SCDA Orkney District Festival kicks off tonight

The Scottish Community Drama Association (SCDA) Orkney District Festival kicks off tonight, at 7.30pm, in the Orkney Theatre, Kirkwall.

Over the next three nights, nine teams from six local drama groups are expected to compete for a place in the next round of the SCDA One Act Festival.

The top three teams from Orkney will move forward to the Divisional stage, where they will be pitted against the cream of amateur drama from the North of Scotland.

Faced with rigid time restrictions, and under the scrutiny of an SCDA adjudicator, each team will be awarded points for acting, production, staging — including costume and set design — and general achievement.

Tonight, three teams are due to perform:

• Stromness Drama Club (Youth) — Anonymous by Chris Maybury
• Palace Players (Earls) — Eggs by Florence Keith-Roach
• Birsay Drama Group — Nell’s Belles (Excerpts) by Kjartan Poskett

The top three plays and additional prizes will be announced on the final night of the festival, this Friday, March 3.