The Stage

Donmar Warehouse scoops South Bank Show Award

Published Tuesday 26 January 2010 at 15:09 by Matthew Hemley

The Donmar Warehouse’s production of A Streetcar Named Desire has won the theatre prize at the last ever South Bank Show Awards, held in London today.

The show, which ran at the theatre last year and starred Rachel Weisz and Ruth Wilson, beat the Royal Court’s production of Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem and the National Theatre’s The Habit of Art, written by Alan Bennett.

Actor Dominic West presented the award to the show’s star, Weisz.

Other winners at the awards ceremony, held to honour talent and achievement across all of the arts, include Channel 4’s Red Riding, which took the prize in the television drama category.

Starring Sean Bean, David Morrissey and Maxine Peake, the drama beat BBC3’s Being Human and ITV1’s Collision to the award, which was presented by Gavin and Stacey star Rob Brydon.

The win marks the third year in a row that Channel 4 has won in the drama category, with The Devil’s Whore winning in 2009 and The Mark of Cain winning in 2008.

Meanwhile, BBC2’s The Thick of It took the prize in the comedy category, beating BBC2’s Home Time and E4’s The Inbetweeners.

Playwright and performer Julie McNamara won the Arts Council England’s Diversity Award, while in the opera section, the English National Opera’s production of Peter Grimes was the big winner.

The production saw off competition from Glyndebourne’s The Fairy Queen and Into the Little Hill/Down by the Greenwood Side, which ran at the Linbury Studio at the Royal Opera House.

Elsewhere, the dance award was won by David Bintley for his ballet E=mc2 at the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Bintley’s production beat dance group Diversity, last year’s winners of Britain’s Got Talent, and Wayne McGregor’s production of Limen, which ran at the Royal Opera House.

The Times Breakthrough Award was presented to artist David Blandy, who beat actresses Carey Mulligan and Suranne Jones, and playwright Lucy Prebble, to win the prize.

Finally, Melvyn Bragg, who has hosted the awards for 14 years and who presented the South Bank Show on ITV for more than 30, was presented the outstanding achievement award for his contribution to the arts.

Today’s ceremony marks the end of The South Bank Show Awards, following ITV’s decision last year to axe the long-running arts programme after more than 30 years.