By Lesley Eltringham
At the National Operatic and Dramatic Awards evening at the Grand Hotel, Gosforth Park, Ponteland Rep won the BEST DRAMA award for The Crucible, the 2019 Spring production. This is an outstanding achievement for our local society and followed the true story of the Salem witch trials which occurred in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693.
This is a complex and difficult play but the whole company challenged it with enthusiasm, determination and energy. Difficult lines took hours to learn and rehearsals were long but paid off with a brilliant result from our local amateur actors and production team. Carole Davies directed with her usual skill and experience. There are too many hard-working individuals involved in the production to mention them all but the stars Jules Stevenson Warrender as Elizabeth Proctor and Jonny Woollett as John Proctor deserve a special mention for their superb performances, provoking real tears in some of the audience.