Student Performer of the Year Izuka Hoyle and actress Julia McKenzie who presented the award. Picture: David Ovenden
The Stephen Sondheim Society and Mercury Musical Developments today announced the winners of the Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year and Stiles + Drewe Prize.
The winners were revealed at the West End gala held at the Noёl Coward Theatre which was hosted by Olivier Award winner Clive Rowe.
Izuka Hoyle won the Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year performing ‘Last Midnight’ from Sondheim’s musical Into the Woods and ‘The Matchmaker’ written by Claire McKenzie and Scott Gilmour.
Hoyle was selected out of 12 finalists who qualified from the UK’s many musical theatre courses and has been awarded a £1,000 first prize.
Shaq Taylor was named runner-up for performances of ‘Epiphany’ from Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd and new song ‘Apology to a Child’ by Tom Slade. In addition, Oscar Conlon-Morrey was awarded third place.
Tom Lees and Claire Rivers have won the Stiles + Drewe Prize for Best New Song for ‘Gerry and Me’. This prize recognises an outstanding song from a new musical, and the winners received £1,000 to put towards developing their work.
In addition to this Ben Glasstone won the MTI Stiles + Drewe Mentorship Award, supported by Music Theatre International (Europe), with his new musical, Reanimator. The award offers 12 months of mentorship and sustained support including a writing retreat, two progress labs, and culminates in an industry showcase.
The inaugural winner of the Mentorship Award, The Wicker Husband, recently had its presentation at The Other Palace after winning the award last year.
The winners were selected by a panel of judges including Rachel Kavanaugh, Simon Lee, Alex Young and Janie Dee for the Student Performer of the Year Award with the panel chaired by Edward Seckerson, and Julia McKenzie presented the prizes. The Best New Song Prize was judged by Dan Gillespie Sells, Giles Terera, George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.
This annual gala is co-produced by the Stephen Sondheim Society and Mercury Musical Developments and was this year directed by Chris Hocking, with musical direction by Stephen Ridley.
The Stephen Sondheim Society chairman Craig Glenday said: “We say every year that the standard gets better and better, but this year we saw a real change in the talent on offer. How the judges could choose from such a talented group is beyond me. All three students recognised in the top three were outstanding and are undoubtedly destined for stardom.’’
Executive director of MMD, Victoria Saxton, said: “British talent is thriving. Now is such an exciting time for new work and tonight proved there’s enough new talent to fill UK theatres twice.’’
Stiles and Drewe said today: “There is no question that there is a wonderful new wave of writing talent, starting to crest in the UK. The diversity and strength of the writing featured in this afternoon’s gala bears testament to a very exciting future for British musical theatre.’’
Izuka Hoyle is originally from Edinburgh, and moved to London in 2014 to attend Arts Educational Schools on the Andrew Lloyd Webber Scholarship. Due to graduate in September, Hoyle is currently appearing in Working at the Southwark Playhouse. She will shortly after begin shooting her first feature film, joining an A-list cast, and marking her professional screen debut. She also previously won the Young Scottish Musical Theatre Performer of the Year back in 2015.
The 12 finalist student performers were:
- Tom Blackmore – London College of Music
- Verity Blyth – Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
- Katie Buchholz – RADA
- Oscar Conlon-Morrey – Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
- Georgia Frost – Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
- Izuka Hoyle – ArtsEd
- Rob Peacock – London School of Musical Theatre
- Emma Rendell – LAMDA
- Georgia Richardson – Italia Conti Academy Of Theatre Arts
- Shaq Taylor – ArtsEd
- Jack Whittle – GSA, University of Surrey
- Joe Wiltshire Smith – RWCMD
The three finalists for the MTI Stiles + Drewe Mentorship Award were:
- Christmas, Already by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan
- Once Upon a Time in Narcissia by Youn Young Park and Susannah Pearse
- Reanimator by Ben Glasstone
The 12 finalists for the Stiles + and Drewe Best New Song Prize were:
- Chris Ash and Carl Miller (‘Underneath’)
- Jim Barne and Kit Buchan (‘What’ll It Be?’)
- Chris Dickins and Tom Wright (‘My Island’)
- Matt Finch and Melanie Lawman (‘Filament’)
- Marc Folan and Carl Miller (‘I’m a Dunce’)
- Ben Glasstone (‘Work to Do’)
- Tom Lees and Claire Rivers (‘Gerry and Me’)
- Claire McKenzie and Scott Gilmour (‘The Matchmaker’)
- Graham Mercer (‘My Favourite Guy’)
- Youn Young Park and Susannah Pearse (‘Doesn’t Mean He’ll Love Me’)
- Tom Slade (‘Apology to a Child’)
- Benjamin Till (‘Brass’)
Previous winners of the Stiles and Drewe Prize for Best New Song include Tamar Broadbent who took her one-woman show All By My Selfie to the Adelaide Fringe. The 2015 winners Richy Hughes and Joseph Finlay are receiving a full production of their musical The Superhero at the Southwark Playhouse. Their winning song ‘Don’t Look Down’ will be performed at the gala. Past finalists of the Student Performer Prize have included Hollywood star Taron Egerton and Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo.
SHARE THIS POST:
Comments are closed.