‘Guernsey is top of my list, always’ says returning speech and drama adjudicator

Experienced adjudicator Ben Humphrey has returned to the island for the festival.

Local poets, actors and orators from across the island will once again perform their pieces in front of Mr Humphrey – an English actor, director, writer and lecturer who has been adjudicating in the island for more than a decade.

The speech and drama section of the Eisteddfod started yesterday and will run until Saturday at Beau Sejour.

‘There is such a breadth of talent on the island,’ said Mr Humphrey.

‘It’s always remarkable how the work here always reaches a certain standard before you’ve even left the gate.’

Accrediting the quality of performances on the island to ‘the support and general ethos of the arts in the States here’, Mr Humphrey said those principles ‘seem to be valued more’ here than in the UK.

This year had already off to a good start after the first few classes. Mr Humphrey said ‘it is nice to see it so well attended’.

He is particularly interested in the character studies and group work sections coming up this week, explaining that adult classes are rare in the UK.

‘You see adults partaking in arts and performance in a completely different way over here and I think that’s because there’s such a strong focus on it in those early years,’ he said.

‘That’s quite unique to Guernsey. I really enjoy that and I think it’s so important. It’s great for building confidence and for any kind of job, whether that’s being on stage as a performer or whether you’re going into business or finance or whatever – having that confidence to stand up in front of a room full of people and speak with clarity and with purpose is a skill that you have to get involved with at an early age. If you don’t, it really does hamper you later in life.’

Mr Humphrey’s first year on the island was for the one-act play festival and since then it has become ‘like a second home’, as he has return most years after, except for the Covid years, to adjudicate for local festivals.

‘I’m in a really nice position now where I only really do the festivals I want to do’ he said.

‘Guernsey is literally top of my list, always. I’ve made some lifelong friends here. It is very special to me.

‘It’s great to see people progressing. I’ve actually started going to see people who I adjudicated here years ago in their professional debuts over in the UK, so that’s been really lovely’ he said.

Having graduated from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 2007, Mr Humphrey is an associate of the London Academy of Dramatic Art. He currently runs a theatre company in the Scottish borders, where he lives.

He is also the senior creative consultant for the National Trust for Scotland.

As an actor, Mr Humphrey has countless professional credits to his name.

Most recently, he directed the five-star, one-man show Shakespeare’s Fool at the Edinburgh Fringe which toured the UK and internationally from 2021-2024, selling out across venues.

Mr Humphrey is now ‘thrilled’ to be back on the island and to get one last year alongside coordinator Shaun Winterflood, before he steps down after 15 years.

‘Shaun and I have known each other a very long time, it will be a shame to see him go,’ said Mr Humphrey.

‘But he’s got a really good team behind him and because he’s so organised, and works so hard at making sure everyone knows what’s going on, the transition next year will be fine.’