Winners of British Final Festival of One Act Plays
Howard De Walden Trophy Winners (Best Production)
2020 & 2021 Festival - Cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Year | Venue | Company | Play | Playwright | Adjudicator |
History |
Photos |
2022 | Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl | Total Arts Community Theatre | Metamorphoses | Mary Zimmerman | David Price GoDA | X | |
2019 | Harrogate Theatre North Yorkshire | Woking College Theatre | Education, Education, Education | The Wardrobe Ensemble | Robert Meadows GoDA | X | X |
2018 | The Macroberts Arts Centre, Stirling | The Players' Theatre | The Bridge | Gabe Torrens | Jennifer Scott-Reid GoDA | X | X |
2017 | The MAC, Belfast | Total Arts Community Theatre | Lear's Daughters | Elaine Feinstein & The Women's Theatre Workshop | Walker Ewart ADA | X | X |
2016 | Sherman Theatre, Cardiff | The Unknown OUTCasts | Contractions | Mike Bartlett | Jan Palmer Sayer GoDA | X | X |
2015 | The Wilde Theatre | Kirkintilloch Players | Her Slightest Touch | Torben Betts | Paul Fowler GoDA | X | X |
2014 | Macrobert Arts Centre | Fintry Amateur Dramatic Society | Victor's Dung | Seamus O'Rourke | Colin Dolley GoDA | X | X |
2013 | Millennium Forum Theatre | Troupers | A Day in the Death of Joe Egg | Peter Nichols | Tom Doherty | X | |
2012 | Torch Theatre, Milford Haven | Kirkton Players | In the Blinking of an Eye | Jeremy Hylton Davies | Ian Sarginson GoDA | X | X |
2011 | Wyvern Theatre | Tryst Theatre 'C' | Art (Act I) | Yasmina Reza | Mike Tilbury GoDA | X | X |
2010 | Village Theatre | Lurig Drama Group | Melody | Deirdre Kinahan | Dr Russell Boyce BA DSD FRSAMD FRSE | X | X |
2009 | Adrhowen Theatre | Kirkton Players | Two | Jim Cartwright | Walker Ewart ADA | X | X |
2008 | Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea | Stewarton Drama Group | One Good Beating | Linda McLean | Chris Jaeger GoDA | X | X |
2007 | Solihull Arts Complex | Total Arts Community Theatre | Find Me | Olwen Wymark | Scott Marshall GoDA | X | X |
2006 | Perth Theatre | Holywood Players | The Invisible Man | Jennifer Johnston | Brian Marjoribanks | X | |
2005 | Riverside Theatre | Another Theatre Company | After Liverpool | James Saunders | Michael O'Hara ADA | X | |
2004 | Aberystwyth Arts Centre | The Young Theatre (at Beaconsfield) | Ball Boys | David Edgar | Chris Yeager GoDA | X | X |
2003 | Gaiety Theatre | Kirkton Players | The Steamie | Tony Roper | Russell Whiteley GoDA | X | |
2002 | Eden Court Theatre, Inverness | Kirkton Players | Bouncers | John Godber | Richard Wilson | X | X |
2001 | Lyric Theatre | Wick Players | A Bench at the Edge | Luigi Jannuzi | William Burns MBE GoDA | X | |
2000 | North Wales Theatre, Llandudno | Runnymeade Drama Group | Lear’s Daughters | The Women’s Theatre Group (from an idea by Elaine Feinstein) | Irene Rostron GoDA | X | X |
1999 | Campus West Theatre | Kirkton Players | The Dumb Waiter | Harold Pinter | Joan Chester-Willis GoDA, LGSM, LLAM (Hons) | X | |
1998 | Falkirk Town Hall | Wick Players | Lone Star | James McLure | Dr Russell Boyce BA DSD FRSAMD FRSE | X | |
1997 | Kirkintilloch Players | The Dancing Fusilier | Mike Tibbetts | ||||
1996 | Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold | Barn Theatre Club | Plaza Suite (Act III) | Neil Simon | Scott Marshall GoDA | X | X |
1995 | Dewsbury Arts Group | The Last Yankee | Arthur Miller | ||||
1994 | Arts Guild Theatre, Greenock | Reigate Amateur Theatrical Society | Ball Boys | David Edgar | Charles Bell | X | X |
1993 | Ardhowen Theatre | Dunaverty Players | A Slight Ache | Harold Pinter | Roma Tomelty | X | |
1992 | Sherman Theatre, Cardiff | Castaway, Aberystwyth | After Liverpool | James Saunders | Ron Whetton GoDA | X | X |
1991 | Little Theatre, Southport | Bangor Drama Club | The Donahue Sisters | Geraldine Aron | Mike Tilbury GoDA | X | |
1990 | Dundee Repertory Theatre | The Headley Players | Bouncers | John Godber | Dr Russell Boyce BA DSD FRSAMD FRSE | X | |
1989 | East Essex Players | Day of the Dog | Graham Swannell | ||||
1988 | Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold | Old Grammarians ADS | The Birthday Party | Harold Pinter | Anthony Cornish GoDA | X | X |
1987 | Stantonbury Theatre | Heath Players, Surrey | Private Lives (Act II) | Noel Coward | Elizabeth Wilson GoDA | X | X |
1986 | Eden Court Theatre, Inverness | The Players' Theatre, Gelligaer | The Forced Marriage | Molière | Irene Rostron GoDA | X | X |
1985 | Riverside Theatre | Riverside Players | Skirmishes | Catherine Hayes | Sam McCready | X | X |
1984 | Sherman Theatre, Cardiff | Bangor Drama Club | Winners | Brian Friel | Roy Seammen LGSM GoDA | X | X |
1983 | Bournemouth Little Theatre Club | Little Eyolf | Henrik Ibsen | ||||
1982 | The Players' Theatre, Gelligaer | Sganarelle | Molière | ||||
1981 | Harrodian Theatre Company | Playing With Fire | Barbara Field | ||||
1980 | Arts Guild Theatre, Greenock | Old Grammarians ADS | The Brute | Anton Chekhov | Tomas MacAnna | X | X |
1979 | Tryst Theatre, Falkirk | Equus (Act I) | Peter Shaffer | ||||
1978 | Extension Theatre Company | Lessons To Be Learned | Dave Lodge | ||||
1977 | Eden Court Theatre, Inverness | The Players' Theatre, Gelligaer | After I’m Gone | Frank Vickery | Bill Bryden | ||
1976 | Colwyn Bay | Slemish Players, Ballymena | No Why | J.W. Lambert | |||
1975 | Lewisham Concert Hall, London | The Clarence Players | Doreen | Anthony Cornish GoDA | |||
1974 | Sherman Theatre, Cardiff | Maidenhead Players (Christian Council) | Was He Anyone? | N. F. Simpson | |||
1973 | Claverley Players | The Miracle Worker | William Gibson | ||||
1972 | Wye Players, Hereford | Trevor | |||||
1971 | Edinburgh | Wye Players, Hereford | How’s The World Treating You | Roger Milner | Raymond Edwards | ||
1970 | Greenock Players | A Shilling for the Beadle | James Scotland | ||||
1969 | Pontllanfraith W.I. | The Nine Fathers | Leslie Bonnet | ||||
1968 | Grove Theatre, Belfast | Paisley Old Grammarians ADS | The Proposal | Anton Chekhov | Ray McAnally | X | X |
1967 | Stirling Amateur Dramatic Club | The Birthday Party | Harold Pinter | ||||
1966 | George Square Players | The Long Christmas Dinner | Thornton Wilder | ||||
1965 | Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Group | Getting and Spending | Michael J. Chepiga | ||||
1964 | Llyn Safaddan Players | They Simply Fade Away | T.C. Thomas | ||||
1963 | Belfast Drama Circle | Heaven Is An Island | |||||
1962 | Greenock Players | Tail-Piece | |||||
1961 | Oxford House Players | God Is My Mountain | |||||
1960 | St Dunstan’s Players, Bristol | In The Zone | |||||
1959 | Belfast Drama Circle | Liberation | |||||
1958 | Edinburgh People's Theatre | Who Loves Moraig (Act I) | Jack Ronder | ||||
1957 | Grangetown Boys Club Drama Group | Sordid Story | J.A.S Coppard | ||||
1956 | Greenock Players | The Reeves Tale | |||||
1955 | Llyn Safaddan Players | Davy Jones Dinner | T.C. Thomas | ||||
1954 | Octave Theatre Club, Northwood | The Wedding Morning | |||||
1953 | The Barrhead Players Club, Glasgow | The Masterful Wife | |||||
1952 | Sutton Amateur Dramatic Club | The Heiress (Act II) | Ruth & Augustus Goetz | ||||
1951 | The Barrhead Players Club, Glasgow | Displaced Persons | Elizabeth Milne | ||||
1950 | West Hertfordshire Players Club | The Proposal | Anton Chekhov | ||||
1949 | Birmingham International Centre | Pullman Car Hiawatha | Thorton Wilder | ||||
1948 | Aberdare Little Theatre | Birds of a Feather | Thomas Doran | ||||
1947 | Newport Civil Defence Dramatic Society | Jephthah’s Daughter | Elma Levinger | ||||
Suspended for WWII | |||||||
1939 | Unity Theatre Club, London | Plant in the Sun | Ben Bengal | ||||
1938 | Midland Bank Dramatic Society, London | Count Albany | Donald Carswell | ||||
1937 | Newcastle Central Y.M.C.A. Drama Club | The Willing Spirit | |||||
1936 | Guild of Abbey Players, Abingdon | The Spartan Girl | |||||
1935 | Welwyn Thalians | Not This Man | |||||
1934 | Barr & Stroud Dramatic Society | What Every Woman Knows (Act I) | |||||
1933 | Birkenhead Institute Old Boys Dramatic Society | The Road of Poplars | Vernon Sylvaine | ||||
1932 | The Players Club, Beaconsfield | On the High Road | |||||
1931 | Falkirk High School F.P.D.C. | Ardvorlich’s Wife | Gordon Bottomley | ||||
1930 | Hampstead Play & Pageant Union | The Man Who Wouldn’t Go To Heaven | F. Sladen-Smith | ||||
1929 | Liverpool Playgoers | The Devil Among The Skins | Ernest Goodwin | ||||
1928 | Ardrossan & Saltcoats Players | The Old Lady Shows Her Medals | J.M. Barrie | ||||
1927 | Welwyn Garden Society | Mr Sampson | John Sherman |
We’re working on building our history and photo archives of winners (and others at finals and other events). If you can help with any photos or other items that you think might be of interest, please get in touch. We'd also like to hear your personal memories of these events: these will be added to the history pages.
Updated November 2022