On Sunday 13th May 2018, Mousetrap Theatre Projects’ Youth Forum presented the 7th annual Mousetrap Awards ceremony at the Charing Cross Theatre. The Mousetrap Awards are the only theatre awards voted upon solely by young theatregoers aged 15-23, and this year over 1000 people voted and helped to name 12 outstanding West End shows and performers as winners. I was there and the ceremony is always awe inspiring.
Winners of the Mousetrap Awards 2018:
· ‘Best Feel Good Show’ won by Kinky Boots and collected by Simon-Anthony Rhoden and Keith Higham
· ‘Show You came out Dancing to’ won by Five Guys Named Moe and collected by Dex Lee (played Know Moe)
· ‘Best Female Performer’ won and collected by Rachel John as Angelica in Hamilton
· ‘Most Heart-Stopping Show’ won by The Ferryman and collected by Francis Mezza (plays Shane Corcoran)
· ‘Soundtrack Of My Soul’ won by Hamilton and collected by Obioma Ugoala (plays George Washington)
· ‘Best Male Performer’ won and collected by Layton Williams as Angel in RENT
· ‘Best Finale’ won by Kinky Boots and collected by Dominic Tribuzio and Rosie Glossop
· ‘Aesthetic On Point’ won by The Grinning Man and collected by Sanne den Besten (played Dea)
· ‘Performer Who Saved The Day’ won and collected by Adam Bayjou as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables
· ‘Couldn’t Wait For It To Open’ won by Five Guys Named Moe and collected by Dex Lee (played Know Moe)
· ‘Best Ensemble’ won by Hamilton and collected by Miriam-Teak Lee (plays Cover Angelica/Eliza/Peggy)
· ‘Friendliest Venue’ won by The Old Vic and collected by Maia Kirkman-Richards and Sophie Moniram
An audience of over 150 people – among them award nominees, Mousetrap supporters and friends of the Youth Forum were all in attendance at the 90-minute Awards ceremony, opened by West End stars Liisi LaFontaine and Asmeret Ghebremichael of Dreamgirls. Youth Forum members Moniece Mullings, Bryony Relf, Dylan Johnson and Ruth Nade showcased their skills as talented young presenters, confidently compering the show and keeping the crowds entertained in between the big announcements.
There were stand-out performances of from singers Chiara Lari and Phoebe Bryant, gospel singer-songwriter Temi (AKA Melo-G), hip-hop dancer Holly Higginson, performer Mollie Gallagher and spoken word artist Amaris Powell. New girl group MU4, winners of ITV’s ‘Sing it to Win It’, delivered the final performance of the evening – a stunning rendition of ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’ – before Clive Rowe MBE, patron of Mousetrap Theatre Projects, closed the show with a touching tribute to the organisation’s work and high praise for all the young performers, presenters and behind-the-scenes Youth Forum team who helped to make the whole spectacular event happen.
Some quotes from the award-winners:
“We had the best afternoon, the tears just didn’t stop flow. We’re leaving so inspired by the performances! If you weren’t here, you missed it! This is such a worthy cause, get behind it! This is what we need: young people. And thank you so much for the award and for voting!” Rachel John, winner of the Mousetrap Award for Best Female Performer
“It takes a lot to be brave enough to stand up in a room and let your voice be heard, in a classroom or as a CEO, it takes a lot of bravery and it’s something we need to cultivate in our young people. It’s about daring to dream – in Hamilton one of the lines is ‘who lives, who dies, who tells your story’ because you don’t know what your legacy is going to be. Everyone who has voted and engaged with Mousetrap, thank you for letting people find their voice and thank you for voting for us and for allowing us to keep sharing this story!” Obioma Ugoala, who collected the Mousetrap Award for Soundtrack Of My Soul on behalf of Hamilton
“If this is the future of theatre then we’re in very safe hands” Rosie Glossop, who collected the award for Best Finale on behalf of Kinky Boots
“A big shout-out to the Mousetrap youngsters out there, I really appreciate you voting for me! I started out just like you – I had a dream and honestly, work hard, and you’ll be up here snatching trophies too! Being able to put my own stamp on such an iconic role in RENT was a moment for me and being represent the LGBTQ+ community so that someone who is different in the audience and see someone like them, I was so proud.”
Layton Williams, winner of the Mousetrap Award for Best Male Performer
For more information about Mousetrap visit http://www.mousetrap.org.uk
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