Women Supporting Women At The Inaugural Tonic Awards

Last night, the May Fair Hotel welcomed a vast array of women ready to celebrate their fellow sisters' achievements in the British theatre world.

Founded in 2011, Tonic's aim is to achieve greater gender equality in the industry: in its workforce and in its repertoire. The organisation has subsequently partnered with leading theatre companies around the UK.

The heartfelt opening speech by founder and director Lucy Kerbel expressed joy and pride at having been able to create a platform to highlight and celebrate women, and a place where success stories and tributes are the centre of attention, instead of the usual talk of under- and misrepresentation.

Host Jenni Murray, who led the whole evening with warmth and wit, stressed the fact that the selection of the recipients was not by any means a scientific nor exhaustive process, as there are too many brilliant women working in theatre to be acknowledged in one evening; the awardees were only one part of the picture.

Despite their name, the Tonic Awards are definitely not built on competition. By getting rid of labelling their categories traditionally, they honour the organisation's ethos, stripping the celebration of any rivalry and aiming the spotlight on the support and achievements of game-changing women.

Co-founder of the Ambassador Theatre Group, Rosemary Squire, was the first recipient of the night for her contribution to operating and producing award-winning live theatre across the world; presenter Sonia Friedman praised her creation of "an empire". Squire underlined how important it was for her to generate opportunities for other people, and how proud she was of that.

Tanya Moodie presented Phyllida Lloyd, Harriet Walter and Kate Pakenham's award for their all-female Shakespeare Trilogy, which, with his richness in diversity, managed to bring a different kind of Shakespeare to audiences in London and New York. "We all need role models," said Kate Pakenham, who noted that the project started as a feminist mission and ended up being hailed as a phenomenon.

Emma Rice, presented by Tanika Gupta, was honoured for her achievements in her first season as Artistic Director at Shakespeare's Globe. Gupta didn't go easy on "the absolute stupidness of the Globe's decision", pointing out Rice's accomplishments and congratulating the "phenomenal woman" for her glorious audience numbers: A Midsummer Night's Dream and Macbeth played to 98% capacity, and the rest of her season never went below 93%. Rice expressed her pride and excitement for what they created at the Globe.

After a passionate introduction on marginalised audiences, Moira Buffini presented Anna Newell with a Tonic Award for her innovative work in creating ideal conditions for disadvantaged people, and awareness of the positive impact theatre can have from a young age.

Adrian Lester introduced Indhu Rubasingham as "a focused, determined, visionary director" who brings "unheard voices to the mainstream". Artistic Director of the Tricycle Theatre since 2012, Rubasingham was celebrated for her passion for diversity and her dedication to what theatre could deliver to local communities and young people, to whom she dedicated her award.

Another recipient praised for her work in diversity and representation was Dawn Walton, Artistic Director of Eclipse Theatre, our principal black-led national touring company. She was specifically honoured for Revolution Mix, the largest ever delivery of black British stories programme produced and performed in regional theatres.

Her award was presented by Karena Johnson, who recalled Walton first talking to her about this idea over ten years ago. During her speech, Walton highlighted the all-female board of Eclipse, and explained that her motivation is linked to her frustration about how slowly things change in theatre. "I want change now, and I want it permanently," she said, voicing the wish of every woman present.

Jenny Sealey, whose award was presented by Harriet Walter, emphasised the importance of disability inclusion in theatre - the only way we can achieve true diversity. As the Artistic Director of the Graeae Theatre Company, since 1997 Sealey has spearheaded challenging preconceptions and prejudice when it comes to disability theatre, and her work encouraging disabled actors to participate in creative roles has been truly outstanding.

Lighting designer Paule Constable was celebrated for her trailblazing career in an industry dominated by men. She expressed how important it is for women to create a supportive network, noting that the current political climate means awards like Tonic's are needed more than ever.

Last but not least, Lucy Kerbel awarded Vicky Featherstone, the National Theatre of Scotland and Live Theatre for their production of Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour. Beyond the all-female cast of six talented actors, Kerbel praised the show as an opportunity to watch the lives of real teenage girls (juxtaposing it with the many chances audiences have to see boys' lives on screen and on stage), and how crucial it is for young women to see themselves in the media.

Featherstone spoke about the imperative of enabling girls to look at their stories and feel like they have the right to tell them, and called upon everyone to understand that even though it doesn't look like it, change is happening and the proof is in the fact that they were all in the same room.

Great positivity, underlying politics, intersectional feminism and deep pride permeated this glorious celebration of women supporting women at the inaugural Tonic Awards. It is crystal clear that women are more ready than ever to make their presence in British theatre count, an attitude encapsulated by something Jenny Sealy said during her acceptance speech: "I'm here and I'm not going away!".

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