2013 CONDA AWARDS

The 35^th Annual City of Newcastle Drama Awards (CONDAs) were presented at Newcastle’s Civic Theatre on December 6, 2013, in an evening appropriately themed ‘Applause’. Winners in the 24 categories were spread widely over shows staged in the awards period, the 12 months ended October 31, as 11 productions collected trophies, with 10 groups represented.

The night’s big winner was the Metropolitan Players’ staging of The Phantom of the Opera. It was awarded seven CONDAs, including Best Non-Professional Musical Production.

Phantom director Julie Black won the Best Non-Professional Director Award, while musical director Greg Paterson collected the Excellence in Non-Professional Achievement in Music and Movement trophy for the quality of the music produced by his 28-piece orchestra.

Daniel Stoddart was named Best Non-Professional Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Raoul).

Two pairs of Phantom nominees shared the award for Excellence in Non-Professional Achievement in Costume Design and Make-Up: Bev Fewins and Steven Harrison for their costumes and George Francis and Valmai Drury for hair and wig design.

Jacob Harwood won the award for Non-Professional Achievement in Lighting and Sound Designfor his lighting.

Three productions were triple CONDA winners.

The Popular Theatre Company’s The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) collected the CONDAs for Best Professional Production, Best Professional Director – Victor Emeljanow - and Professional Achievement in Set, Costumes and Make-up for Jennifer Ellicott’s costume designs.

Winners from Stooged Theatre’s Ruben Guthrie were Carl Young, Best Professional Actor award for the title role, Janet Gillam, Best Professional Actress Award for her performance as Guthrie’s mother, and Brittany Ferry, who took home the Best Juvenile Female Performance.

From SNAP Productions’ Chicago, Katie Wright won the Best Non-Professional Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical award for her Roxie Hart and Drew Holmes collected the Best Non-Professional Actor in a Supporting Role trophy for his performance as Amos, while Chicago’s third award was for Best Ensemble Acting in a Non-Professional Production.

The actresses who played sisters Blanche and Stella in DAPA’s production of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire both wonCONDAs. Alison Cox was named Best Non-Professional Actress in a Leading Role in a Drama or Comedy for Blanche Dubois, while Rachel Levick, as Stella, collected the Best Non-Professional Actress in a Supporting Role award.                      

Hunter Region Drama School’s The BFG won two CONDAs, including the Best Non-Professional Dramatic Production trophy.

The trophy for Best New Play Written for a Newcastle Company went to The Past is a Foreign Country, staged by The Paper Cut Collective in association with Tantrum Theatre. The story, drawn from people’s different recollections of ordinary events, such as a fishing excursion, was put together by members of the production’s creative team, and provided thoughtful entertainment.

Lesly Stevenson, the President of CONDA Inc, the organisation which manages the City of Newcastle Drama Awards, normally announces the recipient of the CONDA Inc Award for Outstanding Achievement in Newcastle Theatre,  in 2013 she was announced as the winner of the award.

Lesly has been a prolific participant as actor, singer, dancer, director and producer in Newcastle theatre for many years, setting up her own theatre company, DAPA, a dozen years ago and from modest beginnings it has become an important performance venue and attracted a regular theatre-going audience.

Lesly won a CONDA herself in 2008, for her performance in the musical The Full Monty.

“Her hard work is always carried out with meticulous detail, courteously, charmingly and with great dignity, “the judges said. “Lesly Stevenson’s dedication to the ongoing development of Newcastle theatre over many years makes her a deserving recipient of the CONDA Inc. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Newcastle Theatre.”

The evening was not without its serious notes, however, with the chairman of the judging panel, Ken Longworth, who has been a judge since Newcastle City Council introduced the awards in 1979, voicing the concern of the Newcastle theatre community over the council’s failure to provide any financial support for the CONDAs this year. Longworth said the awards had been a factor in boosting Newcastle’s growing reputation throughout Australia for being an innovative and accomplished theatre centre and it was disappointing that the council had ignored this.  

THE 2013 CONDA WINNERS

CONDA Inc Award for Outstanding Achievement in Newcastle Theatre: Lesly Stevenson

Professional categories:

Production: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), The Popular Theatre Company

Actor: Carl Young, Ruben Guthrie

Actress: Janet Gillam, Ruben Guthrie

Director: Victor Emeljanow, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

Achievement in lighting, music and sound: Lifelike Atmospheres, lighting design, The BFG

Achievement in set, costumes and make-up: Jennifer Ellicott, costume design, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

Open categories:

Best new play written for a Newcastle company: The Past is a Foreign Country, The Paper Cut Collective creative team   

Best special theatrical event: The Boulevard of Blood and Dreams,David Baker and The Royal Exchange

Non-professional categories:

Dramatic production: The BFG, Hunter Region Drama School

Musical production: The Phantom of the Opera, Metropolitan Players

Actor in a leading role in a drama or comedy: Michael Byrne, When the Rain Stops Falling

Actress in a leading role in a drama or comedy: Alison Cox, A Streetcar Named Desire

Actor in a leading role in a musical: Daniel Stoddart, The Phantom of the Opera

Actress in a leading role in a musical: Katie Wright,   Chicago

Actor in a supporting role: Drew Holmes, Chicago

Actress in a supporting role: Rachel Levick, A Streetcar Named Desire

Juvenile male performance: Harry Gelzinnis, Romeo and Juliet

Juvenile female performance: Brittany Ferry, Ruben Guthrie

Ensemble acting: Chicago, SNAP Productions

Director: Julie Black, The Phantom of the Opera

Achievement in music and movement: Greg Paterson, musical director, The Phantom of the Opera

Achievement in costume design and make-up: Bev Fewins and Steven Harrison, costume design, and George Francis and Valmai Drury, hair and wig design, The Phantom of the Opera (tie)

Achievement in set design: Chris Bird and Brian Lowe, Caravan

Achievement in lighting and sound design: Jacob Harwood, lighting design, The Phantom of the Opera.

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Five young people aged 12 to 19 were presented with the Newcastle Youth Theatre Development Grants, each of $350, which are sponsored by Newcastle Theatre Supporters and are aimed at assisting young people in improving and expanding their theatre skills. The recipients, who were nominated by Newcastle’s five youth theatre groups are: Rosher Todhunter(DAPA Theatre), Claire Campbell(Hunter Region Drama School), Shannessy Danswan (Pantseat Productions), Jarrod Jurd(Tantrum Theatre) and Ellen McNeil(Young People’s Theatre).

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The People’s Choice Award for best production, an award determined by the votes of Newcastle Herald readers, went to the Pantseat Productions’ musical Xanadu.