St Nic’s Players get the NODA for top awards

Spalding group the St Nicholas Players has won two National Operatic and Drama Association (NODA) awards.

It’s performance of A Tomb With a View was named the Best Play in the district by the judges, who visited hundreds of shows across the country over the year.
And the group was hailed a Lockdown Hero for its production of Spirit Level in October 2022.
Vice president Nigel Hancocks, who has been with group since he was nine and is now 71, said: “It is absolutely brilliant.
“To get an award from NODA is really, really special.
“There’s so much hard work and dedication that goes into providing Spalding with professional quality for amateur productions.
“Having someone outside to look at what you’ve created, and give it a certificate because they enjoyed is so much better than looking at it yourselves.”
St Nicholas only had seven weeks to cast and rehearse Norman Robbins’ darkly comic murder mystery A Tomb With a View in October 2022.
It was all brought together by first time director Glen Barker.
Martin Tyrrell directed Pam Valentine’s Spirit Level which was put on at the Spalding Services and Social Club in November 2021.
The supernatural comedy was the first put on by St Nicholas Players after the COVID-19 lockdowns and was recognised by NODA as The Shown Went On Award.
Work is underway on the group’s next production ‘Fight Them For The Beeches’.
Kathy Reid’s comedy drama follows mature, eccentric characters whose connections to their residential home, Beeches Manor, and each other have very deep roots.
The play is set in the year 2000 just as the Lord of the Manor dies leaving family, residents and staff in disarray and the house in new hands.
It’s to be directed by Glen Barker with Michlle Collins as assistant director, David Whipps as producer, Arline Evendon as stage manager and Janet Staples in charge of costumes.
A spokesman for St Nicholas describes it as: “Belligerent Colonel, wheeler deeler Walker, mystical Cassandra and no-nonsense Iris need to use all their shared skills and experience to find out what is going on and save their mysterious new housemate.
“After many twists and turns will the residents discover why their home is under threat and win the fight for the Beeches so that they never have to leave their special home?”