SEVEN-TIME Actor Boy Award winner for directing, Dr Brian Heap, is stepping down as artistic director of the University Players on retirement at the end of July.

Heap — head of Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus — is particularly proud of the 70-year-old outfit’s achievements since he assumed the reins 15 years ago.

“I think over the past 15 years, we must have been nominated in just about every category and won awards in most of them. During that time, we have presented everything from European classics like Aime Cesare’s A Tempest to comedies such as Alan Ayckbourn’s Bedroom Farce, to classic Jamaican dramas like Ginger Knight’s Whiplash and revivals including Samuel Hilary’s Departure in the Dark,” said Heap.

The University Players have also enjoyed enormous success with the staging of original musicals, most notably with Michael Holgate’s Garvey — The Musical and Aston Cooke’s Jonkonoo Jamboree, as well as with other original devised works including Karl O’Brian Williams’ The Black that I am, and Heap’s Catherine Mulgrave – An African Odyssey.

Actress Nadean Rawlins, who has been involved with the University Players since its revival, spoke glowingly of Heap.

“Working with Brian has always been so exciting for me, because I never know what he’s going to challenge me with next,” she said.

In addition to Rawlins, Heap has worked with a pool of distinguished actors including Jean-Paul Menou, Hilary Nicholson, Paul Issa, Canute Fagan, Alwyn Scott, Melward Morris, Nadia Khan, Maylynne Lowe, Michael-Sean Harris, Christopher McFarlane, and Rooney Chambers.