A year on from Perth, the British Final moved to The Garrick Theatre, Lichfield to decide the winner of the Howard de Waldon Trophy in 2025. Blessed with fine weather, the weekend offered a warm welcome and a chance to celebrate drama with friends old and new.
Friday evening opened with MC David White welcoming the audience and adjudicator Chris Jaeger. The Together Community Gospel Choir set the festival mood with three uplifting songs that had the audience joining in.
Nantwich Players (England) opened the competition with Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons by Sam Steiner. Exploring a world limited to 140 spoken words a day, the play combined inventive choreography, projections and energetic performances to make a strong start.
Wales followed with PMA Theatre’s Echoes in the Static, set in a WWII radio station during a violent storm. Themes of love, loss and blurred reality were supported by atmospheric sound and a detailed, realistic set.
In his adjudication, Chris Jaeger praised Nantwich’s teamwork, pace and imaginative staging. Of Echoes in the Static, he commended its originality, strong design and effects, while noting that sound levels occasionally masked dialogue.
Saturday began with a civic reception hosted by Mayor Claire Pinder-Smith, followed by the exchange of gifts between the four nations. The morning concluded with a rehearsed reading of the Geoffrey Whitworth Award-winning play I Know a Place by Tony Domaille, presented by TACT.
Saturday evening opened with Northern Ireland’s Bart Players performing Neil Simon’s Visitor from Mamoroneck, a well-paced mix of comedy and poignancy centred on a troubled marriage anniversary.
Scotland closed the competition with Bon Accord Players’ Storytelling by Oliver Emanuel, a powerful piece using imaginative staging, lighting and music to explore identity and the healing power of stories.
Chris Jaeger praised the consistently high standard across the weekend, highlighting strong ensemble work, creative direction and confident use of pace and silence.
At the awards ceremony, the Friendship Quaich was presented to Teri McCarthy, inviting everyone to Theatr Clwyd, Mold, in 2026. With just one mark separating the top two, Nantwich Players were announced as winners of the Howard de Waldon Trophy.
The festival ended with a final supper in the studio theatre, where everyone agreed it had been another memorable British Final and looked ahead to meeting again in Mold.