Kurt Egyiawan Performs at the 2011 Spotlight Showcase
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Photos: Guildhall's Egyiawan Wins Spotlight Prize

Kurt Egyiawan, a recent graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, has won the 2011 Spotlight Prize. Kirsty Oswald, a graduate of Rose Bruford College was awarded the Highly Commended prize.

The prizes were presented as part of the fifth Spotlight Showcase 2011, held at the Bloomsbury Ballroom last night (19 July 2011).

The annual showcase sees 22 of the most promising graduating students from drama schools across the country performing in front of a star-studded judging panel of actors and casting directors and an audience of agents, producers and industry professionals.

Each of the 22 nominees was awarded a year of free membership of Spotlight with Egyiawan winning a cash prize of £2,000. Oswald walks away with £1,500 cash as her Highly Commended prize.

This year's judging panel was made up of actors Sylvia Syms, Julian Glover, Stephen Tompkinson, Joanna Page, Janet Suzman and Rachael Stirling alongside Neil Rutherford, head of casting for ATG, Amy Ball, head of casting at the Royal Court, Julia Crampsie, casting executive for BBC Drama, and Nigel Seale, head of Spotlight.

Previous winners of the annual Showcase have included Albert Finney, Judi Dench, Robert Lindsay, Jim Broadbent and Zoe Wanamaker.

Speaking about the prize, managing partner of Spotlight Ben Seale, said: “I had the honour of sitting on the judges table, and they agreed that the future is very bright for all of the talented students who performed. Kurt and Kirsty were truly fantastic – spine tingling stuff - and they have huge careers ahead of them. We look forward to following the careers of all the nominees very closely.

"One highlight of the evening for me was that a performer was asked to attend a casting at the Royal Court Theatre the next morning, simply on the back of her performance on the night! This is exactly what it is all about."

The full list as well as headshots of all 22 graduates taking part in the 2011 Spotlight Showcase can be found here.

- by Andrew Girvan

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