Robyn-Mae Lawler has been crowned the Young Actor of Mann for 2020, after the competition was forced to adopt an unusual format.

The talented 17-year-old actor won the competition after the organisers, the Manx Amateur Drama Federation, held the competition over video.

Originally due to take place during April this year, during the Easter Festival of Plays, the organisers were forced to cancel the competition.

However, the organisers eventually devised a way to go ahead with the competition, which led to the eight finalists - Robyn-Mae, Michael Britton, Amy Gravestock, Anna Radcliffe, Danielle Wilkinson, Roman Trimble, Megan Hills and Abigail Harrison - submitting their pieces on video to the adjudicator Robert Meadows.

Robert eventually judged that Robyn-Mae who performed an extract from ’The Crucible’ and the song ’Gimme Gimme’ from the play ’Thoroughly Modern Millie’, was the winner, and Abigail Harrison in second place.

The organisers then held a special evening at the Empress Hotel last week, where the finalists performed their pieces in front of a live audience and were presented with the results.

’We had our first live drama experience for five months at the Empress Hotel,’ said Manx Amateur Drama Federation president Michael Lees.

’Robert was our selected adjudicator for Easter and therefore would have chosen the winners of the finalists during our Easter festival.

’Obviously, Covid-19 changed our plans but, thanks to Robert and Young Actor of Mann Coordinator Jacqui Hawkes coming up with a plan we had a hugely successful evening.

’The eight finalists were filmed performing their pieces in front of chairman Sharon Walker and organiser Jacqui, with no audience.

’The film was sent to Robert and he, in turn, was then filmed talking about the competitors and giving his comments on the performances and of special importance points on where they could improve.

’Then, eventually, we were able to witness the finalists perform their pieces live to the audience, with the film from Robert being shown afterwards.’

Robyn-Mae, who also won the Young Singer of Mann in 2016, received the Olivia Black trophy from Michelle Joyce, the grandaughter of Vivenne Hague, a long-standing supporter of Manx amateur dramatics who died recently.