Arts / Drama festival a ‘genuine’ community event as 2026 winners crowned
MOVING the annual Shetland’s Drama Festival from its spiritual home of the Garrison Theatre to Mareel was not without its challenges, reviewer Carol Jamieson writes.
However the players and backstage crew pulled together to make it as enjoyable and smooth an experience as possible and Shetland Arts staff were wonderfully helpful throughout at the last night of the festival on Wednesday.
Kevin Briggs, chair of Shetland County Drama, was first on stage to welcome us to the event. He did another successful job chairing and managing the occasion. He took time to recognise the efforts of the vice-chair Izzy Swanson and the treasurer Ann Thomson, without whom he said he could not have managed.
The first play was from Sandwick Junior High and Brenna Players with Turn Back Time. Set in a lab in 2026, it featured a bunch of scientists playing with a time machine and their funny adventures meeting up with stone age men as well as vikings and pirates. It put me in mind of the film Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
The lack of props was well compensated for by the graphics projected on the backdrop and the ‘spacey’ music.
A bit of a high spot of the night, for me anyway, was the appearance of a beautifully put together Dalek! Still scary after all these years, it triggered some past trauma in me for sure.
It was quite a feat to position all those young children on the stage at one time, and ensure they all were enjoying themselves, which they were.
Ronas Drama Group with Swedish Ornaments were next to shine. This was a comedic dialect farce by Willie Robertson.
There were only five players but they all injected energy and enthusiasm and moved the production along seamlessly. This was a well rehearsed performance.
Freddie Archer, playing the character of Tom, was onstage the whole time and held the play together very well. The production was well handled with good blocking throughout.
The storyline was based on the disappearance of two Swedish ornaments and the panic that ensues trying to find them before the owner comes back from holiday.
Last play of the night was from Westside Players with A Home For Marge. A wonderful and very funny show written, produced and directed by Doug Forrest, who also managed to find time to act in it as well.
It was set in a care home for senior citizens, and we got the message straight away that we were watching a team of well seasoned actors. It was the kind of feel good story that everyone enjoys.
There were a few laugh-out-loud moments, one being the reaction of the wheelchair-bound Mary (Margaret Forrest) sneaking to the trolley to keep her glass toppedup with wine.
Another, the reaction of the sleeping residents when Marge (Wendy Broadbent) put on very loud rock music. One of the residents, a veteran soldier instantly dropped to his knees grabbing a wastepaper bin for his head and his staff became a rifle. The audience laughed a lot.
The adjudicator, Bruce Adams, is becoming a well-known face here in Shetland. His sensitive and knowledgeable comments are a valuable inspiration for both the seasoned actors and the young ones coming through.
He was very impressed with the high standards of everything from the stage presentation, acting, directing and costumes. Always positive and jocular, he has a warm and relaxed way of putting across the points he wishes to make.
He said this of the event: “The Shetland festival above all, is genuinely friendly and very much a community festival. Believe you me, they are not all like that.”
Kevin rounded of the evening with the usual thanks for all the effort which goes into these events and summed it up nicely by pointing out it would be nothing without the members of the public endeavouring to come out.
“Whatever your reason for coming, we welcome you. And if it may inspire you, a friend or family member to get involved, please get in touch. There will undoubtedly be a group near you who will welcome you with open arms”.
The list of award winners were as follows:
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