THE Gazette’s theatre reviewer Pat Rudkins gives her awards for 2016

  • Comic Pats first to: Darren Lingley, licensee become Dame at Colne Engaine, Gosfield Players for pleasing the villagers, beaming Castle Players’ fungi, CJ Mewse, Alan Meekings’ brave Dirty Dusting women of Stane Street Players and The Tempest’s Toms, Eddington and Hollister. 
  •  Maplestead’s Sara Knight and Annie Eddington’s Tempest celebrated Shakespeare’s commemorative year. So did Lauri Scrivens’ creation, Shakespeare On Love, for her Castle Players. It was absolutely breathtaking. 
  • Strong women abounded. Returnee, Elizabeth Norman, in Lettice and Lovage, explosive Elin Massey in Bazaar and Rummage, Heidi Bernhard-Bubb, perfectly cast in Shadowlands and Lorna Hollister and Anna James, fearsome in their respective Gaslights.
  •  My top Pat goes to the awesomely versatile, Deborah Mansell. Whether an accent-perfect Liver Bird, with Coggeshall Amateur Theatre Society, or a pitch-perfect Sonia, against the lovely Barry Bridges in Sudbury Musicals Society’s They’re Playing Our Song, she excelled.
  •  So many men performed well. The top award goes to two titans – Neil Arbon, for Shadowlands and Richard Fawcett, for Gaslight and Lettice.
  •  My top Director was SDS Gaslight’s hugely inventive Belinda Hasler, while Peter Drew debuted impressively with Shadowlands.
  • Production Pat of the year? The digestively and dramatically satisfying Short Tails and Tall Tales, presented by Colne Engaine Dramatic Society. Members, Dom Casey and Ian Pike, won Set Designer Pats, but who could forget Ben Haythorpe’s magnificent Double Decker bus, in Vikki V’s Summer Holiday?
  •  Pats also to Wanda Sellar’s We’ll Meet Again, Ann Platten’s Half A Sixpence, Abigail Overall’s The Wedding Singer, Liz Barrow’s dancers and legends Cardy & Coke.
  •  The music success was St Andrew’s Church, Earls Colne’s Midday Concerts. Pats to pianist, Edward Preston and sweet singers, Liz Pottinger and Margaret Hill.
  •  Liz and Margaret are also members of Halstead and District Choral Society, whose members deserve a Pat, for an unexpected delight in their varied repertoire – Poulenc’s Gloria. Hedingham Singers, under the talented Thomas Duchan, get a Pat too, for adding flautist Jessie Tabor, to their concerts.
  •  Among many visual artists, quiltmaker Sara Impey and printmaker Jane Ford, stood out.
  •  Just space for Pats to Halstead Empire, The Quay at Sudbury and Colchester Mercury Theatre. Above all though, thank you to all the societies and individuals.
  • Sadly, RIP actor/director, Trevor Laver and musician extraordinaire, Stephen Kenna. Their contribution was immeasurable.