Time to start practising acceptance speeches as nominees for this year’s ‘Oscars of the South West’ are announced

FOR LA’s Kodak Theatre, read Weston’s Winter Gardens.

It’s the time of the year when the best local acting talent gets ready for the Rose Bowl Awards – the ‘Oscars of the South West’ which recognise the finest performances and productions in local amateur theatre.

Today we can reveal the nominations for 2010, with clubs from the Bristol area prominent among them.

They include Keynsham Light Opera Club, Bristol Musical Comedy Club and Weston-super-Mare Operatic Society who have been nominated for the

In the other major category, the John Coe Award for best dramatic production, the Kelvin Players will be vying for the prize with Ship and Castle Theatre Company.

Rose Bowl chairman and

“The standard of musical productions has been particularly high this term. Seven top-class productions are fighting it out to take the much-sought-after

“The same thing could be said about the other top club award, The John Coe Award for Best Dramatic Production, where six productions, which would grace any stage, do battle to take this award named after the former

“As for the individual awards, best performance in a drama, and musical, and best supporting performances, in those categories the quality of the work was so high it required a very special performance even to gain a place among the nominations.”

An award which has risen steeply in stature over the past few years is the

Mr Parker said: “During the season, which ended on the last day of July, the seven Rose Bowl adjudicators visited 109 new productions, one more than last season, covering an area ranging from Exeter and Tiverton in the south to Stroud in the north, taking in among others Bath, Devises, Taunton, Bridgwater, Weston-super- Mare, and, of course, Bristol and the surrounding areas en route.

“Plays still just held the top spot with 53 productions being entered compared to 49 musicals. The remaining entries competing for the 18 awards were four opera/operetta, and three Shakespearean productions.

“With just over a month to go before the awards evening, entries for this coming season are already flooding in, and it looks almost certain that the 109 number of productions will be surpassed before this season ends at the end of July 2011.”

For full coverage of the ceremony and the announcement of the winners, see the