TV’S CLAIRE GOOSE TO OPEN THE HUNSTANTON ONE ACT DRAMA FESTIVAL 2023
- By Elaine Bird
- 29 June 2023
- Hunstanton
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With ten plays over three days the Drama Festival will have something for everyone.
Friday June 30th will see the Opening Night of the Hunstanton One-Act Drama Festival as it takes its annual slot at The Princess Theatre for a three day run and Festival Director Stephen Hayter is delighted to announce local celebrity, Dersingham’s own Claire Goose.
Claire was born in Edinburgh but was brought up in Norfolk and has starred and appeared in a huge number of UK shows and series including The Coroner, The Bill, Nurse Tina Sea Seabrook in BBC1’s Casualty and DS Mel Silver in Waking the Dead.
Stephen Hayter said of this year’s event: “I am delighted that of the ten performances on offer in 2023, four of them are original works and that all of the competing groups from 2022 are returning, along with a new group coming all the way from South Normanton in Derbyshire!”
The Festival will see eight adult productions, two youth productions and a total of 77 performers on stage as they all compete for 12 cups and shields. Each group has a minimum of 25, and a maximum of 50 minutes to perform a dramatic piece that may include music, but must not be from a musical. It can be a complete one-act play or an excerpt from a full length text. They can also choose an established title or an original composition.
Stephen Hayter (right) with Brian Hallard of the Princess Theatre at last year's festival.
The event is supported in three ways. Primarily by a grant from the Borough Council of Kings Lynn and West Norfolk but also with reduced rates at the Princess Theatre and advertisements placed in the Festival Brochure by local businesses``.
Mr Hayter explained: “The money received by the organising committee is used to publicise the event and to subsidise ticket prices and entry fees keeping them as low as possible. This year’s Festival will (once again) see competing groups paying no fees, and ticket prices held at 2022 levels.
“Also, because it is a Festival, it is our dearest wish that people see all the plays on offer and, because of our funding, they can do that for just £20. That’s five sessions (matinees and evenings) including the Gala Award Ceremony on the Sunday night. They can also come and see any particular session for £7.50 which will contain two or three productions depending on which session they choose”.
Details of everything connected to the Hunstanton One-Act Drama Festival can be found on the website WWW.oneactdramafestival,.com or by contacting the Princess Theatre Box Office on 01485 532252