The Stage

TMA Theatre Awards hat trick for Royal & Derngate and Watermill Theatre

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

Northampton’s Royal & Derngate and Newbury’s Watermill Theatre emerged as the big winners of this year’s Theatrical Management Association Theatre Awards, picking up three prizes each.

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

Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett won the Best Director category for their version of Othello, created by Frantic Assembly and Theatre Royal Plymouth in collaboration with the Royal & Derngate.

Meanwhile, Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood’s production of Spend Spend Spend! – which ran at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury this year – was named as the Best Musical. The show’s cast member Kirsty Hoiles picked up the award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.

Michael Pavelka won Best Set Design for the Watermill and Propella theatre company’s production of The Merchant of Venice.

The winners of the 2009 TMA Theatre Awards were announced earlier this evening during a presentation ceremony, presented by actress Nichola McAuliffe, at the Lyric Hammersmith in London.

TMA president Derek Nicholls said: “This list of winners is a testament to the sheer talent and creativity at work in theatres across the country.

“From large scale commercial tours to pioneering children’s theatre, the TMA Theatre Awards celebrate the continued excellence which is at the heart of our industry.”

The Theatre, Chipping Norton beat off competition from the Theatre Royal Stratford East, Newbury’s Corn Exchange, the Schools Theatre Support Group and Chichester Festival Theatre to win The Stage Award Special Achievement in Regional Theatre.

The TMA Special Award for Individual Achievement went to Nicolas Kent, artistic director of the Tricycle Theatre in north London.

The award was presented by barrister and Labour peer Baroness Helena Kennedy, who described Kent as “one of the greatest figures in our contemporary culture”.

“I think that he is an alchemist and a magician. He does so many wonderful things - he brings in new audiences to the theatre, he takes on great challenges, often with new work,” she added.

“He also takes us on a journey of some of the most difficult subjects in our society – torture, war, racism, the state of the nation. He does so with courage and without sacrificing standards, he does so because he just loves theatre.”

The TMA Theatre Awards 2009 winners:

Best Performance in a Play: Anna Francolini – The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Royal & Derngate, Northampton.

Best Supporting Performance in a Play: Claire Price – Mary Stuart, Clwyd Theatr Cymru.

Best New Play: Enron by Lucy Prebble - Headlong, Chichester Festival Theatre and Royal Court Theatre.

Best Show for Children and Young People: For the Best - Unicorn Theatre in collaboration with Mark Storor and Anna Ledgard.

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/Ambassador Theatre Group in association with The Churchill, Bromley on tour.

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 collaboration with Royal & Derngate, Northampton on tour.

Best Touring Production: Brief Encounter - David Pugh, Dafydd Rogers, Cineworld, The Kneehigh Theatre Production in a co-production with Royal & Derngate, Northampton.

Achievement in Opera: Glyndebourne - 75th Anniversary season.

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