Following our AGM we are excited to announce the winners of the 2025 DMTC Membership Awards!
Mary Hamilton was one of the stalwart members of DMTC when the company reformed in 1956. She played many lead soprano roles for the company and later sang in the chorus as well as serving as our Assistant Secretary for many years. She always encouraged younger members and this award was set up in her memory by her daughter. The future of the Company is in the hands of these younger members.
The winner this year joined the Company just a few shows ago to perform in the chorus for our production of “Chess”. She went on to perform as one of the hyperactive Gargoyles in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, followed by one of the shopgirls, Kate, in “Half a Sixpence”. These appearances culminated in her most spectacular performance, so far, with the company, playing the triple-threat, highly over-sexed Swedish secretary, Ulla in “The Producers” – a sensational characterisation. Her commitment to all of these shows makes her a worthy winner of the 2025 Mary Hamilton Award. The award goes to Jade Henderson.
Mary Robinson’s Award was set up as a way of honouring a long-serving member of DMTC. Mary herself is an example to us all of someone who has given selflessly to the needs of DMTC for 70 years. She is still working on our behalf and we all owe her a huge debt of gratitude for all she continues to do for us. All previous winners of this award have contributed enormously to the success of the Company and this year’s winner is no exception.
The award goes to someone who joined DAOS in 1991for our first production of “Sweeney Todd”. She has gone on to perform many other leading lady roles, such as: Eliza Doolitle, Guenevere, Marian Paroo, Mabel Normand, Nettie Fowler, etc., as well as some smaller roles and she has also appeared in the chorus. This person has also served for many years on committee and is integral to the success of all our production planning. She has devoted a lot of time to the Company and it is with great pleasure that we present the 2025 Mary Robinson Award to Delia McNally.
The Pauline Gilman Bowl was instigated in 2018, but due to covid has only been awarded 5 times. Pauline joined the company under our former guise of Durham Amateur Operatic Society and performed mainly in the chorus but she did also undertake a few small roles. The Pauline Gilman Bowl was set up by her husband, James, to honour a devoted member of the chorus. The previous winners are all long serving members of DMTC who are really the backbone of the Company. They have shown great loyalty over many years, as did Pauline herself.
The winner this year joined DAOS as a child back in 1989. After a break she returned to shows at Gala. She has been a mainstay of the chorus, whilst also taking some memorable lead roles, such as Kate Murphey in “Titanic”, Anytime Annie in “42nd Street”, Flo Bates in “Half a Sixpence” and one of our three beautifully sonorous Usherettes in “The Producers”. She has sung and danced her way through many shows and I am therefore thrilled to announce that the winner of the 2025 Pauline Gilman Bowl isCatherine Finn.
The Committee Award for Significant Contribution to the Company
The Committee of DMTC decided to introduce a new award this year. This is to be awarded to a person who has made a significant contribution to the Company. Many people help us out in the background of our activities and their work on our behalf often goes unnoticed. They do not receive applause from audiences, but DMTC would be all the poorer without them and the help they offer us.This year’s recipient joined DAOS in 1983 and has worked in the background of the Company. He helped David Foxall with stage management at the Technical College and Assembly Rooms. This included making and painting scenery. When David was unable, because of work, to stage manager some shows, our recipient took over. He even actually appeared on stage in one of our productions – “Oliver!” More recently, he has been responsible for auditing our accounts, a job that most of you are probably not even aware of, but we couldn’t do without him. I am delighted to announce that our inaugural 2025 Committee Award for Significant Contribution to the Company goes to Frank Cure.
