BWW Reviews: SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS 2015 Winners Announced

Monday 18th January 2016, Paddington RSL NSW

The Sydney's Theatre community gathered at the 2015 SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS tonight for the 11th annual celebration of the best of the past year's work as judged by The Sydney Reviewers.

The Sydney Theatre Reviewers is an invitation only group of Sydney critics from print and online publications. The current Sydney Theatre Reviewers are Elissa Blake (Sun Herald), Jason Blake (Sydney Morning Herald), Dee Jefferson (Time Out), Deborah Jones (The Australian), Jo Litson (Sunday Telegraph), John McCallum (The Australian), Ben Neutze (Crikey/Daily Review), Diana Simmonds (stagenoise.com), Polly Simons (Daily Telegraph) and Cassie Tongue (AussieTheatre). The SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS seeks to recognize Mainstream and Independent Theatre in Sydney, in comparison to the HELPMANN AWARDS which is judged on a national level. The Awards appear to focus on productions in the Inner Sydney region, excluding productions staged in the wider Sydney region.

Since the Awards inception, the categories have expanded from 16 to 35 to better acknowledge the complexity of the Sydney Theatre industry. The Awards focus on Drama and Musicals at the moment, currently excluding the genres of Opera and Dance. The Awards were presented by Kelley Abbey, Simon Burke, Philip Dodd, Daniel Edmonds, Wesley Enoch, Kate Fitzpatrick, Geraldine Hakewill, Damon Herriman, Maggie Kirkpatrick, Stephen Mahy, Katrina Retallick, Tess Schofield, Sal Sharah, Yael Stone, Helen Tonkin and Matthew Whittet.

In addition, the 350+ audience, packed into the Paddington RSL were entertained by performances by the cast of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Esther Hannaford, and Dash Kruck.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Christine Dunstan for hoer 50 year careers behind the scenes of Australian Theatre. Dunstan has broken down barriers and achieved significant milestones for women in theatre as "the first female" to undertake significant production roles for most major theatre companies. She also established her own company; CDP in 1993 has ensured that the award winning and nationally recognized theatre production house will continue beyond her retirement. Dunstan was purely shocked at the honor and immensely humble at the recognition, urging everyone to take the opportunities that present themselves.

Best Mainstage Production was awarded to Belvoir's Ivanov, which also won Mainstage awards for Best Director (Eamon Flack), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Blazey Best) and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (John Howard). Best Independent Production went to Sport for Jove's Of Mice and Men, which also took Independent gongs for Best Director (Iain Sinclair) and Best Stage Design (Michael Hankin).

Best Actor and Actress in a Leading Role in a Mainstage Production went to Hugo Weaving (Endgame) and Eryn Jean Norvill (Suddenly Last Summer). Best Actor in a Leading Role in an Independent Production was awarded to Thomas Campbell (Misterman), while Kate Cole was named Best Actress in a Leading Role in an Independent Production (Grounded).

In the Musical area, more categories were awarded this year, reflecting the growth in independent musical productions. Matilda was presented with four awards, Best Mainstream Musical, Best Performance by an Actor and Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical (James Millar, Elise McCann) and a Special Achievement Award to the four young actresses who share the title role (Molly Barwick, Sasha Rose, Georgia Taplin, Bella Thomas). Violet took out Best Independent Musical, Best Direction of a Musical (Mitchell Butel) and Best Musical Direction (Lucy Bermingham). Amy Lehpamer (The Sound of Music) was announced as Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical while Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical went to Hayden Tee (Les Miserables).

In his acceptance speech Eamon Flack highlighted the need to demand investment at all levels in the creation of works that contribute to the "National Public Life". Blazey Best honored her fellow nominees, recalling that at 19 years of age, she looked to the women that shared her category for the inspiration that helped her in her career. Damien Bermingham, as part of Blue Saint Productions, highlighted their passion for seeking quality collaborators and performers over those that succeed in self-promotion which let to Violet receiving 3 awards. Josh Robson, also from Blue Saint Productions also acknowledged the support from Hayes Theatre and its strong subscriber base that allows relatively unknown works to be successful.

Congratulations to all the Winners and Nominees.

2015 SYDNEY THEATRE AWARD NOMINATIONS

MAINSTAGE

BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Endgame (Sydney Theatre Company)

Ivanov (Belvoir) *WINNER*

The Present (Sydney Theatre Company)

Suddenly Last Summer (Sydney Theatre Company)

The Wizard of Oz (Belvoir)

BEST DIRECTION

Eamon Flack (Ivanov) *WINNER*

Andrew Upton (Endgame)

Kip Williams (Love and Information)

Kip Williams (Suddenly Last Summer)

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Paula Arundell (The Bleeding Tree)

Cate Blanchett (The Present)

Jacqueline McKenzie (Orlando)

Eryn Jean Norvill (Suddenly Last Summer) *WINNER*

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Colin Friels (Mortido)

Ewen Leslie (Ivanov)

Josh McConville (Hamlet)

Hugo Weaving (Endgame) *WINNER*

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Blazey Best (Ivanov) *WINNER*

Jacqueline McKenzie (The Present)

Susan Prior (The Present)

Helen Thomson (Ivanov)

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Matthew Backer (The Tempest)

John Bell (Ivanov)

John Howard (Ivanov) *WINNER*

Barry Otto (Seventeen)

BEST STAGE DESIGN

Alice Babidge (Suddenly Last Summer)

Marg Horwell (La Traviata)

Renée Mulder (The Bleeding Tree)

Nick Schlieper (Endgame) *WINNER*

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Alice Babidge (Mother Courage and her Children)

Alice Babidge (Suddenly Last Summer) *WINNER*

Alicia Clements (After Dinner)

Marg Horwell (La Traviata)

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

Paul Jackson (Love and Information) *WINNER*

Nick Schlieper (Endgame)

Nick Schlieper (King Lear)

Emma Valente (The Wizard of Oz)

BEST SCORE OR SOUND DESIGN

Stefan Gregory (Suddenly Last Summer)

Max Lyandvert (Endgame)

Max Lyandvert (The Wizard of Oz)

The Sweats (Love and Information) *WINNER*

INDEPENDENT

BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Cock (Red Line Productions in association with Mardi Gras Festival)

The Dapto Chaser (Apocalypse Theatre Company in association with Griffin Theatre Company)

Grounded (Seymour Centre, Red Stitch and the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney)

Misterman (Siren Theatre Co in association with Red Line Productions)

Of Mice and Men (Sport for Jove and Seymour Centre) *WINNER*

BEST DIRECTION

Shane Bosher (Cock)

Kate Gaul (Misterman)

Glynn Nicholas (The Dapto Chaser)

Iain Sinclair (Of Mice and Men) *WINNER*

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Kate Box (Dolores)

Kate Cole (Grounded) *WINNER*

Belinda Giblin (Blonde Poison)

Matilda Ridgway (Cock)

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Thomas Campbell (Misterman) *WINNER*

Ben Gerrard (I Am My Own Wife)

Anthony Gooley (Of Mice and Men)

Andrew Henry (Of Mice and Men)

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Taylor Ferguson (Good Works) *WINNER*

Lucy Goleby (Good Works)

Deborah Galanos (The House of Ramon Iglesia)

Natasha Herbert (The Unspoken Word is 'Joe')

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

James Bell (The Aliens) *WINNER*

Andre de Vanny (Of Mice and Men)

Christopher Stollery (Of Mice and Men)

Jeremy Waters (The Aliens)

BEST STAGE DESIGN

Simon Greer (Violet)

Michael Hankin (Deathtrap)

Michael Hankin (Of Mice and Men) *WINNER*

Hugh O'Connor (The Aliens)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Brendan Hay (Man of La Mancha)

Michael Hankin (Of Mice and Men)

Melanie Liertz (Love's Labour's Lost)

Angela White (Heathers) *WINNER*

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

Michele Bauer (Cock)

Ross Graham (Violet)

Sian James-Holland (Of Mice and Men)

Hartley TA Kemp (Misterman) *WINNER*

BEST SCORE OR SOUND DESIGN

Nate Edmondson (Misterman) *WINNER*

Nate Edmondson (Of Mice and Men)

Jeremy Silver (Violet)

Daryl Wallis (The Dapto Chaser)

OTHER NOMINATIONS

BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK

The Bleeding Tree (Angus Cerini) *WINNER*

Boys Will Be Boys (Melissa Bubnic)

Kill the Messenger (Nakkiah Lui)

Mortido (Angela Betzien)

BEST NEWCOMER

Kerrie Anne Greenland (Les Miserables)

Charlotte Hazzard (War Crimes)

Lauren McKenna (Heathers) *WINNER*

Stephen Madsen (Heathers)

Lasarus Ratuere (Kill the Messenger)

BEST ENSEMBLE

After Dinner (Sydney Theatre Company) *WINNER*

Love and Information (Sydney Theatre Company)

Seventeen (Belvoir)

War Crimes (atyp)

BEST PRODUCTION OF A MAINSTREAM MUSICAL

Anything Goes (Opera Australia and John Frost)

Les Miserables (Cameron Mackintosh)

Matilda (The Royal Shakespeare Company, Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Michael Watt) *WINNER*

The Sound of Music (John Frost, Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Ian and the Really Useful Group)

BEST PRODUCTION OF AN INDEPENDENT MUSICAL

Dogfight (Neil Gooding Productions in association with Hayes Theatre Co)

Heathers (Showqueen Productions and Working Management in association with Hayes Theatre Co)

Man of La Mancha (Squabbalogic)

Violet (Blue Saint Productions in association with Hayes Theatre Co) *WINNER*

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

Trevor Ashley (Heathers)

Mitchell Butel (Violet) *WINNER*

Neil Gooding (Dogfight)

Jay James-Moody (Man of La Mancha)

JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Hilary Cole (Dogfight)

Samantha Dodemaide (Violet)

Jaz Flowers (Heathers)

Amy Lehpamer (The Sound of Music) *WINNER*

JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Simon Gleeson (Les Miserables)

Stephen Madsen (Rent)

Tony Sheldon (Man of La Mancha)

Hayden Tee (Les Miserables) *WINNER*

FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Marika Aubrey (Matilda)

Jacqueline Dark (The Sound of Music)

Elise McCann (Matilda) *WINNER*

Lauren McKenna (Heathers)

FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Damien Bermingham (Violet)

Daniel Frederiksen (Matilda)

Stephen Madsen (Heathers)

James Millar (Matilda) *WINNER*

MUSICAL DIRECTION

Lucy Bermingham (Violet) *WINNER*

Paul Geddes (Man of La Mancha)

Isaac Hayward (Dogfight)

Bev Kennedy (Heathers)

BEST CABARET PRODUCTION

Josie Lane (Asian Provocateur) *WINNER*

Elise McCann (Everybody Loves Lucy)

Rob Mills (Rob Mills is Surprisingly Good)

Phil Scott (Reviewing the Situation)

BEST PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN

The 52-Storey Treehouse (CDP) *WINNER*

Erth's Prehistoric Aquarium (Erth)

The Listies Ruin Xmas (Sydney Opera House)

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie (CDP)

BEST PRODUCTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Shellshock (Riverside Productions)

A Town Named War Boy (ATYP)

The Unknown Soldier (Monkey Baa Theatre Company)

War Crimes (ATYP) *WINNER*

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Molly Barwick, Sasha Rose, Georgia Taplin, Bella Thomas (Matilda)

2015 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Christine Dunstan

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