Their A Team entry in the Glasgow District SCDA One Act Play Festival was placed third and awarded the Ballantyne Trophy and author Harry Glass was hailed as a shining new light on the Scottish play-writing scene.
Harry, long time actor and producer with the group, wrote both plays entered by the Players and each received high praise from Adjudicator Uisdeen Murray.
"Legge's Eleven", the A team entry, was presented on Thursday evening and concerns the problems of a ladies' football team going through a bad spell. In the changing room just before a vital game, Joe Legge, the team manager, and Nessie, his assistant, are trying to boost morale and talk the girls into a winning frame of mind. But with a pregnant goalkeeper, a striker who "canny use her heid" and a diminutive substitute things don't look too good until star player Brenda comes to the rescue in a surprising way!
Charles MacKinnon played Joe Legge and Rena Haldane played Nessie. Margaret Clark, Carol Finlay, Moira Goldie, Jennifer Barton, Bernadette Dowds, Lynne Watt and Betty Naismith played team members Alison, Susan, Margo, Brenda, Karen, Lorna and Emma respectively. The referee was played by Gerry McGladrigan and non-speaking team members were played by Karen McDonald, Donna Skinner, Claire McKay, Shirley Bannigan and Lorraine McGinty. The last four named all appeared on stage for the first time.
Mr Murray in his adjudication was lavish in his praise of writing, production and acting and was especially impressed by Charlie MacKinnon's performance as the team manager. He said Charlie looked as though he had been a football team manager all his life and in his scenes with Rena Haldane, a beautiful teamwork developed.
Teamwork, he continued, was in fact the keynote of the success of the production, especially the way the youngsters with non-speaking parts worked together in the background without detracting from the main action and dialogue.
He then went on to mention "a good comedy performance" from Margaret Clark and Carol Finlay, Moira Goldie and Jennifer Barton. Gerry McGladrigan, he said "looked every inch a referee" and Betty Naismith, Lynne Watt and Bernadette Dowds each played their part in what was a first-class production.
The B team entry, "Where It's Due", was presented on the Saturday evening. Again this was written and produced by Harry Glass and is the story of three spinster sisters running a credit card swindle. Rena Haldane, Hilda Gibson and Betty Naismith played sisters Annie, Jessie and Vera. Insurance agent Mrs Martin was played by Margaret MacKinnon. Jim Clark and Pat Currie played next-door neighbours Jimmy and Cathie White and Detective Constable Bobby Banks and WPC Molly Andrews were played by Bill Mitchell and Carol Finlay.
Once again Mr Murray was effusive in his praise of writing, production and acting and once more thought the excellent teamwork of the actors worth special mention. He singled out Margaret MacKinnon for her "almost faultless performance" and for her "excellent comedy delivery of Harry Glass's very funny lines" Margaret thoroughly deserved her standing ovation on her exit.
In his summing up, Mr Murray said the Apex Players had made a very worthwhile contribution to the Festival and he hoped that Harry Glass would continue to write plays of such high calibre and that the Apex would carry on presenting them to such a high standard.
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