The Sondheim Society’s Young Performer of the Year final took place over the weekend at The Sondheim Theatre in London. It saw Charlotte English from BIRD Conservatoire win the title.
Charlotte beat out some fantastic competition with her stunning rendition of “I Read” from Passion to win a cheque for £1,000 and the chance to headline her own Sondheim-infused cabaret in London.
In its eighteenth year, chairman of the judging panel Edward Seckerson told the audience it was one of the toughest he and the panel had ever judged because the calibre of talent was high.
Craig Glenday, Chair of The Stephen Sondheim Society, said:
“Charlotte was a very worthy winner in a contest packed with incredible competitors. The judges felt that Charlotte’s rendition of “I Read”from Passion was authentic and moving, and captured all of the complex nuances of this song and the character of Fosca. But it was also the longest time it’s taken the panel to agree on the top three. In a field this talented, the job of picking out winners is far from easy, but the fact they were in the final means they are all winners. Ultimately it was a wonderful afternoon of Sondheim that I hope honoured Steve’s memory.”
More than 350 video submissions were received for the contest, 81 of which qualified for a live in-person audition with Chair of Judges Edward Seckerson, Musical Director Nigel Lilley (Here We Are and Follies, National Theatre) and guest judge Laura Pitt-Pulford (Follies in Concert, A Little Night Music in Concert, Marry Me a Little).
The 12 finalists selected were:
Ruby Decent (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School)
Charlotte English (Bird College)
Cait du Feu (Mountview)
Marcus Harman (Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama)
Rebecca Hennessey (Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama)
Róisín Holland (Emil Dale Academy)
Taziva-Faye Katsande (Bird College)
Samuel Louis Bennett (Trinity Laban)
Erica Schoebinger (Drama Studio London)
Josephine Shaw (Royal College of Music)
Rosie Sutton (University of Oxford)
Freddy Thompson (Trinity Laban)
With three reserves: Phoebe Graham (LAMDA), Nicholas McKeown (Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama) and Teddy Thompson (ArtsEd).
Hosted by last-minute stand-in Bella Brown, who did a fantastic job at short notice, the students performed for a panel of highly respected West End performers and critics – Jenna Russell, a patron of The Stephen Sondheim Society, Melanie La Barrie, Andy Nyman Rachel Tucker (and renowned theatre critic Matt Wolf.
Each finalist was required to sing one song with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, plus a new song chosen by them from the selection at NEW UK MUSICALS – the organisation founded by the Olivier Award-winning Benjamin Button composer Darren Clark to showcase the UK’s best new musical-theatre writing for the stage.
It was the express wish of Mr Sondheim that for every one of his songs selected by the finalists, a new song is performed, in order to encourage and support the creation of new work.
All the contestants were fantastic, and it is very likely we will see all of them gracing West End stages in years to come it was easy to see why the judges had a tough decision. They spent so long deliberating that reserve contestant Nicholas McKeown had to step in for a surprise performance, highlighting the unpredictable and exciting nature of live theatre.
Before ulitimately deciding on Charlotte as the winner of the covetted prize and Taziva-Faye Kastsande, also from BIRD Conservatoire, was runner up performing “Last Midnight” from Into The Woods. She received £500.
Rosie Sutton from the University of Oxford, singing “Getting Married Today” from Company received £250, a new 3rd prize of donated in memory of critic and Stephen Sondheim Society member, Jeremy Chapman.
Photo Ian Bowkett
You can find out more about The Sondheim Society’s Young Performer of the Year and The Sondheim Society’s work here!
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