‘Sound designer scoops top title for his stellar work on Dick Whittington and his Magical Cat’
St Helens Theatre Royal’s Conrad Kemp is celebrating after being named the best sound designer in the land at the UK’s prestigious annual Pantomime Awards.
He was honoured at a star-studded award ceremony on Sunday night for his work on St Helens’ smash-hit Christmas show Dick Whittington and his Magical Cat.
And it was third time’s a charm for the Liverpool-based sound technician, who has received a trio of ‘best sound design’ nominations over the past four years. The category was sponsored by Orbital Sound.
St Helens Theatre Royal’s Christmas production was also in contention for the Best Panto (500-950 seats) accolade in the hard-fought annual awards which are organised by the UK Pantomime Association.
The UK Pantomime Association was founded in 2021 to explore, share and celebrate pantomime by investigating the genre’s rich past, engaging with contemporary practice and inspiring the future.
Its hotly contested annual awards celebrate the wealth of talent on show at theatres across the country, highlighting the breadth of skill, enthusiasm and hard work of those on and off stage who work tirelessly to deliver first-class entertainment to audiences.
This was the fifth anniversary of the awards, and there were more than 20 categories up for grabs this year, with 52 judges collectively visiting 216 venues and watching 496 performances to choose the successful shortlisted nominees.
Among others who were celebrated at the ceremony were Lesley Joseph and Brian Conley who were both named Panto Icon.
Regal Entertainments Ltd has been bringing top quality and star-studded productions to the North-West for more than 20 years. It is run by the theatrical powerhouse mother and daughter duo of Jane and Chantelle Joseph who produce top quality drama, comedy and panto productions which continue to break box office records.
It produces four pantomimes – at Easter, Christmas and in the February and October half term holidays, with tens of thousands of St Helens theatregoers enjoying the fantastic family-friendly fun each year.
The company also stages pantomimes at Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre, for which it was nominated in three categories at the Pantomime Awards in 2023.
St Helens’ Christmas show, Dick Whittington and his Magical Cat, was enjoyed by 40,000 people during its run and attracted a host of five-star reviews, with critics saying it set “the benchmark of excellence for Merseyside pantomime”.
The cast was led by Emmerdale’s Matthew Wolfenden as Dick Whittington, appearing alongside audience favourites Lewis Devine, Timothy Lucas, Chantelle Morgan, Rachael Wood, Jenna Sian O’Hara and Richard Aucott, with astellar supporting company from Nazene Danielle’s School of Dance – Dance Dynamix.
Panto director and St Helens Theatre Manager Chantelle Joseph, who accepted the award on Conrad’s behalf, said today: “I’m incredibly proud of Conrad – the fact he has been nominated three times in the past four years shows the amazing quality of his work, and now that has been recognised not just by everyone here at St Helens, but by his panto peers all over the country too. It’s richly deserved.
“Conrad really does everything when it comes to sound on our pantomimes; every cue, every effect, every moment you hear has his touch on it. He is, quite literally, a one-man band.
“It was a fantastic awards evening at the Wycombe Swan in High Wycombe, and although we didn’t manage to make it a double celebration on this occasion, I’m extremely grateful to all our wonderful casts and creatives who continue to ensure Regal Entertainments produces fantastic, top-class entertainment for family audiences.”
Winner Conrad Kemp from Ormskirk said: “I’m absolutely over the moon to receive this award – it really does mean the world to me. Working with Regal Entertainments and at the theatre has never just felt like a job, it’s always felt like being part of a family.
“I’m so grateful to be part of a dedicated and passionate team, and I have to give a special thank you to our Stage Manager Mike Randolph for all his constant hard work within the department. It really doesn’t go unnoticed.
“This is a very proud moment, and I’m truly honoured.”
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