Scots take top spots in Stage Awards

Published Sunday 30 August 2009 at 19:09 by Thom Dibdin

Full coverage of the Edinburgh Festivals

Scottish performers took the two top prizes in this year’s Stage Awards for Acting Excellence at the Edinburgh Fringe, in a field that was dominated by physical, character-driven theatre and innovative storytelling.

The Best Actress award went to Cora Bissett in Midsummer (a play with songs), a Traverse theatre production at the Traverse, while Best Actor Award went to Billy Mack in The Sound of My Voice, a Glasgow Citizens production at Assembly.

The Best Ensemble Award went to Belfast-based Green Shoot Productions’ Chronicles of Long Kesh, also at Assembly, while the Best Solo Performer Award was won by George Mann for Odyssey, produced by London-based company Theatre ad Infinitum at the Pleasance.

Chair of the awards, William McEvoy, said: “This year’s nominations showed much innovation in the alliance of text and physicality - and storytelling is back with a vengeance. This has been an extraordinary year with numerous outstanding shows and performances. Anyone nominated for this Award can feel justly proud of their achievement.”

The Stage Awards, now in their 15th year, aim to recognise outstanding theatre performances by individuals and companies on the Fringe. Nominees are selected from nearly 350 productions covered by the reviews team during the festival and the winners were chosen by the principal reviewers: William McEvoy (Chair), Nick Awde, Gerald Berkowitz, Thom Dibdin, Duska Radosavljevic and Natasha Tripney.

Full list of winners and nominees

BEST ACTOR

Billy Mack for The Sound of My Voice (Assembly @ George Street)

Also nominated:

Joe Armstrong for Orphans (Traverse)

Simon Ginty for Precious Little Talent (Bedlam)

Neil Grainger for Crush (Underbelly)

Matthew Pidgeon for Midsummer (A Play With Songs) (Traverse)

BEST ACTRESS

Cora Bissett for Midsummer (A Play With Songs) (Traverse)

Also nominated:

Claire Dargo for Crush (Underbelly)

Anna Francolini for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Assembly @ Assembly Hall)

Emma Hiddleston for Precious Little Talent (Bedlam)

Anita Reeves for Little Gem (Traverse)

Gail Watson for Barflies (Traverse @ The Barony)

BEST ENSEMBLE

Green Shoot Productions for Chronicles of Long Kesh (Assembly @ Assembly Hall)

Also nominated:

Camden People’s Theatre for Icarus 2.0 (Pleasance Courtyard)

DogOrange for Ward No 6 (C cubed)

Grid Iron for Barflies (Traverse @ The Barony)

Ontroerend Goed and Richard Jordan Productions Ltd for Internal (Traverse @ Mercure Point Hotel)

Stellar Quines and Assembly for The Girls of Slender Means (Assembly @ George Street)

BEST SOLO PERFORMER

George Mann for Odyssey (Pleasance Dome)

Also nominated:

Joe Bone for Bane (Pleasance Dome)

Laurie Brown for Up (The Vault)

David Calvitto for The Event (Assembly @ George Street)

Lucy Ellinson for Land Without Words (Just the Tonic @ The Caves)

Nicola Haydn for Janis (Gilded Balloon Teviot)

Caroline Horton for Almost Ten (Pleasance Courtyard)