Winners Announced for the 2017 Sydney Theatre Awards

At a star-studded ceremony tonight, the winners of the 2017 Sydney Theatre Awards were announced, with 37 Awards presented, shared between 18 productions which played in Sydney during the calendar year of 2017. Over 450 members of the Sydney theatre community packed the Everest Theatre at the Seymour Centre to celebrate the best of Sydney theatre.

Best Mainstage Production was awarded to Belvoir's Hir, which also won Mainstage awards for Best Director (Anthea Williams), Best Male Actor In A Supporting Role (Michael Whalley) and Best Stage Design (Michael Hankin). Best Independent Production went to Red Line Productions' A View From The Bridge, which also took Independent gongs for Best Male Actor in a Leading Role (Ivan Donato) and Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role (Zoe Terakes). Zoe Terakes also shared the Best Newcomer Award with Maggie McKenna (Muriel's Wedding).

The other acting awards were spread out across several productions: in the Mainstage categories, Best Female Actor in a Leading Role was awarded to Kate Mulvany (Richard 3), Best Male Actor in a Leading Role went to Mitchell Butel (The Merchant of Venice) and Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role was Elaine Crombie (Barbara and the Camp Dogs); while in the Independent categories, Best Female Actor in a Leading Role went to Sarah Meacham (Dry Land), and Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role was won by Johnny Nasser (The Ham Funeral). Best Director of an Independent Production was presented to Kate Gaul for The Ham Funeral.

In the Musical categories, STC and Global Creatures' Muriel's Wedding scooped the pool, winning Best Mainstage Musical, Best Direction of a Musical (Simon Phillips), Best Choreography (Andrew Hallsworth), Best Musical Direction (Isaac Hayward), Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical (Madeleine Jones) and Best Original Score in a Mainstage Production (Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall). The Best Independent Musical award went to Calamity Jane, while the Best New Australian Work was awarded to Patricia Cornelius for Shit.

The Sydney Theatre Award for Lifetime Achievement was presented to designer Brian Thomson, whose 46-year career began in 1971 with plays at the Old Tote, followed by the original Australian production of Hair, the original Royal Court production of The Rocky Horror Show, Australian and London productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, and the film Shirley Thompson Versus The Aliens. Brian is currently represented on stage in Melbourne by two musicals, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Dream Lover - The Bobby Darin Musical.

A Special Award was presented to Eva Di Cesare, Sandra Eldridge and Tim McGarry from Monkey Baa Theatre Company for 20 years of excellence and extraordinary service to the children and young people of Australia.

Presenters at the Awards Ceremony were Georgia Adamson, Amy Campbell, Kate Cherry, Lynette Curran, Rarriwuy Hick, Deborah Kennedy, Martin Kinnane, Mark Lee, Ewen Leslie, James Lugton, Penny McNamee, Ben Mingay, Lachlan Philpott, Natalie Saleeba, Scott Witt and John Xintavelonis; and there were performances by composer Naomi Livingston from her musical Evie May, Henry Brett, and a dance tribute to A Chorus Line.

The Sydney Theatre Awards are presented annually by a group of leading theatre critics to celebrate the strength, quality and diversity of theatre in Sydney. The Sydney Theatre Reviewers consist of Elissa Blake (Audrey Journal, formerly Fairfax), Jason Blake (Audrey Journal, formerly Fairfax), Dee Jefferson (ABC), Deborah Jones (The Australian), Jo Litson (The Sunday Telegraph, Limelight), John McCallum (The Australian), Ben Neutze (Time Out), Diana Simmonds (Stagenoise), Cassie Tongue (Time Out, The Guardian) and Suzy Wrong (Suzy Goes See, Auditorium magazine).

The Sydney Theatre Awards gratefully thanks our major sponsor, The Seaborn, Broughton and Walford Foundation, as well as other sponsors Queen Victoria Building, William Fletcher Foundation, Showcast, Currency Press, Ticketmaster, Hayes Theatre Co, Bellbird Cottages, Actors Benevolent Fund, ACMN, JPJ Audio and Tickets Tonight.

A full list of winners follows:

BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Hir (Belvoir)

BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
A View From the Bridge (Red Line Productions)

BEST DIRECTION OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Anthea Williams (Hir)

BEST DIRECTION OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Kate Gaul (The Ham Funeral)

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Kate Mulvany (Richard 3)

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Mitchell Butel (The Merchant of Venice)

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Sarah Meacham (Dry Land)

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Ivan Donato (A View From the Bridge)

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Elaine Crombie (Barbara and the Camp Dogs)

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Michael Whalley (Hir)

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Zoe Terakes (A View From the Bridge)

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Johnny Nasser (The Ham Funeral)

BEST STAGE DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Michael Hankin (Hir)

BEST STAGE DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Alicia Clements (Assassins)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Jonathon Oxlade (Mr Burns, A Post-Electric Play)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Alicia Clements (Assassins)

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Nick Schlieper (Chimerica)

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Alexander Berlage (4:48 Psychosis)

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
The Sweats (Chimerica)

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Benjamin Freeman (4:48 Psychosis)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall (Muriel's Wedding)

BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK
Shit (Patricia Cornelius)

BEST NEWCOMER
Maggie McKenna (Muriel's Wedding)
Zoe Terakes (A View From the Bridge)

BEST PRODUCTION OF A MAINSTREAM MUSICAL
Muriel's Wedding (Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures)

BEST PRODUCTION OF AN INDEPENDENT MUSICAL
Calamity Jane (One Eyed Man Productions in association with Neglected Musicals and Hayes Theatre Co)

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Simon Phillips (Muriel's Wedding)

JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Virginia Gay (Calamity Jane)

JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
David Campbell (Assassins)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Madeleine Jones (Muriel's Wedding)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Matthew Backer (Only Heaven Knows)

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A MUSICAL
Andrew Hallsworth (Muriel's Wedding)

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Isaac Hayward (Muriel's Wedding)

BEST CABARET PRODUCTION
Hot Brown Honey

BEST PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN
Junk (Flying Fruit Fly Circus)

BEST PRODUCTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Dignity of Risk (atyp/Shopfront Arts)

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Brian Thomson

SPECIAL AWARD - Eva Di Cesare, Sandra Eldridge and Tim McGarry, Monkey Baa Theatre Company for 20 years of excellence and extraordinary service to the children and young people of Australia

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