LOCAL societies have triumphed at the amateur theatre “Oscars”.

The Wharfedale Festival of Theatre drew 26 entries in various categories - 10 for Drama (Adults), five for Youth and Schools, six for Pantomimes (Adults) and five for Musicals (Adults).

The team of adjudicators and markers visited venues of each of the nominated productions to assess what is being achieved in a variety of locations across the district.

The Festival’s annual awards evening, held last Saturday at Leeds West Academy, was attended by almost 200 people.

Ilkley Amateur Operatic Society’s Juniors won the Youth and Schools (Musicals) competition with a production of Rent that the adjudicators said would have challenged anything in the Musicals category for adult groups.

Mark Allan, director of Ilkley’s Juniors, was named Best Director and its set design team was awarded the Peter Russell trophy for Technical Excellence for its spectacular lighting, staging and sound effects.

Ilkley-based Upstagers won Pantomimes (Adults), netting several individual performance awards, as well as Best Director Pantomimes (Adults) for John Clark and Andrew Hewitt.

A production of Fame by St Bede’s and St Joseph’s Catholic College students came joint second, alongside Leeds West Academy’s production of Beauty and the Beast, and St Bede’s and St Joseph’s were also winners of the Valerie Jackson Youth Dance trophy.

Katy Grainger of Bingley Arts Centre’s junior company Kaleidoscope - who composed the score for its original musical Much Ado About Elvis, based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, and co-directed the show with Sally Edwards - was named Best Musical Director.

“With such talented young people coming through, the future of the amateur theatre in Yorkshire is in good shape,” said Pat Riyley, Wharfedale Festival of Theatre secretary.

In the adult categories, Guiseley Amateur Operatic Society’s production of A Chorus Line was named Best Musical, with joint awards for its directors and choreographers Ted Oxley-Kirk and Amy Horton Atkinson.

Pudsey-based Fulneck Dramatic Society’s modern production of the 250-year-old Restoration comedy School for Scandal won the coveted Drama category, with director Dave Robbins named both Best Director and Best Actor.

l CLECKHEATON & Spenborough Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society’s youth section SAYS (Spen Amateur Youth Society) presents Legally Blonde, continuing this weekend. It’s the story of Elle Woods, a sorority girl who enrols at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend and takes on a murder trial, defying expectations along the way.

The show, which stars new SAYS members Emily Barker as Elle, Brandon Ward as Warner and Keiran Constable as Callahan, is at Cleckheaton Town Hall tonight and tomorrow at 7.15pm and on Sunday at 2.15pm. Visit kirklees.gov.uk