| United Kingdom Community Drama Festivals Federation | |
| Location: | Location of participating festivals varies |
| Founded: | 1927 |
| Play Type: | One Act Plays |
| Date: | July for the British Final Festival of One Act Plays |
The UKCDFF (formerly known as National Festival of Community Theatre), established in 1927, is a United Kingdom-based celebration of amateur theatre at the local, national and UK level. Each year, the national amateur organisations in the home nations promote a series of one-act play festivals and, through various eliminating rounds, take part in the final stage. The final stage is called the British Final Festival of One Act Plays, and includes companies and enthusiasts from all over the UK. A Standing Committee of representatives of the four countries has overall control of the Festival, with each country in turn taking the responsibility for organising it.
The four partners in the United Kingdom Community Drama Festivals Federation are:
The festivals provide an opportunity for amateur companies to appear in new and varying venues before widely differing audiences, to receive constructive criticism from a qualified adjudicator (GoDA), and to compare the standard of their own work with that of the other companies taking part. For audiences, the public adjudication of performances offers a deeper understanding and appreciation of theatre.
The productions from Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland will all have been publicly adjudicated at each stage. The overall winner receives the Howard de Walden Ewer award.
Local festivals lead selected companies to a National Final Festival in each country, from which one company is selected to represent its country at the British Final Festival. All four annual rotating host countries of the Final remain in contact throughout the eliminating competition.[1]
The winners of the festival are presented with the Howard de Walden Trophy.
| Year | Nat | Winners | Participants | Venue | Location | Adjudicator | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| . | . | . | England | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales | ||||
| 2012 | Kirkton Players | Total Arts Community Theatre | The Clarence Players | Kirkton Players | Blackwood Little Theatre | Torch Theatre | Milford Haven, Wales | Ian Sarginson GoDA | ||
| 2011 | Tryst Theatre ‘C’ | Old Town Theatre Company | The Newpoint Players | Tryst Theatre ‘C’ | New ‘Tabs’ Players | Wyvern Theatre | Swindon, England | Mike Tilbury GoDA | ||
| 2010 | Lurig Drama Group Cushendall | Oasis Youth Theatre | Lurig Drama Group Cushendall | Thistle Theatre Company | The Unknown Theatre Company | The Village Theatre | Pitlochry, Scotland | Dr Russell Boyce BA DSD FRSAMD FRSE | ||
| 2009[2] | Kirkton Players | Total Arts Community Theatre | The Clarence Players | Kirkton Players | New "Tabs" Theatre | Ardhowen Theatre | Enniskillen, Northern Ireland | Walker Ewart GoDA | ||
| 2008 | Stewarton Drama Group | St Paul's Drama Group | The Holywood Players | Stewarton Drama Group | Blackwood Little Theatre | Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea University | Swansea, Wales | Chris Jaeger GoDA | ||
| 2007 | Total Arts Community Theatre | Total Arts Community Theatre | Theatre 3, Newtownabbey | Wick Players | The Players Theatre (Gelligaer) | Solihull Arts Complex, Solihull | Birmingham, England | Scott Marshall GODA | ||
| 2006 | Holywood Players | St. Ursula Players | Holywood Players | Kirkintilloch Players | Phoenix Theatre Company | Perth Theatre, Perth | Perth, Scotland | Brian Marjoribanks | ||
| 2005 | Another Theatre Company | Another Theatre Company | Kirkton Players | Tenby Players | Riverside Theatre, Coleraine | Coleraine, Northern Ireland | Michael O'Hara | |||
| 2004 | The Young Theatre (at Beaconsfield) | The Young Theatre (at Beaconsfield) | Theatre 3, Newtownabbey | Tryst Theatre | New Tabernacle Players | Aberystwyth Arts Centre, | Aberystwyth, Wales | Chris Yeager | ||
| 2003 | Kirkton Players | St. Austell Players | Theatre 3, Newtownabbey | Kirkton Players | Players Anonymous | Gaiety Theatre, | Douglas, Isle of Man | |||
| 2002 | Kirkton Players | Runnymede Drama Group | Kirkton Players | New Tabernacle Players | Eden Court Theatre | Inverness | Richard Wilson | |||
| 2001 | Wick Players | Riverside Players | Bangor Drama Club | Wick Players | Car Boot Theatre Company | , | Belfast | Billy Burns MBE, BA (GODA) | ||
| 2000 | Runnymede Drama Group | Runnymede Drama Group | Kirkton Players | Players Theatre | North Wales Theatre, Llandudno | Llandudno, Wales | Irene Rostron | |||
| 1999 | Kirkton Players | Total Arts Community Theatre Co. | Kirkton Players | Phoenix Theatre Company | , | , | ||||
| 1998 | Wick Players | Pump House Theatre Company | Wick Players | Phoenix Theatre Company | , | , | ||||
| 1997 | Kirkintilloch Players | Broseley Amateur Dramatic Society | Kirkintilloch Players | Phoenix Theatre Company | Northern Ireland | , | ||||
| 1996 | Barn Theatre Club, Welwyn Garden City | Barn Theatre Club, Welwyn Garden City | Stromness Drama Club | Telstars Theatre Company | , | , | ||||
| 1995 | Dewsbury Arts Group | Dewsbury Arts Group | Tryst Theatre | Telstars Theatre Company | , | , | ||||
| 1994 | Reigate Amateur Theatrical Society | Reigate Amateur Theatrical Society | Lochcarron ADS | Players Anonymous | Arts Guild Theatre | Greenock, Scotland | ||||
| 1993 | Dunaverty Players | Runnymede Drama Group | Dunaverty Players | Castaway, Aberystwyth | Ardhowen Theatre, | Enniskillen, Northern Ireland | Roma Tomelty | |||
| 1992 | Castaway, Aberystwyth | Dewsbury Arts Theatre | George Square Players | Castaway, Aberystwyth | , | , | ||||
| 1991 | Bangor Drama Club | Players Theatre, Skelmersdale | Bangor Drama Club | Tryst Theatre | Castaway, Aberystwyth | , | , | |||
| 1990 | The Headley Players, Bristol | The Headley Players, Bristol | Old Grammarians ADS | , | , | |||||
| 1989 | East Essex Players, Southend on Sea | East Essex Players, Southend on Sea | Crossmichael Drama Club | , | , | |||||
| 1988 | Old Grammarians ADS | Players Theatre, Skelmersdale | Old Grammarians ADS | , | , | |||||
| 1987 | Heath Players, Box Hill, Surrey | Heath Players, Box Hill, Surrey | Tryst Theatre | , | , | |||||
| 1986 | Players Theatre, Rhondda | Headley Players, Bristol | Lochcarron ADS | Players Theatre, Rhondda | , | , | ||||
| 1985 | Riverside Players, Heswall | Riverside Players, Heswall | Falkirk Players | Parc and Dare Theatre Company | , | , | ||||
| 1984 | Bangor Drama Club | Barn Theatre Club, Welwyn Garden City | Liberton Kirk Drama Group | Bangor Drama Club Note 1 | , | , | ||||
| 1983 | Bournemouth Little Theatre club | Bournemouth Little Theatre club | Eastwood Entertainers | , | , | |||||
| 1982 | Players Theatre, Rhondda | Barn Theatre Club, Welwyn Garden City | Tryst Theatre | Players Theatre, Rhondda | , | , | ||||
| 1981 | Harodian Theatre, London | Harodian Theatre, London | Eastwood Entertainers | Berwyn Amateur Theatre Club | , | , | ||||
| 1980 | Old Grammarians ADS | Maidenhead Players | Old Grammarians ADS | Ynysybwl Theatre Group | , | , | ||||
| 1979 | Tryst Theatre | Barn Theatre Club, Welwyn Garden City | Tryst Theatre | Ynysybwl Theatre Group | , | , | ||||
| 1978 | Extension Theatre Company | Extension Theatre Company | George Square Players | Players Theatre | , | , | ||||
| 1977 | Players Theatre, Rhondda | Riverside Players, Heswall | Broadford Drama Group | Players Theatre, Rhondda | , | , | ||||
| 1976 | Slemish Players, Ballymena | St Ursula Players, Bristol | Slemish Players, Ballymena | Thurso Players | , | , | ||||
| 1975 | Maidenhead Players [Christian Council] | Maidenhead Players [Christian Council] | Dunaverty Players | , | , | |||||
| 1974 | Clarence Players, Belfast | Maidenhead Players | Clarence Players, Belfast | Larbert High School F P D S | , | , | ||||
| 1973 | Claverley ? | Claverley Theatre Club | George Square Players | , | , | |||||
| 1972 | Wye Players, Hereford | Wye Players, Hereford | The Florians, Inverness | , | , | |||||
| 1971 | Wye Players, Hereford | Wye Players, Hereford | Old Grammarians ADS | , | , | |||||
| 1970 | Greenock Players | Whitley Bay Theatre Club | Greenock Players | , | , | |||||
| 1969 | Pontllanfraith W I | Sands Players (USA Airforce) | Troon Players | Pontllanfraith W I | , | , | ||||
| 1968 | Old Grammarians ADS | Y.M.C.A. Players, Hereford | Old Grammarians ADS | , | , | |||||
| 1967 | Stirling Amateur Dramatic Society | South Norwood A.T.W.G. | Stirling Amateur Dramatic Society | , | , | |||||
| 1966 | George Square Players | Rickmansworth Players | George Square Players | , | , | |||||
| 1965 | Edinburgh Graduate Theatre | Stewart & Lloyds A.D.S. | Edinburgh Graduate Theatre | , | , | |||||
| 1964 | Llynsafaddan Players | Harlequins Theatre Co. Carshalton | Stirling Amateur Drama Club | Llynsafaddan Players | , | , | ||||
| 1963 | Belfast Drama Circle | Southampton Student Players | Belfast Drama Circle | Kirkwall Arts Club | , | , | ||||
| 1962 | Greenock Players | Link Players, Manchester | Greenock Players | , | , | |||||
| 1961 | Oxford House Players | Oxford House Players | Riverside Former Pupils D C, Stirling | , | , | |||||
| 1960 | St Dunstan's Players, Bristol | St Dunstan's Players, Bristol | George Square Players | , | , | |||||
| 1959 | Belfast Drama Circle | Y.M.C.A. Players, Hereford | Belfast Drama Circle | Nairn Drama Club | , | , | ||||
| 1958 | Edinburgh People's Theatre | Edinburgh People's Theatre | , | , | ||||||
| 1957 | Grangetown Boys' Club D G, Middlesbrough | Grangetown Boys' Club D G, Middlesbrough | Greenock Players | , | , | |||||
| 1956 | Greenock Players | Greenock Players | , | , | ||||||
| 1955 | Llynsafaddan Players | Huntly Gordon School F P D C | Llynsafaddan Players | , | , | |||||
| 1954 | Octave Theatre Club, Northwood | Octave Theatre Club, Northwood | Torch Theatre Club | , | , | |||||
| 1953 | Barrhead Players' Club | Barrhead Players' Club | , | , | ||||||
| 1952 | Sutton Amateur Dramatic Club | Sutton Amateur Dramatic Club | Glasgow Jewish Institute Players | , | , | |||||
| 1951 | Barrhead Players' Club | Barrhead Players' Club | , | , | ||||||
| 1950 | West Hertfordshire Players' Club | West Hertfordshire Players' Club | Paisley Old Grammarians A D S | , | , | |||||
| 1949 | Birmingham International Centre | Birmingham International Centre | Paisley St John's Church Dramatic Club | , | , | |||||
| 1948 | Little Theatre, Aberdare | Barrhead Players' Club | Little Theatre, Aberdare | , | , | |||||
| 1947 | Newport Civil Defence Dramatic Society | Torch Theatre Club | Newport Civil Defence Dramatic Society | , | , | |||||
| 1940 to 1946 | align=center style="background: #efefef;" | Break of 7 years for the duration of World War II | ||||||||
| 1939 | Unity Theatre Club, London | Unity Theatre Club, London | Stirling Amateur Dramatic Club | , | , | |||||
| 1938 | Midland Bank Dramatic Society, London | Midland Bank Dramatic Society, London | Ardeer Recreation Club Drama Section | , | , | |||||
| 1937 | Newcastle Central Y W C A Drama Club | Newcastle Central Y W C A Drama Club | Newbattle Burns Club Dramatic Society | , | , | |||||
| 1936 | Guild of Abbey Players, Abingdon | Guild of Abbey Players, Abingdon | Forfar Dramatic Society | , | , | |||||
| 1935 | Welwyn Thalians | Welwyn Thalians | Edinburgh Elocution Club | , | , | |||||
| 1934 | Barr & Stroud Dramatic Society, Glasgow | Barr & Stroud Dramatic Society, Glasgow | , | , | ||||||
| 1933 | Birkenhead Institute Old Boys Drama Society | Birkenhead Institute Old Boys Drama Society | Golspie Women's Rural Institute | , | , | |||||
| 1932 | The Players' Club, Beaconsfield | The Players' Club, Beaconsfield | Edinburgh Women's Athletic Club | , | , | |||||
| 1931 | Falkirk High School F P D C | Falkirk High School F P D C | , | , | ||||||
| 1930 | Hampstead Play & Pageant Union | Hampstead Play & Pageant Union | Falkirk High School F P D C | , | , | |||||
| 1929 | Liverpool Playgoers | Liverpool Playgoers | Edinburgh Elocution Club | , | , | |||||
| 1928 | Ardrossan & Saltcoats Players | Ardrossan & Saltcoats Players | , | , | ||||||
| 1927 | Welwyn Garden City Society | Welwyn Garden City Society | Blaigowrie & Rattray A O D S | , | , | |||||