Thirteen nominations for Dundee Rep at Scottish theatre awards

Published Monday 19 May 2008 at 11:45

Dundee Rep leads the way at this year’s Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland with a total of 13 nominations in nine of the ten possible categories.

Four of the company’s productions were nominated, with the NTS co-production Peer Gynt getting six nods and Sunshine on Leith, the musical based on songs by the Proclaimers, receiving five.

Among non venue-based companies, Edinburgh’s Wee Stories received the highest number of nominations. Its retelling of a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, The Emperor’s New Kilt, received five nominations, including production and direction, as well as being a contender for best children’s show.

In a year when new productions were down slightly - 160 opposed to 180 in the previous year - the number of new scripts was up significantly. A total 103 plays were eligible for Best New Play, up from 60 the year before.

The National Theatre of Scotland continues to make a telling impact on Scottish theatre, with a co-production mention in five different productions, which received 15 different nominations.

A total of 20 different productions are nominated on the shortlist. The winning CATS will awarded in a ceremony on June 15 at Oran More in Glasgow.

The Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland 2008 shortlist in full:

Best Performance (Female):

• Kirsty Bushell as Harper in Angels In America - Citizens’ Theatre/Headlong/Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith
• Amy Manson as the Stepdaughter in Six Characters in Search of an Author - Royal Lyceum Theatre/Citizens’ Theatre/National Theatre of Scotland
• Alison Peebles as Winnie in Happy Days - Dundee Rep
• Sally Reid as Norma in The Wall - Borderline Theatre

Best Performance (Male):

• Tam Dean Burn in Venus as a Boy - NTS Workshop and Burnt Goods
• Sean Campion as Gregor in Carthage Must Be Destroyed - Traverse Theatre¬†
• Keith Fleming and Gerry Mulgrew as Peer Gynt in Peer Gynt - Dundee Rep/NTS¬†
• Michael Glenn Murphy as John in Shining City - Rapture Theatre

Best Ensemble:

• Peer Gynt - Dundee Rep/NTS
• Sleeping Beauty - King’s Theatre, Glasgow
• Sunshine on Leith - Dundee Rep
• The Wall - Borderline Theatre

Best Design:

• Becky Minto for The Emperor’s New Kilt - Wee Stories/NTS
• Soutra Gilmour, Charles Balfour and Mark Bouman for Angels in America - Citizens’ Theatre/Headlong/Lyric Theatre Hammersmith
• Naomi Wilkinson for Peer Gynt - Dundee Rep/NTS
• Sans facon for Walden - Magnetic North at Stills Gallery

Best Technical Presentation:

• Angels in America - Citizens’ Theatre/Headlong/Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith
• The Bacchae - NTS/Edinburgh International Festival
• Half Life - NVA/NTS at Kilmartin, Argyllshire
• Sunshine on Leith - Dundee Rep

Best Use of Music and Sound:

• Hilary Brooks for Sunshine on Leith - Dundee Rep
• Paddy Cunneen for Peer Gynt - Dundee Rep/NTS
• Alasdair MacRae for Subway - Vanishing Point
• David Trouton for The Emperor’s New Kilt - Wee Stories/NTS

Best Show for Children and Young People:

• Cinderella - MacRobert, Stirling
• The Emperor’s New Kilt - Wee Stories/NTS
• Jack and the Beanstalk - Dundee Rep
• The Wizard of Oz - Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh

Best New Play:

• Being Norwegian by David Greig - A Play, a Pie and a Pint/Paines Plough
• Carthage Must Be Destroyed by Alan Wilkins - Traverse Theatre
• Educating Agnes by Liz Lochhead - Theatre Babel
• The Wall by D C Jackson - Borderline Theatre

Best Director:

• James Brining for Sunshine on Leith - Dundee Rep
• Andy Cannon and Iain Johnstone for The Emperor’s New Kilt - Wee Stories/NTS
• Dominic Hill for Peer Gynt - Dundee Rep/NTS
• Daniel Kramer for Angels In America - Citizens’ Theatre, Headlong and Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith

Best Production:

• Angels in America - Citizens’ Theatre/Headlong/Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith
• The Emperor’s New Kilt - Wee Stories/NTS
• Peer Gynt - Dundee Rep/NTS
• Sunshine on Leith - Dundee Rep