Cotswold Players’ Theatre Oscars Celebrate “Incredibly Talented” Performances

Honours were shared between two of last season’s plays when “Private Lives” and “All My Sons” were named as Best Production when the Cotswold Players staged their annual theatre awards ceremony as part of their AGM this month on Tuesday September 3.

The judges also found it hard to choose who should be named as Best Actor in a Female Role giving joint honours to Sarah Wiggins for her role as Amanda in “Private Lives” and to Janette Deacon, appearing in Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons”.

The Cotswold Players Chair, Judy Free, described the club’s two-hundred-and-forty-four members as “an incredibly talented bunch” and praised them for contributing to “a phenomenal, full and fantastic year when the quality of the productions just got better and better”.

”The icing on the cake was being honoured by the Royal Shakespeare Company to be one of just five companies from across the country to be chosen to present our own production “All The World’s A Stage” as part of their summer season at Stratford on Avon,” she said.

A packed evening also saw Phil Domaille named as Best Actor in a Male Role while the Best Supporting Actors’ awards went to Helen Voyce, who also appeared in “All My Sons”, and to Tom Price, who played Smike in “Nicholas Nickleby”.

Other awards recognised Rob Clifford and the team behind “Treasure Island” for Technical Achievement, and to Rob Owen for his set design for “Private Lives”.

Champagne Moment was judged to be Sophie Hine’s narration as Jim in “Treasure Island” while the Infant Prodigy dance in “Nicholas Nickleby” was named as Best Magical Musical Moment.

Those working backstage and in supporting roles were also honoured with Lee Simcox recognised as Best Newcomer for his “calm and cool” work on lighting productions, Best Contribution by a Member aged Under 25 went to Freya Simson-Hooper for her work on “Treasure Island” and Terry Ball was noted for her Greatest Contribution as a non-board member.

New productions planned for 2025 were also announced at the AGM, including Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencranz and Guildenstern Are Dead”, “Frankenstein”, “The History Boys” and the ever-popular “Sound of Music”, celebrating sixty years since the film premiered.