Student Performer of the Year

Turlough Coventry from the Guildford School of Acting who won last year 

and the amazing Julia McKenzie

I have just heard that the Stephen Sondheim Student performer of the Year show is to be held at the Vaudeville Theatre this year.  The host will be the lovely David Badella and will be presented by Julia McKenzie.  The judges will be Ed Seckerson, Maria Freidman, Jenna Russell and Nigel Lilley.

Performers have to sing one song by Sondheim and another from a new musical.  Quite a few of our songs have been shortlisted for this but it is always very difficult to decide which songs to enter.  They have to be solos, which for musicals is difficult because songs are often for two or more singers. We are trying to decide which two to enter.  Last year, the brilliant song writer Tim Sutton won this award.

The judges of the best new song will be George Stiles, Antony Drewe and Adam Guettel.  Adam Guettel is the composer and lyricist of that delicate masterpiece The Light in the Piazza.