of Newry Drama Festivals.

Perhaps it was all a huge April Fool’s joke then on the part of this “Ulsterman by birth” that he presented the Holywood Players with almost ALL the top awards for their very pedestrian presentation of Wilde’s ‘A Woman of No Importance’.

Had I not heard him refer to it – admittedly in the words of another – as a Drama of No Real Relevance ? I consider his adjudication – as was his former adjudication in Newry some twenty-seven years ago when again he gave nothing whatever to an excellent local group – to be uninformed, ludicrously skewed and simply wrong.

Still, for the record only, here are his major awards:

Premier Award: Holywood Players with A Woman of No Importance

Runners-Up: Bart Players with Misery

Most Ambitious Choice: A Woman of No Importance (Thank heavens I wasn’t there to hear that!)

Best Producer: Misery

Best Actor: Mark Caughey in Dr Fell

[No surprise this one. Scott Marshall was playing that same 'Roger' role on stage all week!]

Best Actress: Tara Steward as Mrs Allenby in Woman of No Importance

Best Supporting Actor: Chris Curry as George in All My Sons

Best Supporting Actress: Liz McFearon as Lady Caroline in Woman of No Importance

Best Young Actor: Conor McKeown as Malcolm in Macbeth

Audience Award: Dr Fell