Wellington win the Cinderella Trophy!

Jack and the Beanstalk take the top trophy in amazing awards night

Wellington win the Cinderella Trophy for Jack and the Beanstalk

On Friday evening, the sun shone on the Batch Country House at Lympsham as the great and the good from the world of Somerset panto gathered for the annual Cinderella Trophy Awards Ceremony. There was a party atmosphere as people looked forward with eager anticipation to the announcements of the awards for the 2024/25 pantomime season. Twenty-two societies had entered the competition and they all were represented on the night. And this year was a bumper year for juniors so it was pleasing to see so many of them in attendance too.

Unique among the SFD competitions, the panto nominations are not announced in advance so there was a buzz of excitement and a palpable frisson in the air as people took their seats for the evening. The top award – The Cinderella Trophy – went to Wellington Pantomime Group for their wonderful production of good old panto favourite Jack and the Beanstalk, for which they also won the award for Best Original Script. On a very successful evening for the society, they also picked up the accolade for Best Junior Chorus, Best Junior Animal Act, Best Special Effects and Best Theatre Design. On the musical front, they were given the award for Best Theatre Musicians with Richard Matravers named as Best Male Singer in his capacity as Silly Simon.

Runners-up this year were Wayfarers Pantomime Society from Taunton whose Beauty and the Beast. They picked up the award for Best Theatre Stage Management while Hannah Carolan, who played Belle, won the award for Best Female Singer and the award for Best Principal Girl.

CUDOS celebrate winning the Spotlight Shield for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Best Village pantomime, and winners of the Spotlight Shield, were CUDOS for their version of Snow White (one of five Snow White’s this year!). Their Dwarfs also picked up the award for Best Junior Group. They also won awards for Best Village Musicians and Best Comedic scene with Fred Broom picking up the coveted award as Dame of the Year for his portrayal of Dame Edna Bucket!

Spotlight Shield Runners-up were Roadwater. Their Pinocchio picked awards for Best Make-up, Best Sound and Best Village Design.

The Pint Pot Trophy for a big show on a small stage went to Tintinhull, in only their second season in the competition. They also won awards for Best Audience Involvement, Best Supporting Character (Leonie Dash as Miriam the Magic Mirror), Goodie of the Year (Ann Dalley as Fairy Flora), Villain of the Year (Vicki Singleton as Evilynn), and Principal Boy of the Year (Stephen Mansey as Prince Valiant). Vicki Singleton also won the accolade for best overall performance of the year.

The Moderators award was given to Strode Theatre for their version of Peter Pan. Moderator Sam Allen said, “This was a show that was particularly impressive for it’s originality. It was a fresh, new take on the pantomime genre that embodied all the traditions of pantomime but presented them in a modern and vibrant way with songs, dances, and humour to match. What was also remarkable was the number of young people involved in the show and the talent on display.” The eponymous hero, Peter Pan himself, was played by Edmund Boulton-Roberts, who won awards for Best Junior Male Singer and Best Junior Principal Boy as well as the Bradford Trophy for the Best performance by someone aged 16 or under.

The evening was notable for a number of reasons. Our usual moderator, Nigel Ford, bamboozled the audience with a couple of amazing magic tricks. The staff at the Batch were amazing and the lovely food was served with aplomb. The organisation by coordinator Pam Price was second to none, and the sound, arranged by local DJ Gerry Rushton, meant that every word could be heard clearly throughout the room. And loads of people stayed for his late-night disco!

Adjudicators John Robinson and Sam Allen announced they were standing down after seven and twenty-five years respectively, and Nigel Ford, who returns as moderator next year, announced that two new adjudicators will be joining the team.

Hearty congratulations to all the winners and everyone who received a nomination. Commiserations to those who lost out this year. Your day will come!

You can find the list of all nominations and winners here.

Thanks to everyone who made it all such fun and here’s to a wonderful 2025/26 pantomime season!