The Play of the Year is a three act play festival where the adjudicator
travels round to the group's normal venue to view one of the normal public
productions .
The suggestion for a full length play competition was made
to the NANDA Executive Council in the summer of 1961 by Albert Hunter
following his appointment as Honorary Secretary of the Association.
The idea was for member groups to be assessed on their own premises
by a Panel of Adjudicators appointed by the Executive Council.
The play being awarded the most marks would be repeated at a central venue
within a few weeks of the end of the competiton so that member groups
could become more aware of the standards of acting and presentation.
The first competition effectively ran from January to Easter 1962.
Eight groups entered this first competition. These were
Arcade Players, Burton Joyce Players, Collingham Players, Rolls-Royce(Hucknall),
Wollaton Drama Group, Worksop Dramatic Society and the YMCA Theatre Group.
Woodside Players was a Junior (Under 21) group entry.
Problems arose from the shortage of time,
the difficulties of co-ordinating the attendances of panel of adjudicators
and in re-presenting the winning play several months after its original
performance and in quite a different setting.
The Competition gradually evolved to its present form over a number of years.
The early adjudication panels were drawn from Joyce Bromley, Dan Shaw,
Elspeth Whitaker, Tony Armstrong, Pat Johnson and Reg Westcott.
Award Ceremony
The Play-of-the-Year Awards are presented, by the
Adjudicator, at the Annual Dinner.
