The Hamburg Players at FEATS

FEATS ("Festival of European Anglophone Theatrical Societies) is a competitive four-day theatre festival held usually over the Whitsun weekend in a different European city each year. Marking the festival’s 50th anniversary, this year’s FEATS is hosted by AATG in Theater Diligentia in The Hague/The Netherlands from 22 to 25 May 2026. Further details on the festival programme can be found at www.feats.nl; the website also holds all info on how to procure your ticket.

The Hamburg Players’ performance slot in the Hague is Sunday, 24 May at 7.30pm. Our festival entry is Caryl Churchill’s Escaped Alone (2016) directed by Rebecca Garron.

Valerie Doyle, Nora Farrell, Lexi von Hoffmann, and Julie Spanswick will appear on stage.

Our stage manager is Cecelia Marshall.

Sound: Enrico Fioresi. Lighting: Tom White.

How it Works

On each of the four festival nights, three one-act plays with a maximum running time of 50 minutes are presented (in English) by groups from all over the European mainland. All performances take place under the critical eye of an invited adjudicator, who is a member of the Guild of Drama Adjudicators (GoDA). The adjudicator awards points for each performance and gives constructive criticism to each participating group afterwards.

On the last evening, he or she hands out the awards for best production, best stage presentation, best actor, best actress, best stage management, best original script, as well as a discretionary award.

More on the FEATS rules on the official website: feats.eu.

FEATS in Hamburg

While FEATS is a competitive festival it is also a celebration of the artform of theatre and of the community it creates. The Hamburg Players have hosted the event three times so far, in 2005, 2015, and most recently in 2025. Take a look at what it was like at www.hamburgplayers.de/feats2025.

On the road to the festival

We enjoy participating whenever we can - read up on our most recent trips to Luxembourg, Bad Homburg, and Antwerp here: www.hamburgplayers.de/blog/tag/FEATS

Due to Covid-restricstrions the festival was cancelled in 2020 and held as a virtual Fringe event in 2021. Our video entry, Until Next Time by Julia Claussen, can be found here.

The Hamburg Players’ FEATS Awards

Over the years, we have taken home the following awards:

2024 in Antwerp

  • Best Production (John Kearey Award): Love/Sick by John Cariani, directed by Jessica Albiston and Valerie Doyle

2018 in Antwerp

  • Best Actor (The Blackie Award): Harald Djürken in The Hunchback Variations by Mickle Maher, directed by Rebecca Garron

  • Best Production (The Founders’ Trophy): The Hunchback Variations by Mickle Maher, directed by Rebecca Garron

2017 in Frankfurt/Main

  • Best Actor (The Blackie Award): Jason Couch in A Slight Accident by James Saunders

  • Second-best production (The ECC Centennial Cup): A Slight Accident by James Saunders, directed by Valerie Doyle and Carol Kloevekorn

2016 in Brussels

  • Adjudicator's Discretionary Award: Soap Opera by David Ives, directed by Valerie Doyle

2014 in Luxembourg

  • Best Actress (The Blackie Award): Ellen Bergmann in Amateurs by David Auburn

  • Best Production (The Founders’ Trophy): Amateurs by David Auburn, directed by Valerie Doyle

2013 in The Hague

  • Best actress (The Blackie Award): Amy Lee in For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls by Christopher Durang

  • Second-best Production (The ECC Centennial Cup): For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls by Christopher Durang, directed by Valerie Doyle

2011 in Geneva

  • Best Actress(es) (The Blackie Award): Valerie Doyle and Julie Spanswick in Babel’s In Arms by David Ives

  • Second-best Production (The ECC Centennial Cup): Babel’s In Arms by David Ives, directed by Carol McNamara

2009 in Brussels

  • Stage Management (The Marcel Huhn - Bruno Boeye Trophy): The Proposal by Anton Chekhov, directed by Elena Kaufmann

2008 in Stockholm

  • Third-best Production (The Taché Diamonds Award): The Furies by Elena Kaufman, directed by Henrik Zawischa

2002 in Brussels

  • Best Production (The Kast Cup): Foxtales by Charles Pascoe, directed by Rebecca Garron and Joana O’Neil

2000 in Luxemburg

  • Best Actor (Host Group Award): Jason Couch in The Actor's Nightmare by Christopher Durang

  • Adjudicator' Discretionary Award (Best Co-Actresses): Rebecca Garron and Nora Farrell in The Actor''s Nightmare by Christopher Durang

  • Second Overall Production (Mervyn Briscoe Award): The Actor's Nightmare by Christopher Durang, directed by Elaine Lloyd-Barnett

  • Nominated for Best Stage Presentation (Honorary Mention for Grand Duchy Cup): Cast & Crew of The Actor's Nightmare by Christopher Durang

1998 in Antwerp

  • Adjudicator's Discretionary Award (Best Co-Actor): Jason Couch for Christopher in Secrets

1995 in Zoetermeer

  • Best Actress(es) (Host Group Award): Rebecca Garron and Lexi von Hoffman in Chocolate Cake

1985 in Luxemburg

  • Stage Management (The Marcel Huhn - Bruno Boeye Trophy): The Crew of A Separate Peace