The Stephen Sondheim Society

The Stage carries this report:

TMA Theatre Awards hat trick for Royal & Derngate andWatermill Theatre

Published Sunday 1 November 2009 at 23:32 by Lalayn Baluch

Northampton’s Royal & Derngate and Newbury’s WatermillTheatre emerged as the big winners of this year’sTheatrical Management Association Theatre Awards, picking upthree prizes each.

Anna Francolini won the category of Best Performance in aPlay for her part in the Royal & Derngate’s The Prime ofMiss Jean Brodie, and the organisation’s co-production ofBrief Encounter with Kneehigh Theatre was named as the BestTouring Production.

Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett won the Best Directorcategory for their version of Othello, created by FranticAssembly and Theatre Royal Plymouth in collaboration withthe Royal & Derngate.

Meanwhile, Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig RevelHorwood’s production of Spend Spend Spend! – which ranat the Watermill Theatre in Newbury this year – was namedas the Best Musical. The show’s cast member Kirsty Hoilespicked up the award for Best Supporting Actress in aMusical. Michael Pavelka won Best Set Design for the Watermill andPropella theatre company’s production of The Merchant ofVenice.

The winners of the 2009 TMA Theatre Awards were announcedearlier this evening during a presentation ceremony,presented by actress Nichola McAuliffe, at the LyricHammersmith in London. TMA president Derek Nicholls said: “This list of winnersis a testament to the sheer talent and creativity at work intheatres across the country. “From large scale commercial tours to pioneeringchildren’s theatre, the TMA Theatre Awards celebrate thecontinued excellence which is at the heart of ourindustry.”

 The Theatre, Chipping Norton beat off competition from theTheatre Royal Stratford East, Newbury’s Corn Exchange, theSchools Theatre Support Group and Chichester FestivalTheatre to win The Stage Award Special Achievement inRegional Theatre.

The TMA Special Award for Individual Achievement went toNicolas Kent, artistic director of the Tricycle Theatre innorth London. The award was presented by barrister and Labour peerBaroness Helena Kennedy, who described Kent as “one of thegreatest figures in our contemporary culture”. “I think that he is an alchemist and a magician. He doesso many wonderful things - he brings in new audiences to thetheatre, he takes on great challenges, often with newwork,” she added. “He also takes us on a journey of some of the mostdifficult subjects in our society – torture, war, racism,the state of the nation. He does so with courage and withoutsacrificing standards, he does so because he just lovestheatre.”

The TMA Theatre Awards 2009 winners: Best Performance in a Play: Anna Francolini – The Prime ofMiss Jean Brodie, Royal & Derngate, Northampton. Best Supporting Performance in a Play: Claire Price – MaryStuart, Clwyd Theatr Cymru. Best New Play: Enron by Lucy Prebble - Headlong, ChichesterFestival Theatre and Royal Court Theatre. Best Show for Children and Young People: For the Best -Unicorn Theatre in collaboration with Mark Storor and AnnaLedgard. Best Musical: Spend Spend Spend! – Watermill Theatre,Newbury. Best Performance in a Musical: Alexandra Silber - Carousel,Stanhope Productions, Michael Edwards & Carole Winter,Tiger/WSZ, Stevens-O’Boyle, and Tulchin/Bartner/AmbassadorTheatre Group in association with The Churchill, Bromley ontour. Best Supporting Performance in a Musical: Kirsty Hoiles –Spend Spend Spend!, the Watermill Theatre, Newbury. Best Set Design: Michael Pavelka – The Merchant of Venice,Watermill Theatre and Propellor on tour. Best Lighting Design: Daniella Beattie – The Wicked Lady,New Victoria Newcastle Under Lyme. Best Director: Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett – Othello,Frantic Assembly and Theatre Royal Plymouth in collaborationwith Royal & Derngate, Northampton on tour. Best Touring Production: Brief Encounter - David Pugh,Dafydd Rogers, Cineworld, The Kneehigh Theatre Production ina co-production with Royal & Derngate, Northampton. Achievement in Opera: Glyndebourne - 75th Anniversaryseason. Achievement in Dance: Dancers of English National Ballet. The Stage Award for Special Achievement in Regional Theatre:The Theatre, Chipping Norton. The Special Award for Individual Achievement: Nicolas Kent