During the founding years of our Festival we were privileged to have a number of incredibly dedicated and passionate volunteers carve the way for our contemporary Shakespeare on the River Festival.
Three women played a particularly significant role in this ongoing process – Janice Jones, Joan McCloud and Sheila Malady. In a great loss to our local community these three women have since passed. As a way of honouring their legacy, we created three perpetual awards, reflecting an area of significant passion for each woman. Each year these awards serve as a reminder of their legacy and sacrifice in establishing our Festival and we reflect on their continual influence through the careful consideration of their award. These three awards are the Joan McCloud Award – Best Production Costuming, the Janice Jones Youth Award, and the Sheila Malady Award - Best Actor (Community Play).
Janice Jones Youth Achievement Award
Our longest standing perpetual award, the Janice Jones award is presented to a young person who has gone above and beyond in the areas of acting, technical support, musical ability, and/or outstanding support and contribution to the Festival.
The Janice Jones Youth Achievement Award has been presented by the Shakespeare committee since 2003 when it was established by the Jones family in honour of Janice one of the founding members of the Stratford on Avon Shakespeare Association.
PAST RECIPIENTS:
2024: Cassie Lenne
2023: Lauren Mac Krell
2022: Blake Roberts
2021: Dane Nicholls
2020: Lucy Capurso
2019: Abby Collins
2018: Jake Watson
2017: Deanna King
2016: Lauren Reid
2015: Castelle Dugan
2014: Samantha Scicluna
2013: Lisa Hayman
2012: Benn Sargood
2011: Matt Bullers
2010: Brinagh Hassett
2009: John Dwyer
2008: Dylan Hammond
2007: Alexis Ingram
2006: Sheena McClenaghan
2005: Jodi Knight
2004: Ken McClure
2003: Alissa Luxford
Sheila Malady Award - Best Actor (Community Play)
Awarded to an actor who shows outstanding stagecraft and theatrical skill over the season of the Annual Shakespeare on the River Festival Community Play.
Sheila Malady was a founder of the Shakespeare on the River Festival being actively involved from its conception in 1990 through to her passing in 2014. Not only did Sheila inspire hundreds of local people with her knowledge and skill in the written and spoken word, but also established lifelong connections through her involvement in the Stratford sister cites program which still runs today between the cities and towns of Stratford around the world.
PAST RECIPIENTS:
2023: Darren McCubbin as “Sir Toby” in Twelfth Night
2022: Rachael Nicholls as “Lady Macbeth” in The Macbeths
2021: Calvin Capraro as “Cassius” in Julius Caesar
2020: No Award (due to Covid-19 Festival cancellation)
2019: Rachael Nicholls as ‘‘Grumio’ in The Taming of the Shrew
2018: Aynslie Watson as ‘Prospero’ in The Tempest
2017: Adam Blanch as 'Narrator' in Two and in Coriolanus
2016: Jake Watson as 'Valentine' in The Two Gentlemen of Verona
2015: Robert Leggett as 'Macbeth' in Macbeth & Samantha Grave as 'Lady Macbeth' in Macbeth
2014: Joanne Walsh as 'Beatrice' in 'Much Ado About Nothing
Joan McCloud Award - Best Production Design
Awarded to the theatre company with the best overall costuming design across the production.
Joan McCloud came to Stratford from England and established herself in the region quickly running small businesses in Stratford for decades. Joan was a bright and quick witted soul with a keen eye for shape and form. Her skill as a dressmaker was quickly embodied into the fabric of the Shakespeare Festival from its early days. Joan’s works are still being worn and preserved for generations to come and skills lost with her passing in 2012 will be missed. Known as the Queen of Shakespeare, Joan has left us all with a great smile and fond memories.
PAST RECIPIENTS:
2023: Kathy Luxford for her hand painted set design in Twelfth Night
2022: Clare Flack and Emma Gough for “The Macbeths” (directed by Emma Gough)
2021: Clare Flack for “Julius Caesar” (directed by Rachael Nicholls)
2020: No Award (due to Covid-19 Festival cancellation)
2019: Camberwell Grammar School for ‘Hamlet’
2018: Clare Flack for ‘The Tempest’
2017: The Rude Mechanicals for 'After the Tempest'
2016: Woodstock Park Productions for 'Poison Heart'
2015: Australian Shakespeare Company: Bravehearts for 'A Comedy of Errors'
Life Membership
Life Membership is awarded to those individuals who have made a significant contribution to the Stratford Shakespeare festival over many years. Our life members are:
Darren McCubbin
Bill Cotter
David Luxford
Beth Ripper