Weary and cynical adjudicator Mike tries his best to see something good in her performance but fails, all professionalism slips away as he lets rip about all that was abysmal about her performance. Not to be outdone, she pulls her final trump card to ensure her win.
Mrs Jesson said theatre festival competitions were not for the faint-hearted.
"Basically, you get one shot to wow the adjudicator. Anyone who's seen a play or been in a play knows that anything can go wrong on the night.
"Lines you've known in your sleep can suddenly disappear.
"Added to all of that, you've got a backstage crew managing your lighting and sound that you've never met before and who have never seen your play.
She said the group only got one chance to organise it during a one-hour technical rehearsal.
"You've just got to pray like crazy that they get it right on the night.
"We've worked really hard, so winning Best Production and Best Actor in the Wellington/ Wairarapa round was certainly the icing on the cake for us."
The group will now compete against finalists from Wellington, Wanganui, Hawke's Bay and Rotorua, in Feilding on August 22 and 23.
The plays are judged by one adjudicator in each region.
Theatres have up to one hour technical rehearsal before the festival starts, and straight after each performance the play receives an oral adjudication in front of the audience, followed by a private adjudication in the green room.
The national finals are on September 12 and 13 in Wellington.
