We are celebrating success this month as, together with Preppies Youth Theatre, we picked up 7 nominations and 3 District Awards at the North East region of the National Operatic and Dramatic Association Awards at the Grand Hotel Gosforth Park on Saturday 7th October for our production of The Wizard of Oz at Ponteland Memorial Hall.
Three of the community’s young actors, Bryony Wilkinson, Jack Stuart and Matthew Hunter were recognised for their individual performances and the production also won overall Youth Production for our district.
Director, Hayley Grant, had this to say: “It’s fantastic for both the Rep and Preppies to be recognised in this way. We were just so pleased to finally be able to stage the show after so many false starts during Covid. Winning an award is just the icing on the cake and really great for the whole cast and crew who worked so hard – over such a long period of time. We are so grateful to our loyal Ponteland audiences who came back to see us. As a charity we really couldn’t put on a show without them – this year we even ‘crowd sourced’ the plants for our on-stage garden thanks to Ponteland residents!”
The Rep goes from strength to strength – increasing the variety, frequency and venues of its theatrical offerings to Ponteland and the surrounding areas. Since the production of Wizard, the society has staged a very highly reviewed production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, a theatrical choir performance in St Mary’s Church, a new venue for the society, and, most recently an +18 Improvised Comedy night at Ponteland Memorial Hall where audiences ‘didn’t stop laughing for the entire show’.
Chairman, Jason Long, says “The Rep has been at the heart of Ponteland community events for over 100 years. It’s great that we can evolve to put on a wide range of events to suit all ages and tastes and provide a fabulous, cost effective night out at the theatre in these difficult times. We’re a friendly and inclusive society – we have recently been fortunate enough to attract several new members to the society, but we are always looking for more – onstage or backstage. You can get in touch with us through our website, Facebook page or Instagram account. Hopefully we will continue to grow and serve Ponteland and the Tyne Valley for another 100 years!”
Looking forward, we are hard at work rehearsing for our annual musical which, this year, is a pantomime take on Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. It will be staged at Ponteland Memorial Hall from Friday 17th to Sunday 19th November and is sure to be great fun for all the family! Get your tickets now using the link below.
