Cowley celebrated a fantastic achievement at the NODA Regional Awards, held on Saturday 7th March at the Brick Community Stadium in Wigan.
The awards, organised by the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA), recognise excellence in amateur theatre across the region. Cowley’s recent production of The Addams Family Musical, performed to sell-out audiences from 22nd–25th October, was nominated in an impressive ten categories and went on to secure four major awards on the night.
The production received the following honours in the Noda District 6 Awards:
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Best Musical Director of a Youth Production
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Best Choreographer of a Youth Production
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Best Leading Male Character in a Youth Musical
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Best Youth Musical
These awards recognise the exceptional talent, dedication and teamwork of everyone involved in bringing the production to life, both on stage and behind the scenes.
Being nominated in ten categories was a significant achievement in itself, and winning four of the region’s top awards highlights the outstanding quality of Cowley’s performances. The success reflects months of hard work from the cast, creative team and volunteers who helped make The Addams Family such a memorable production.
Miss Radford, Head of Performing Arts said: “I am incredibly proud of the success of our production of The Addams Family at the NODA District 6 Awards. To win Best Youth Musical, Best Musical Director, Best Choreographer, and Best Leading Male Character in a Youth Musical in the North West Region, alongside numerous additional nominations, is a fantastic achievement for Cowley International College.
“This recognition reflects not only the exceptional talent and commitment of our students, but also the dedication of our staff, Corey Gerrard (Musical Director), Sam Westhead (Director), Charlotte Carroll (Stage Manager and Assistant Director), Lydia Butler (Assistant Choreographer and Stage Manager), and Matt Conway (Lighting Designer), who worked tirelessly every day after school and across weekends to bring the show together in just six weeks.
“We were also incredibly fortunate to perform with a full professional orchestra, something many schools do not have the opportunity to experience, which helped elevate the production to a truly professional standard and made it especially deserving of the Best Youth Musical award.
I would also like to thank our Principal, Mr Cormack, for his continued support in making opportunities like this possible, and our fantastic caretaking team, Andrew Roberts, James Boardman and Daniel Guest, for their endless help with the logistics surrounding rehearsal spaces and the set.
We always knew the quality of what had been achieved, so it is incredibly special to see that excellence recognised on such a prestigious regional stage.”
