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SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS 2019 NOMINATIONS
Review

SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS 2019 NOMINATIONS

By Diana Simmonds
December 12 2019

Every year – and the Sydney Theatre Awards are now in their 15th! – we say “this year was particularly strong”. And every year it’s true. And every year the strength and depth become stronger and deeper.

A glaring omission is the absence of theatre for children and young people. It’s not that it isn’t being produced and being attended by hordes of enthusiastic patrons, it is that it becomes harder for enough of us to get to a representative number of shows.

We – in the STA group – are painfully aware of this and planning to do something about it. Meanwhile, yes it is an omission and that’s a fact. We’re sorry.

Meanwhile, this year’s nominees in the 34 categories are spread across 46 productions which played on Sydney stages during 2019. They range from Belvoir’s monumental Counting and Cracking to Red Line’s one-man Krapp’s Last Tape.

The independent sector is magnificent yet again with productions across a range of dramatic possibilities: Angels in America from Apocalypse Theatre Company with Red Line Productions, The Happy Prince from Little Ones Theatre, the amazing Annie Baker’s John from Outhouse Theatre Co and Seymour Centre and the aforementioned Krapp’s Last Tape.

The creative teams behind the shows are equally diverse; women are again in the forefront of many and people of colour are increasingly represented on our stages in ways that are significant rather than token.

In the midst of political and environmental horrors, the theatre community can always be relied upon to uplift, amaze, bemuse and amuse us, and for that I am grateful. Congratulations to everyone involved in a theatre – our lives are the better for you all.

And the photos here are from a show I adored and gave five stars. It was seen by a very lucky week of howling with laughter-happy audiences at the Sydney Opera House Playhouse, and it would win my personal category for Best and Funniest, Rudest, Cleverest, Most Offensive and Glorious, Craziest and Wittiest Show of 2019 and many others years: The Lyin’ Queen from the fertile and brilliant minds of Trevor Ashley and Phil Scott. You missed a winner, Sydney.

The gala ceremony is on Monday 20 January 2020, at 7pm at the York Theatre, Seymour Centre. Merry Christmas and a Happy 2020 everyone.

NOMINATIONS FOR 2019 SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS

BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Sydney Theatre Company)

Counting and Cracking (Belvoir and Co-Curious)

First Love is the Revolution (Griffin Theatre Company)

Prima Facie (Griffin Theatre Company)

BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Angels in America (Apocalypse Theatre Company in association with Red Line Productions)

The Happy Prince (Little Ones Theatre)

John (Outhouse Theatre Co and Seymour Centre)

Krapp’s Last Tape (Red Line Productions)

BEST DIRECTION OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Eamon Flack (Counting and Cracking)

Lee Lewis (First Love is the Revolution)

Lee Lewis (Prima Facie)

Paige Rattray (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)

BEST DIRECTION OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Craig Baldwin (John)

Dino Dimitriadis (Angels in America)

Gale Edwards (Krapp’s Last Tape)

Stephen Nicolazzo (The Happy Prince)

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Shakira Clanton (The Weekend)

Sheridan Harbridge (Prima Facie)

Noni Hazlehurst (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)

Yael Stone (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Johnny Carr (The Real Thing)

Josh McConville (Packer & Sons)

Shiv Palekar (Counting and Cracking)

Meyne Wyatt (City of Gold)

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Catherine Văn-Davies (The Happy Prince)

Belinda Giblin (John)

Kate Skinner (Anatomy of a Suicide)

Janine Watson (The Happy Prince)

 

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Justin Amankwah (Good Dog)

Jonathan Biggins (Krapp’s Last Tape)

Jamie Oxenbould (Trevor)

Sam Wang (Skyduck: A Chinese Spy Comedy)

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Amy Hack (First Love is the Revolution)

Bessie Holland (Cosi)

Shari Sebbens (City of Gold)

Vaishnavi Suryaprakash (Counting and Cracking)

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Brandon McClelland (Packer & Sons)

Robert Menzies (Cosi)

Hamish Michael (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)

Shiv Palekar (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Maggie Blinco (John)

SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS 2019 NOMINATIONS

Catherine Văn-Davies (Angels in America)

Jude Gibson (Angels in America)

Georgina Symes (Gloria)

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Joseph Althouse (Angels in America)

Mansoor Noor (Omar and Dawn)

Timothy Wardell (Angels in America)

Rowan Witt (Gloria)

BEST STAGE DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Ella Butler (First Love is the Revolution)

Dale Ferguson (Counting and Cracking)

Renée Mulder (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)

Eugyeene Teh (Titus Andronicus)

BEST STAGE DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Jeremy Allen (John)

Shane Anthony and Gus Murray (Anatomy of a Suicide)

Isabel Hudson (American Psycho)

Melanie Liertz (HMS Pinafore)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Dale Ferguson (Counting and Cracking)

Renée Mulder (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)

Mel Page  (Mary Stuart)

Eugyeene Teh (Titus Andronicus)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Mason Browne (American Psycho)

Melanie Liertz (HMS Pinafore)

Siobhan Jett O’Hanlon (Anatomy of a Suicide)

Eugyeene Teh (The Happy Prince)

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Benjamin Brockman (Splinter)

Verity Hampson (Titus Andronicus)

Paul Jackson (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)

Paul Jackson (Mary Stuart)

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Veronique Bennett (John)

Alexander Berlage (American Psycho)

Benjamin Brockman (Coram Boy)

Benjamin Brockman (Herringbone)

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

David Bergman (First Love is the Revolution)

Steve Francis (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)

Stefan Gregory (Counting and Cracking)

Max Lyandvert (Titus Andronicus)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Michael Askill with Hamed Sadeghi (The Iliad Out Loud)

Yve Blake (Fangirls)

Stefan Gregory (Counting and Cracking)

Max Lyandvert (Mary Stuart)

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Nate Edmondson (Coram Boy)

Nate Edmondson (HMS Pinafore)

Jessica James-Moody (Herringbone)

Nicholas Walker (American Psycho)

BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK

City of Gold (Meyne Wyatt)

Counting and Cracking (S. Shakthidharan)

First Love is the Revolution (Rita Kalnejais)

Prima Facie (Suzie Miller)

The Weekend (Henrietta Baird)

White Pearl (Anchuli Felicia King)

BEST NEWCOMER

Joseph Althouse (Angels in America/ Lord of the Flies)

SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS 2019 NOMINATIONS

Nyx Calder (Jess and Joe Forever/ Lord of the Flies)

Chika Ikogwe (The Wolves/ Fangirls)

Billie Palin (HMS Pinafore)

Stephanie Somerville (A Little Piece of Ash/ Slaughterhouse)

BEST ENSEMBLE

Anatomy of a Suicide (Old Fitz Theatre)

Coram Boy (bAKEHOUSE Theatre Company)

First Love is the Revolution (Griffin)

White Pearl (National Theatre of Parramatta and Sydney Theatre Company)

BEST PRODUCTION OF A MAINSTREAM MUSICAL

Fangirls (Belvoir, Queensland Theatre and Brisbane Festival in association with ATYP)

Once (Darlinghurst Theatre Company)

School of Rock (GWB Entertainment in association with KHAM Inc)

West Side Story (HOSH/ Opera Australia)

BEST PRODUCTION OF AN INDEPENDENT MUSICAL

American Psycho (BB Arts Entertainment and Two Doors Productions in association with Hayes Theatre Co)

Caroline, or Change (Hayes Theatre Co)

Herringbone (Squabbologic)

HMS Pinafore (Hayes Theatre Co)

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

Alexander Berlage (American Psycho)

Mitchell Butel (Caroline, or Change)

Kate Gaul (HMS Pinafore)

Jay James-Moody & Michael Ralph (Herringbone)

JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Natalie Abbott (Muriel’s Wedding)

Natalie Bassingthwaighte (Chicago)

Stefanie Caccamo (Once)

Elenoa Rokobaro (Caroline, or Change)

JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Ben Gerrard (American Psycho)

Brent Hill (School of Rock)

Jay James-Moody (Herringbone)

Jake Speer (Catch Me If You Can)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Karli Dinardo (West Side Story)

Amy Hack (Caroline, or Change)

Stefanie Jones (Muriel’s Wedding)

Amy Lehpamer (School of Rock)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Simon Burke (Catch Me If You Can)

Thomas Campbell (HMS Pinafore)

Mark Hill (West Side Story)

Justin Smith (Billy Elliot)

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION

Lucy Bermingham (Caroline, or Change)

Victoria Falconer (Once)

Zara Stanton (HMS Pinafore)

Andrew Worboys (American Psycho)

 

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A MUSICAL

Amy Campbell (Once)

Yvette Lee (American Psycho)

Leonard Mickelo (Fangirls)

Cameron Mitchell (Catch Me If You Can)

BEST CABARET PRODUCTION

Love is a Drag (Tim Draxl)

Hayes at the Hayes (Nancye Hayes)

A Celebration of Ella Fitzgerald (Alison Jiear)

Hayden Tee: Up Close and Intimate (Hayden Tee)

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

To be revealed at the Awards ceremony

 

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