Bayside and Westside Drama Group have returned to Gibraltar after winning the Duncan Rand Youth  One-Act Play Festival, held last week at Medway Little Theatre in Rochester (Kent). 

A statement follows below:

The group  won Best Play for their production of The Blue Whale, with the whole cast also winning individual  acting awards. Nikolaj Forrester won Best Actor, Emma Olivero won Best Actress, and Jake  Hancock picked up the award for Best Supporting Actor. Lighting operator Emma Tricker and  sound operator Jasmine Jarman also won Best Technical Crew. Adjudicator Amanda Conroy  congratulated the company on the tightness of the cast, the pace of the play, and the high standard of  the performances. 

This is the fourth time that the group has won the Duncan Rand Festival following wins in 2016,  2017 and 2018. The group had not taken part since 2018 but was pleased to return and continue  strengthening links with the theatre. A joint workshop was also held for the young members of both  groups. 

The Blue Whale is a dark comedy about a young man who meets a woman online and is convinced  to undertake a series of challenges. These slowly start to escalate, placing the man in conflict with  those closest to him. The play won Best Original Play at the 2022 Gibraltar Drama Festival and  options are being explored to stage the play at a venue in London.