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The village of Silverdale is celebrating the announcement that its amateur drama group has won no less than 10 prestigious National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA) Northwest District 11 Awards.

NODA’s District 11 covers North Lancashire and South Cumbria (Lancaster, Garstang, Barrow-in-Furness, South Lakeland, Lunesdale & Ulverston).

The awards celebrate the achievements of groups and individuals for productions performed during the previous 12 months.

In April 2024, the Silverdale Village Players staged the play ‘A Bunch of Amateurs’ written by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman, and last December performed the pantomime ‘The Snow Queen’ written

The cast of ‘A Bunch of Amateurs’ back from left: Pete Rushton, Liz Unsworth, Mitch Noon, Willow Parker, Keith Hildrew, Audrey Mason, Lorraine Speak, Simon Williams, Front from left: Margie Parker, Pete Barfoot, and Rosie Shone. Photo: David Talbot

by Kei Bailey.

All nights for both productions were sold out weeks before the performances.

Winning these awards means that the drama group is in the running for the top NODA Northwest Region Awards, which will be announced on May 4 at a special Awards Dinner held at the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel.

Rehearsals are well underway for this year’s spring production - ‘Miscommunication’, featuring two short plays, a sketch, and monologues.

Pete Rushton as Cryogenica, The Snow Queen. Photo: David Talbot.

The plays are written by Rachael Shone, whose ‘Rapunzel’ won last year’s NODA NW Region Awards for Best Pantomime.

Performances are at the Gaskell Hall on Friday April 4 and Saturday April 5.

Tickets will be available from the Silverdale Pharmacy, Emesgate Lane, LA5 0RA from Monday, March 17.

The District 11 (Adult) Award Categories, for performances staged during 2024, won by The Silverdale Village Players are:

A Bunch of Amateurs:

*Best Comedy Performance in a Drama – Simon Williams and Lorraine Speak (as The Minstrels)

*Best Staging of a Drama

*Best Leading Male Character in a Drama – Pete Barfoot (as Jefferson Steel)

*Best Leading Female Character in a Drama – Audrey Mason (as Dorothy Nettle)

*Best Director of a Drama – Muriel Hildrew and Kathy Talbot

*Best Drama

The Snow Queen:

*Best Pantomime Villain – Pete Rushton (as Cryogenica, The Snow Queen)

*Best Pantomime Dame – John Auckland (as Auntie Prudence Puddledub)

*Best Director of a Pantomime – Pete Barfoot

*Best Pantomime.

The Silverdale Village Players are an amateur dramatics society based in the village of Silverdale, near Lancaster in the north west of England.

Lancaster village pantos scoop 10 awards at prestigious ceremony