About HCDF


WHAT IS HCDF
The Hereford County Drama Festival is an annual one-act drama festival. Drama groups from in and around the county compete head-to-head. It is also one of the first rounds of the All England Theatre Festival (AETF)
The Festival is run by volunteers and is a non-profit initiative to promote amateur theatre. Founded in 1931, 2023 will be its 82nd year.
Each Spring, one-act plays are performed in front of an esteemed professional adjudicator and a live audience.
The plays are between 20 and 55 minutes long, ranging from comedies to thrillers to highly-emotional dramas.
Each production is critiqued by the adjudicator in front of the audience as soon as it has finished. Marks are awarded for acting, direction, stage presentation and dramatic
achievement.
The winners are announced on Saturday (after the session has finished), with the Overall Winner and Runner Up going through to the Quarter Final of the All England Theatre Festival!
Audiences can come along and watch all of the plays or just a few.
WHY ENTER?
Apart from the opportunity to gain a prestigious award and entry into the next stage of the All England Theatre Festival, HCDF offers every performing theatre group:
  •  EXPERIENCE: Involvement in the Festival will provide valuable experience especially the opportunity to perform in a different venue in front of a new audience.
  •  IMPROVEMENT: The opportunity to be critiqued by a professional and impartial adjudicator is a learning experience in itself.
  •  EXPOSURE: Performers will engage with and impress new audiences and enjoy some free publicity.
  •  FUN! : Let’s not forget, if you enjoy any or all aspects of theatre, putting on a play is fun

THE SCORING SYSTEM:
Points out of100 are awarded by the Adjudicator in the following areas:
ACTING: 40 points
PRODUCTION: 35 points
STAGE PRESENTATION: 15 points
DRAMATIC ACHIEVEMENT: 10 points
And they can be removed too, for not sticking within the times allowed for setting up or striking the set:
UP TO 1 MINUTE: 1 points
UP TO 2 MINUTES: 3 points
UP TO 3 MINUTES: 6 points
UP TO 4 MINUTES: 10 points
UP TO 5 MINUTES: 15 points
OVER 5 MINUTES: Disqualifcation
The results are announced at the end of the final session on Saturday evening
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