GOLD COAST AREA 6TH ANNUAL THEATRE AWARDS

Once again, the extended Gold Coast theatre community honoured the best in its numerous productions at the Gold Coast Area Annual Theatre Awards for 2014. Roger McKenzie reports.

The judges’ biggest headache for this year’s Gold Coast Area Theatre Awards was to cull 704 nominations from 59 shows down to the final list. Of the 34 categories, 5 were not contested (schools/youth plays), while the major award, the PLATINUM PALM is decided by the Convenor and the GCATA panel of Judges and honours Outstanding Service to the Theatre Community. This year the award was shared between Marie Cauldwell of Ballina Players and Esther Esler of Spotlight Theatre for many decades of selfless dedication. Marie has been with Ballina as their resident pianist for approximately 40 years and Esther has been the face of Spotlight Theatre, raising much needed funds through selling programmes and raffle tickets and also assisting in the costume department. Marie and Esther belong to the two local companies celebrating 60 years of Theatre in their communities – what a great way to kick-start the festivities.

The GOLD PALM award for the production which received the most nominations went to Emmanuel College for Miss Saigon.

The Outstanding Theatre Production was won by the Phoenix Ensemble, Beenleigh for Little Shop of Horrors.

The other awards were:

LEADING ACTRESS – MUSICAL: Arlie McCormick, Next to Normal, Spotlight Theatre

LEADING ACTOR – MUSICAL: tied Stephen Hirst, Next to Normal, Spotlight Theatre and Lionel Theuissen, Sweeney Todd, Spotlight Theatre

LEADING ACTRESS – PLAY: Valerie Cooney, QUARTET, Javeenbah Theatre

LEADING ACTOR – PLAY: Jimmy Odenbreit, The Unexpected Guest, Gold Coast Little Theatre

SUPPORTING ACTRESS – MUSICAL: Heidi Enchelmaier, Next to Normal, Spotlight Theatre

SUPPORTING ACTOR – MUSICAL: Leigh Harrison, The Pajama Game, Gold Coast Little Theatre

SUPPORTING ACTRESS – PLAY: Virginia Leaver, Mr Wonderful, Javeenbah Theatre

SUPPORTING ACTOR – PLAY: Sean Curran, The Removalists, Gold Coast Little Theatre

DIRECTOR – MUSICAL: Michael Skelton, Xanadu, Beenleigh Theatre Group

DIRECTOR – PLAY: Barry Gibson, Caravan, Javeenbah Theatre

MUSICAL DRIECTOR: Casey Chadwick and Nicholas Ng, Little Shop of Horrors, Pheonix Ensemble

VOCAL DIRECTOR: Matt Pearson, Sweeney Todd, Spotlight Theatre

CHOREOGRAPHER: Abby Swanborough, Little Shop of Horrors, Palm Beach-Currumbin     State High School

SCHOOL/YOUTH MUSICAL: St Stephens College, Beauty and the Beast

LEAD ACTRESS, SCHOOL/YOUTH MUSICAL: Courtney Monsma, Peter Pan, Top Hat Productions

LEAD ACTOR, SCHOOL/YOUTH MUSICAL: Jacob Bailey, Little Shop of Horrors, Palm Beach-Currumbin State High School

SUPPORT ACTRESS, SCHOOL/YOUTH MUSICAL: Korbie-Lee Paltridge, Return to the Forbidden Planet, A.B. Paterson College

SUPPORT ACTOR, SCHOOL/YOUTH MUSICAL: James Hunt, Miss Saigon, Emmanuel College

LUCKY GRILLS MEMORIAL MAGIC MOMENT OF THEATRE: Tracey Kriz, It Runs in the Family, Tugun Theatre

JOCK & BEVERLY McILWAIN SPECIAL ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD: Parker Little, Beauty and the Beast, St Stephens College

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT: Sally Lintott, Miss Saigon, Emmanuel College

SOUND DESIGN: Peter Barney, Little Shop of Horrors, Phoenix Ensemble

LIGHTING DESIGN: Michael Sutton, Sweeney Todd, Spotlight Theatre

COSTUMES: Robyn Crossan & Lesley Larsen, Alice’s Adventures, Murwillumbah Theatre

SET DESIGN: Tracey Hutley, Luke Hutley & Andew Lea, Little Shop of Horrors, Phoenix Ensemble

Image: Scott Johnson as Seymour and Michelle Dagan as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors at Phoenix Ensemble

More Community Theatre Reading