National Drama Festival - The Cream of British Amateur Theatre

2026 RESULTS

Congratulations to the winners and nominees from the 2026 National Drama Festival.

The 13 one-act plays were eligible for all awards apart from the Derek Jacobi Award.
The one full-length play was eligible for those awards marked with an asterisk.

Broadsword Theatre - the winner of the 2026 National Drama Festival - with 'I Dream Before I Take The Stand' by Arlene Hutton
Broadsword Theatre from Edinburgh, SCOTLAND - the winner of the 2026 National Drama Festival - with 'I Dream Before I Take The Stand' by Arlene Hutton

Overall Winner

Broadsword Theatre with
‘I Dream Before I Take the Stand’ by Arlene Hutton


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Runner Up

TACT with
‘The Weight of Small Things’ by Tilly Lane


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* Best Female Actor

Emily Duffy as Charlotte in
‘Underdog: The Other Other Bronte’ from Harlequin Players

NOMINEES
Megan Kaliniak as Polly Echo in ‘The Aviary’ from Brightlight Theatre
Maebh Butler as Eve in ‘Love in a Glass Jar’ from ITG
Rebekah Fortune Smith as Greta in ‘The Weight of Small Things’ from TACT
Zuzana Cox as Penelope in ‘Another Moon Called Earth’ from Semi-Circle Basel

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* Best Male Actor

Peter Merrall as Robert in
‘Tigers’ from Red Onion

NOMINEES
Liam Badcoe as Aurora in The Aviary from Brightlight Theatre
Paul Musiol as Patrick in Love in a Glass Jar from ITG
Ben Callas as Thomas in Bull from Nantwich Players

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* Best Supporting Player

Martin Crook as Allan in ‘A Handbag’
from Banbury Cross Players

NOMINEES
David Cox as Crouch in Another Moon Called Earth from Semi-Circle Basel
Susie Dudley as Authority and Sue Fortune as Grandma in
The Weight of Small Things from TACT

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* Best Director

Chrissie Garrett for ‘A Handbag’
from Banbury Cross Players

NOMINEES
Rebekah Fortune Smith for The Weight of Small Things TACT
June McBride for ‘Love in a Glass Jar’ from ITG
Alexander Cook for ‘I Dream Before I Take the Stand’ from Broadsword Theatre
Carole Shinkfield for Underdog: The Other Other Brontë, Harlequin Players

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* Adjudicator Award (2 awarded)

‘Brothers’ from Drum Machine Theatre (Fight Sequence)
‘A Hundred Words for Snow’ from GAMPA (Ambition and Achievement)

NOMINEES
‘The Aviary’ from Brightlight Theatre (Props)
‘The Weight of Small Things’ from TACT (Puppetry)
Rebekah Fortune Smith of TACT and IMPACT (Extraordinary Contribution)

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Technical Excellence

‘The Aviary’ from Brightlight Theatre

NOMINEES
‘Tigers’ from Red Onion
‘A Handbag’ from Banbury Cross Players
‘Bull’ from Nantwich Players


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Derek Jacobi Playwriting Award

Ste Mc with ‘Killing Time’

 

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