Canberra Area Theatre Awards Gala Goes Online

Theatres and concert venues may be closed but the maxim “the show must go on” means the 2019 Canberra Area Theatre Awards have still been announced.

Instead of a gala night the coveted ‘gongs’ were handed out in a pre-produced online video.

Dozens of performers and production personnel in the ACT and southern NSW in 2019 had their achievements recognised.

“It’s been a challenging few months,” said Coralie Wood OAM - CEO Cat Awards Ltd

“The twin challenges of the bushfire crisis and now COVID-19 forced the postponement, then the cancellation of the awards night at Canberra’s Llewellyn Hall.” 

“While it was heartbreaking to have to call off the Llewellyn Hall event, we are delighted that we’ve come up with a fabulous alternative.”

Details of award winners can be found attached to this release.

 

 

CAT AWARDS WINNERS 2019

BEST SET FOR A PLAY

Andrew Kay (design) and Russell Brown (coordination)

The Art of Coarse Acting, Canberra Repertory Society

AND

A Doll’s House, Canberra Repertory Society

AND

Waiting in the Wings, Canberra Repertory Society and Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre

BEST SET FOR A MUSICAL, VARIETY OR DANCE PRODUCTION

Amy Copeland

Into The Woods, So Popera Productions, Wollongong

BEST COSTUMES FOR A PLAY

Anna Senior (design) Jeanette Brown (coordination)

The Woman in the Window, Canberra Repertory Society

AND

Waiting in the Wings, Canberra Repertory Society and Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre

BEST COSTUMES FOR A MUSICAL OR VARIETY SHOW

Amy Copeland

Into The Woods, So Popera Productions, Wollongong

BEST COSTUMES FOR A SCHOOL OR YOUTH PRODUCTION

The costume team

TOYS: To Infinity & Beyond, Bom Funk Dance Studio, Jerrabomberra

BEST LIGHTING

Chris Ellyard

The Woman in the Window, Canberra Repertory Society

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

John Webb

Design and construction of the rain system, Singin’ in the Rain, So Popera Productions, Wollongong

JOHN THOMSON THEATRE MAGIC

Canberra Girls Grammar School

Entry and assembly of the flying house, Wicked, Canberra Girls Grammar School

BEST ORIGINAL WORK

Alex Wood, Ben Harris, Gabriella Gross, Kathryn Parker and Will Dunlop

Script for How to Train Your Doctor, ANU Med Revue, Canberra

BEST ORIGINAL WORK FOR A SCHOOL OR YOUTH PRODUCTION

Bill Dickson

Original music, The Treasure of Peter Pan, Daramalan Theatre Company, Canberra

BEST ENSEMBLE IN A PLAY

The residents of The Wings

Waiting in the Wings, Canberra Repertory Society and Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre

BEST ENSEMBLE IN A SCHOOL OR YOUTH PRODUCTION

The cast

Still, We Rise, The Australian Voice Collective, Canberra

BEST ENSEMBLE IN A MUSICAL OR VARIETY SHOW

The cast and band

The World Goes ‘Round, Canberra Repertory Society

PATRICIA KELSON ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD

Imogen Steele

Fiona, Shrek the Musical Jr, Parkes Musical & Dramatic Society

BEST YOUTH ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY

Brad Worthington

As Reverend John Hale in The Crucible, Oxley College, Bowral

BEST YOUTH ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Luke McClay

As Brit in We Will Rock You, Chevalier College, Bowral

BEST YOUTH ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY

Claire Allan

As Tituba in The Crucible, Oxley College, Bowral

BEST YOUTH ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Annie Turner

As Scaramouche in We Will Rock You, Chevalier College, Bowral

BEST YOUTH ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY

Thomas Rapp

As John Proctor in The Crucible, Oxley College, Bowral

BEST YOUTH ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY

Jade Gillis

As Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible, Oxley College, Bowral

BEST YOUTH ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Max Kielly

As Jafar in Aladdin Jr, Junior Albatross Musical (JAM), Nowra

AND

As The Beast in Beauty and the Beast, Nowra Anglican College

BEST YOUTH ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Georgia Brian

As Lisa in Ladies in Black, Spectrum Theatre Group, Merimbula

BEST VARIETY PERFORMANCE BY AN INDIVIDUAL OR ENSEMBLE

The cast and band

‘Cabaret’ in The World Goes ‘Round, Canberra Repertory Society

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MONOLOGUE OR ONE-ACT PLAY

Adam Salter

In ‘A Ten Minute Mystery’, Hang on a Second: A night of short plays (and one song), Have a Butchers Productions, Canberra

BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE BY AN INDIVIDUAL OR ENSEMBLE

Level 2 and Level 3 Acro

‘Machinery’, Peter Pan ... and Our Lost Treasures, “Legs” Dance, Canberra

BEST ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY

Michael Sparks

As Korzh in The Woman in the Window, Canberra Repertory Society, Canberra

BEST ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Garrett Kelly

As Horse in The Full Monty, Supa Productions, Canberra

BEST ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY

Lainie Hart

As Lili Kalinovskaya in The Woman in the Window, Canberra Repertory Society

BEST ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Michelle Pettigrove

As Magda in Ladies in Black, Spectrum Theatre Group, Merimbula

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY

Alvaro Marques

As Marc in Art, Pinnacle Players, Orange

Mark Coster

As Yvan in Art, Pinnacle Players, Orange

Nick Tucknott

As Serge in Art, Pinnacle Players, Orange

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Jason Bensen

As Leo Bloom in The Producers, Dramatic Productions, Canberra

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY

Karen Vickery

As Anna Akhmatova in The Woman in the Window, Canberra Repertory Society

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Hannah Garbo

As Galinda/Glinda in Wicked, Albatross Musical Theatre Company, Nowra

Molly Stewart

As Little Red Riding Hood in Into The Woods, So Popera Productions, Wollongong

AND

As Elphaba in Wicked, Albatross Musical Theatre Company, Nowra

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

Teagan McKeen and Dane Sanderson

Singin’ in the Rain, So Popera Productions, Wollongong

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION FOR A SCHOOL OR YOUTH PRODUCTION

Barbara Griffin

We Will Rock You, Chevalier College, Bowral

BEST DIRECTION OF A SCHOOL OR YOUTH PLAY

Belinda Quick

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Bay Theatre Players Youth Theatre Group, Batemans Bay

BEST DIRECTION OF A SCHOOL OR YOUTH MUSICAL

Julia Armstrong

Aladdin Jr, Junior Albatross Musical (JAM), Nowra

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION

Alexander Unikowski

The World Goes ‘Round, Canberra Repertory Society

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY

Liz Bradley

The Woman in the Window, Canberra Repertory Society

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL OR VARIETY SHOW

Amy Copeland

Into The Woods, So Popera Productions, Wollongong

Jarrad West

The World Goes ‘Round, Canberra Repertory Society

BEST DANCE PRODUCTION

The Land of Stories

Classical Ballet Centre Canberra, Canberra

BEST PRODUCTION OF A SCHOOL OR YOUTH MUSICAL

Aladdin Jr

Junior Albatross Musical (JAM), Nowra

Beauty and the Beast

Nowra Anglican College

BEST PRODUCTION OF A SCHOOL OR YOUTH PLAY

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Bay Theatre Players Youth Theatre Group, Batemans Bay

BEST PRODUCTION OF A VARIETY SHOW OR OTHER MUSICAL THEATRE PIECE

The World Goes ‘Round

Canberra Repertory Society

BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY

Art

Pinnacle Players, Orange

BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL

Into The Woods

So Popera Productions, Wollongong

SILVER CAT AWARD

Russell and Jeanette Brown

For their pivotal roles over many years in Canberra Repertory’s set and costume departments, allowing REP to continue to present six shows a year with consistently high production standards.

GOLD CAT AWARD

Michelle Heine

For outstanding contribution to dance and theatre in the ACT region through co-direction and choreography of Kinky Boots, and fostering the love of dance among people of all ages, including people with special needs, particularly through ‘Legs’ Dance, and for enthusiastic support for community theatre.

CAT AWARDS COMMENDATION

NOTE: This is a non-award category.

The CAT Awards commends the following companies and individuals, and acknowledges the special contribution they have made over the last year to theatre and to the community.

Cowra Music and Dramatic Society

For donating proceeds from the production of Agatha Crusty and the Village Hall Murders to maintain the 103-year-old Billimari Hall.

Daramalan Theatre Company, Canberra

For donations to youth health initiatives, through The Treasure of Peter Pan.

Dramatic Productions

For donating $16,281.60 from proceeds of The Producers to Dainere’s Rainbow, The Newborn Intensive Care Foundation, Soldier On, Kippax Uniting Care, Canteen, Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, Diversity ACT, The Canberra Hospital Foundation, Everyman, GIVIT ACT, RSPCA ACT and HOME Queanbeyan.

Griffith & Regional Association for the Performing Arts (GRAPA)

For attracting youthful cast and audience to Shakespeare with A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Matthew Burge, Wollongong

For exceptional contribution to Come Alive: Southern Stars 2019. A Year 11 student at Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts and a member of the Southern Stars orchestra since Year 5, Matthew featured this year as a cello soloist, conducted the orchestra for three items, and arranged the music for several items. Matthew is currently playing in the Sydney Youth Orchestra and is studying for his Licentiate Diploma in bassoon.

Parkes Musical & Dramatic Society

For making productions accessible to people with special needs through presenting a special autism-friendly performance and providing closed captioning for the hearing-impaired.

Renee Newton, Production manager, and creative team, ACT Education Directorate

For coordinating over 2000 students, teachers, parents and others to create a seamless and professional production of Soaring: Step Into the Limelight.

Revolution Theatre, Albury

For donating 50% of proceeds from all shows to Albury Wodonga Community Chest.

Rising Arts Productions, Camden

For support for Headspace through the production of Heathers the Musical.

Wagga Wagga School of Arts Inc SOACT

Celebrating 160th anniversary of the Wagga Wagga School of Arts.