Haverhill Centre Stage Company wins two NODA awards for its youth production Bugsy

Drama group the Centre Stage Company has picked up two awards for one of its productions.

The Haverhill company won the Best Youth Production and Best Young Performer 2022, in East District 7 at the NODA (National Operatic and Dramatic Association) awards for its musical, Bugsy.

East District 7 includes 17 drama societies located in Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.

The awards were held in The Forum, Stevenage and saw Theo Smith collect the young performer accolade – for actors aged under 21.

Billie Fletcher, from Centre Stage, said: “Theo is 13. His first audition with Centre Stage was back in 2016 when he was six-years-old.

“He was too young and I was the director and knew he was special so its so lovely to see him grow and perform over the years.

She added: “He played Fat Sam in Bugsy which ran from October 18 to 22, which I directed also, and he was a star and received so many compliments. Fat Sam is the hardest role and he made it seem so easy.”

Theo is the third Centre Stage actor to win the award, following Dara Bevan, for her role of Annie in 2015 and Charlie Moody for his performance as Francis Henshall in One Man Two Guvnors in 2018.

Centre Stage has won numerous NODA awards, including Best Musical for Producers in 2016, Best Play for Frankenstein in 2014 and for Vicar of Dibley in 2016 as well as Best Set Design 2018 for Rapunzel, directed by Kelly Mepham.

More on Centre Stage can be found on its Facebook page and HERE