Academic Awards

The Diana Boddington Award

Diana Boddington enjoyed a hugely successful career as a stage manager, working with Tyrone Gutherie, Orson Wells and Laurence Olivier at the New Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre and the National Theatre, where she remained until her retirement in 1987.  

She was highly respected by the many leading names she worked with and was honoured to be the first stage manager to receive an MBE for services to the theatre. Diana enjoyed close links with Mountview, where her daughter, Claudia trained, so it is a fitting tribute to present an annual award in Diana’s name, to an outstanding Technical Theatre student graduating from Mountview.

WINNERS

2003  SHARON LEWIS
2004  KINGSLEY COOK
2005  WILLIAM ROBERTS
2006  ALEX WALTERS
2007  AMBER TOMLIN
2008  SIMON BOYER-WILLSSON
2009  KATE RIEDLER

2010  NIAMH COOPER
2011  ABBIE PROCTER
2012  LAURA ELPHICK
2013  EDWARD LOCKE
2014  ANTHONY HANNAH
2015  MICHAEL HUMPHRIES
2016  SAM HAWKES

2017  ELLA WHEWAY
2018  ESTENIAH WILLIAMS
2019  CHANTELLE DOBBS
2020  TAMSIN HARPER JENKINS
2021  LIBBIE READ
2022  TEGAN ROSS
2023  SAM HARCOURT

Gyearbuor Asante Award for acting

Gyearbuor Asante came to England from Ghana in 1967 and trained at Mountview where he distinguished himself as a prize-winning student. 

He had numerous theatre, film and television appearances to his credit and was perhaps best known as the African student Matthew in the hugely successful Channel 4 sitcom, Desmond’s, produced by Humphrey Barclay. He died from natural causes at the early age of 58 in 2000.

The Gyearbuor Asante Memorial Fund from which is awarded The Gyearbuor Asante Award for Acting was founded by Humphrey Barclay and friends including Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Richard O’Brien, Hugh Quarshie, Emma Thompson, John Alderton, Pauline Collins, Kenneth Branagh, Maureen Lipman, Neil Pearson and Matthew Kelly. They could think of no better way to commemorate Gyearbuor’s inspiration, contribution and example than to offer a yearly salute to the talent of somebody new – somebody who in the view of the judges is equally likely to make an unforgettable mark on the acting scene.

The Gyearbuor Asante Award is presented to the top-scoring undergraduate performance student each year.

WINNERS

2004  KELLY PRICE
2005  CONNIE FISHER
2006  DAVID FLYNN
2007  TESSA MABBITT
2008  LAUREN HOOD
2009  IDDON JONES
2010  MATTHEW SEADON-YOUNG
2011  RICHARD VORSTER

2012  SHAUN CHAMBERS
2013  BRONTE BARBE
2014  GIANNI TOZZI (JON TOZZI) and IMELDA WARREN-GREEN
2015  MICHAEL BELL (MICHAEL JAMES) and JUDITH NEILL
2016  ADAM SMALL
2017  OSCAR CONLON-MORREY

2018  SARAH DICKSON (ROSE DICKSON)
2019  ISABEL CANNING
2020  DARCY FINDEN
2021  PHOEBE HORN
2022  YALI MARGALITH
2023  SIGNE LARSSON

The Luke Morton Award

Luke was a remarkable young man who graduated in Theatre Production Arts from Mountview in 2012. He excelled at his studies, showing real diligence and talent. Tragically, Luke died from sudden cardiac death syndrome, aged just 20. The award was founded by his mum, Suzanne, as a tribute to her son’s legacy. The Luke Morton Award is given annually to a 2nd year Stage Management student who has shown outstanding commitment and promise to developing their craft and an open and collaborative approach.

WINNERS

2014  MICHAEL HUMPRIES
2015  LUCY SKYES & ELLA WHEWAY
2016  ALICE STEPHENSON and ESTENIAH WILLIAMS
2017  CHANTELLE DOBBS and DANIEL FARR
2018  KIERON LOVEDAY
2019  ELEANOR CHAPMAN

2020  NATASHA GUZEL
2021  NATHAN BROWN
2022  JACK GOODWIN

 

The André Ptaszynski Prize for Producing

André Ptaszynski was an award-winning producer held in the highest regard throughout UK theatre and the international stage. 

With his first West End production opening in the late ‘70s, he was a key player in shaping British theatre and entertainment into the world-leading industry it is today. A Trustee at Mountview from 2017 until his untimely death in 2020, André brought incredible experience, wisdom, wit and generosity to our Board and to Mountview as a whole.

Awarded each year to a graduate of Mountview’s MA in Creative Producing, this prize recognises a student who displays exemplary leadership and creative collaboration – qualities which André embodied.

WINNERS

2021  CHARLOTTE HOLDER
2022  DIEGO GUTIERREZ CORDOBA
2023  LILLI LEHMANN

THE ARIF HUSSEIN AWARD

Arif Hussein studied acting at Mountview from 1980- 83 and went on to an illustrious career as an actor, theatre founder, screenwriter, film producer, and Hollywood executive producer.

Through his company Kaos Films, he established the prestigious British Short Screen Play Competition, giving many upcoming film makers an important break into the industry. Many films produced from the competition went on to win international film festival awards. 

Arif’s values of entrepreneurialism and compassion shone through his work. He sadly died from COVID-19 in January 2021. We are honoured that his wife Kathryn Wolfe chose to set up the award in Arif’s name.

The award is made annually to a graduating student who emanates the attributes Arif held dear.

WINNERS

2021  RACHEL MORRIS
2022  RINA MUSHONGA
2023  MONIQUE MUZARIRI