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Malcom Young (right) accepts the Pat Hudson Trophy from Philip de Glanville
At the 2017 SFD AGM, the prestigious Pat Hudson Trophy was awarded to Malcolm Young. The Pat Hudson Trophy is presented annually in memory of Pat to a person, or amateur group, who in the opinion of the SFD Committee has made a significant contribution to Youth Drama in the previous year.
Malcolm, with his wife Sonia, set up Ilminster Youth Theatre some 35 years ago. In fact the first production they did, in association with IES, was Oliver! when apparently they cast 100 children! It was because of the need for somewhere permanent to perform that Malcolm set in motion the acquisition and conversion of the old Warehouse, which started seeing IES productions in 1987.
Having returned to Ilminster in recent years Malcolm is now very actively fundraising to buy the Bakehouse next door to the Warehouse to give the Youth Theatre their own base, with studio performance space, scenery store and extra dressing rooms. It sounds as though history is repeating itself! Those who know the dressing rooms currently available upstairs at the Warehouse will know how essential it is that they have more space to accommodate IYT’s enormous casts.
For the past 10 years IYT has been run by Lucy, Malcolm and Sonia’s daughter, but Malcolm continues to be very actively involved and runs a Young Film-makers Group within the organisation.
In presenting the trophy outgoing Chairman Philip de Glanville said, “We feel it is high time the SFD recognised the enormous contribution Malcolm has made, directly and indirectly to Youth Drama and we are delighted that he has agreed to accept the Pat Hudson Trophy”
In accepting the award Malcolm thanked Philip and the committee and added, “This is very much a team effort and I would like to thank Sonia, Lucy and everyone else who has been involved over the years.”