SPOSCARS 2024: Southwick Players present their own Oscars, celebrating a year of successful shows

Southwick Players honoured those who had contributed to another successful year of shows with their glittering annual SPOSCARS (Southwick Players Oscars) ceremony at the Barn Theatre on Saturday.

President Debbie Creissen welcomed a full house of members, family and friends, who enjoyed a slick audio-visual, big-screen reminder of the Players' four 2023 productions.

Then it was over to new Sposcars compėre Sam Clements, stepping into the shoes of Barn legend H. Reeves, to announce the nominees for – and winners of – the 10 annual awards for excellence both on stage and behind the scenes.

In keeping with the high standard of entertainment throughout the year, each production could boast at least one winner.

Cream of the crop was the Nettie Sheridan-directed Humble Boy, which won the John Stone Award for best overall production.

Cast members Dan Jones and Louise Yeo also completed a notable double by being named best male actor (Richard Pincott Award) and best supporting female actor respectively.

This repeated the success they enjoyed when the Charlotte Jones play was the Players' entry for the Brighton and Hove Arts Council Drama Awards 2023.

Midsummer comedy The Government Inspector also produced three winners in Richard Lindfield (best director), Graeme Muncer (best supporting male actor) and Lex Lake (best cameo).

The Venetia Baker Award for best female actor went to Kim Aspeling, who played Ruth Ellis (the last woman to be hanged in Britain nearly 70 years ago) in The Thrill of Love, directed by Harry Atkinson.

Kate Armes won the Players' Player Award for a member who had gone above and beyond the call of duty.

No one involved in the December production of A Tale of Two Cities will forget assistant director Kate's heroics, stepping into the breach when director Ron Common had to drop out a few weeks before curtain-up because of illness.

Among Ron and Kate's cast was Nicholas Bushara, who played the barrister Stryver and received the Peter Gullen Award for most promising youth performer.

Last but not least, one of the Players' backstage masterminds – Len Shipton – accepted the Smudge Roberts Award on behalf of the company's workshop team for the best technical and creative achievement.

Maximum credit for the smooth running and high-tech wizardry of the awards evening went to Martin Oakley, Nigel Bubloz, Hilary Smith and Sue Gullen - presided over by Debbie Creissen - not to mention caterer Connie Devlin and hard-working barman Simon Armes.

There was not a single raspberry, golden or otherwise, to be seen all night, unless you counted any that might have been in the desserts.

• There is just under a month to go to Muswell Hill, the Players' next production. Torben Betts' black comedy, depicting a meltdown of a north London dinner party to the distant drumbeat of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, runs at the Barn Theatre, Southwick, from April 10 to 13, curtain-up 7.30pm. Box office: 0333 666 3366. Online: southwickplayers.org.uk