Theatre Festival 2026 – Nominations

Here are the nominations for the 2025-2026 Theatre Festival awards.
Presentation of the awards to the winners are planned for our Theatre Awards Evening at the Atlantic Hotel  in Newquay on Saturday 17th October.
Why not join our Theatre Festival  Facebook page.
Our congratulations go to all those who have been nominated.

CDA AWARD FOR BEST SET IN A MUSICAL

  • Trewoon Pantomime GroupAladdin’
  • Falmouth Theatre Company ‘The Sound of Music’
  • Boom Theatre ‘Cats’
  • Ruthern Valley Players ‘Sinbin the Sailor’

CHRISTINE WOOLF AWARD FOR FINE ENSEMBLE PLAYING – EITHER CATEGORY

  • Penzance Musical Theatre Company ‘Calendar Girls
  • Boom Theatre ‘Cats
  • St Austell Amateur Operatic Society ‘Come From Away’
  • Gweek Players ‘A Cornish Conviction’
  • Newquay Dramatic Society ‘Handbagged’

PAULA THORNTON AWARD FOR BEST COSTUMES IN A PLAY

  • Helston Theatre Company ‘The Crucible
  • Gweek Players ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles
  • Newquay Dramatic Society ‘Handbagged
  • Touch Theatre ‘The 39 Steps’

CDA AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MUSICALS and PANTOMIMES

  • Alex Pearce as Muddles in ‘Sleeping Beauty’ St Blazey Amateur Operatic Society
  • Isabella Pritchard as Paulette Buonufonte in ‘Legally Blonde the Musical’ Young Generation
  • Alice Waterfield as Beverley in ‘Come From Awayl’ St Austell Amateur Operatic Society
  • Kieran Faithfull as Lester in ‘Dick Whittington’ Helston Theatre Company
  • Curtis Harper as Slimeball in ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ Sticker Village Players

EILEEN STRATTON TROPHY FOR BEST SET IN A PLAY

  • Veryan Players ‘Home I’m Daling
  • Helston Theatre Company ‘The Crucible
  • Perranporth Players ‘Cluedo’

MARY DOWNIE AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY

  • Adam Clark as Actor 2 in ‘Handbagged’ Newquay Dramatic Society
  • Rob Cording-Cook as Parris in ‘The Crucible’ Helston Theatre Company

CAROL TAYLOR AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY

  • Sam Laity as Elizabeth Proctor in ‘The Crucible’ Helston Theatre Company
  • Tabby Lammas as Dr Watson in ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ Gweek Players
  • Milly Shand as Sir Henry Baskerville in ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ Gweek Players

CDA AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING COSTUMES IN A MUSICAL or PANTOMIME

  • Karnon Kidz ‘The Addams Family
  • Trewoon Pantomime Group ‘Aladdin’
  • Helston Theatre Company ‘Dick Whittington’
  • St Stephen Pantomime Company ‘Cinderella’
  • Roche Pantomime Players ‘Treasure Island’

SALLY ROBINSON TROPHY FOR OUTSTANDING MUSICAL PERFORMANCE

  • The orchestra for .’The Sound of Music’ Falmouth Theatre Company
  • Annie Sheen for I’m Losing My Mind in ‘Movies To Musicals’ Helston Theatre Company
  • Henry Rutherford as Rum Tum Tugger in ‘Cats’ Boom Theatre

ROY CROSLEY AWARD FOR A YOUNG ACTOR OF 18 OR UNDER – EITHER CATEGORY

The winner will be announced on the night

PEPPER AWARD FOR BEST ONE ACT PLAY

  • There are no nominations this year

CDA AWARD FOR BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A MUSICAL or PANTOMIME

  • Young Generation ‘Legally Blonde the Musical’
  • Trewoon Pantomime Groups ‘Aladdin’
  • Roche Pantomime Players ‘Treasure Island
  • Probus Parish Players ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’

JOHN WALTON AWARD FOR THE BEST YOUTH PERFORMANCE

  • The Karnon Kidz Cast of Blood Brothers Carnon Downs Drama Group
  • Archie Donohoe/Otto Inkin/Kasey Coghlan as Danny/Tommo/Jenny in ‘Calendar Girls’ Penzance Musical Theatre
  • Asha Robinson as Wednesday in ‘The Addams Family’ Karnon Kidz – Carnon Downs Drama Group
  • Morveren Crouch/Perran Bate as Princess Aurora/Prince Arthur in ‘Sleeping Beauty’ St Blazey Amateur Operatic Society
  • Noah Richards as Buttons in ‘Cinderella’ St Stephen Pantomime Company

RICHARD POULTER TROPHY FOR BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY

  • Kieran Faithfull as Proctor in ‘The Crucible’ Helston Theatre Company
  • Kim Rowe as Frank in ‘Educating Rita’ St Austell Players
  • Ben Jones as Wadsworth in ‘Cluedo’ Perranporth Players

EILEEN STRATTON TROPHY FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY

  • Maddie Spinks as Mary Bryant in ‘A Cornish Conviction’ Gw eek Players
  • Jenny Adams as Clown 1 in ‘The 39 Steps’ Touch Theatre
  • Charlie Chidgey as Hannay in ‘The 39 Steps’ Touch Theatre
  • Bex Rogers as Rita in ‘Educating Rita’ St Austell Players

PAMELA DINSMORE AWARD FOR TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT IN EITHER CATEGORY

  • Ruthern Valley Players ‘Sinbin the Sailor’ for the self-propelling broom and the snake charming device, as well as impressive backdrops
  • St Stephen Pantomime Group ‘Cinderella’ for the magical ballgown transformation
  • Touch Theatre ‘The 39 steps’ for an imaginative and versatile set
  • Boom Theatre ‘Cats’ for overall admirable Production Technical Design

CDA AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

  • Stevie Thomas as Mr Poppy in ‘Nativity the Musical’ Penzance Musical Theatre
  • Cameron King as Robin in ‘Robin Hood’ Newquay Stage Company
  • Toby Nicholas as Max Deitweiller in ‘The Sound Of Music’ Falmouth Theatre Company

CDA AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

  • Rosy Clarke as Maria in ‘The Sound of Music’ Falmouth Theatre Company
  • Terri Munday as Annie in ‘Calendar Girls’ Penzance Musical Theatre Company
  • Miriam McDonagh as Elle Woods in ‘Legally Blonde the Musical’ Young Generation

CDA Award for Outstanding Performance in a Pantomime

  • Police Comedy Duo  in ‘Aladdin’  Trewoon Pantomime Group
  • Grace Benney as Mowser in ‘Dick Whittington’ Helston Theatre Company
  • Maia Kimpton as Cinderella in ” Ruthern Valley Players

DORIS BERRYMAN TROPHY FOR BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL

  • Kathy West for ‘Come From Away’ St Austell Amateur Operatic Society
  • Lisa Topsey for ‘The Sound of Music’ Falmouth Theatre Company
  • Ashley Spear for ‘Legally Blonde the Musical’ Young Generation

FRED SHEPHERD TROPHY FOR BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY

  • Logan Fox for ‘Blood Brothers’ Carnon Downs Drama Group
  • Kath Archer for ‘The 39 Steps’ Touch Theatre
  • Alex Ould for ‘The Crucible’ Helston Theatre Company
  • Penny Mergler for ‘Educating Rita’ St Austell Players

FREDDIE ROWE AWARD

(presented by the CDA chairman). Announced on the night.

CHRIS HANSELL AWARD FOR BEST PANTOMIME

  • Trewoon Pantomime Group ‘Aladdin’
  • Helston Theatre Company ‘Dick Whittington’
  • St Blazey Amateur Operatic Society ‘Sleeping Beauty’

CDA TROPHY FOR BEST PLAY

  • Gweek Players ‘A Cornish Conviction’
  • Touch Theatre ‘The 39 Steps’
  • Newquay Dramatic Society ‘Handbagged’
  • Helston Theatre Company ‘The Crucible’
  • St Austell Players ‘Educating Rita’

CDA TROPHY FOR BEST MUSICAL PRODUCTION

  • Falmouth Theatre CompanyThe Sound of Music’
  • St Austell Amateur Operatic Society ‘Come From Away’
  • Helston Theatre Company ‘Movies to Musicals’

SPECIAL AWARDS

Special awards will be announced on the night