Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland nominations announced

May 10 2012 | By More

CATS eye-up Glasgow and Dundee but not Edinburgh

CATS Maureen Beattie is nominated for her performance as Sister Ursula Mary in 27 at the Royal Lyceum. Photo: © Richard Campbell

Maureen Beattie is nominated for her performance as Sister Ursula Mary in 27 at the Royal Lyceum. Photo: © Richard Campbell

By Thom Dibdin

Edinburgh Theatres have been largely passed over in the nominations shortlists for the Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland, announced on Thursday 10 May.

The annual awards, chosen by Scotland’s theatre critics, are now in their tenth year. Any professional theatre production, substantially produced in Scotland in the 12 months from May to April is eligible. This year, a total of 202 productions were considered, with 123 were eligible for the best new play award and 36 for best show for children and young people.

Joyce McMillan, the Scotsman critic and CATS co-convenor, said: “This year’s CATS nominations celebrate a dazzling range of work, created by more than 20 companies across Scottish theatre. The list emphasises the growing creative impact of the National Theatre of Scotland. It also celebrates the continuing high achievement of Dundee Rep, and a fine start to Dominic Hill’s directorship at the Citizens’ Theatre.

“Through nominations for events like the NTS’s Five Minute Theatre, Untitled’s Salon Project and Magnetic North’s Pass the Spoon, the nominations also reflect the exciting ways in which theatre is changing, with artists exploring the myriad possibilities of online technology, and boldly venturing into the borderlands between theatre and installation, theatre and music, theatre and visual art.”

For the Edinburgh theatres, the Traverse has two nominations, both for the Salon Project: its co-production with Untitled which is nominated for best production and best technical presentation. The Royal Lyceum has just one nomination, for 27 which it co-produced with the National Theatre of Scotland for which Maureen Beattie is nominated for best female performance. The Brunton also has one: its touring co-production with Catherine Wheels of Kes is nominated for best play for children and young people.

Edinburgh-based companies do not far any better. Besides Catherine Wheels, only Magnetic North is recognised – for its touring production of Pass The Spoon, which is nominated twice, for best music and best design.

The big winners are Glasgow-based productions and the National Theatre of Scotland. Ten Glasgow-based productions are nominated a total of 18 times and the NTS has 12 nominations for seven show shows spread over nine categories – only missing out in the Best Music and Sound category.

The NTS’s A Christmas Carol at Film City, Glasgow, is nominated five times, as is Dundee Rep’s revival of Further than the Furthest Thing. Recieving three nominations are Dominic Hill’s production of King Lear for the Glasgow Citizens – although he is not recognised – and Rachel O’Riordan marks her first season as artistic director at Perth with three nominations for Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me.

Three of the Glasgow nominations have also later played Edinburgh, all at the Traverse. The Tron’s A Slow Air, for which David Harrower is nominated for best new play, played the Fringe. Watching the Detective, the Play, Pie and A Pint production, had Stuart Bowman nominated in the best male performance category. Beats, the Arches production, is nominated twice – Kieran Hurley for best new play and DJ Johnny Whoop for best music and sound.

Several of the touring productions nominated have also played Edinburgh. The NTS production of Men Should Weep which played the King’s is recognised through a nomination for Michael Nardone in best male performance. Likewise, Susan Vidler, is nominated for her performance in the NTS production of  Knives in Hens which opened at the Traverse.

Two further nominations in the category of best show for children and young people toured to Edinburgh. Tall Tales for Small People, the NTS co-production with Communicado, played the Brunton. Shona Reppe Puppets is recognised for The Curious Scrapbook of Josephine Bean which played the Traverse last Autumn but is set to return for the Fringe this year.

Finally, although not strictly based in Edinburgh or, indeed, in any one place – but available everywhere, the NTS’s groundbreaking production: Five Minute Theatre is nominated for best technical presentation. The production involved a series of five-minute pieces, streamed live over the internet for 24 hours to mark the company’s fifth birthday.

Winners of the CATS will be announced at a ceremony at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow on Sunday 10 June.

The 2012 CATS nominations in full are:

Best New Play sponsored by W&P Longreach–Theatre Insurance Brokers
David Harrower, A Slow Air, Tron Theatre Company
Kieran Hurley, BEATS, The Arches
Ronan O’Donnell, Angels, A Play, a Pie and a Pint
Andrew O’Hagan, Vicky Featherstone, John Tiffany, Paul Flynn, Deborah Orr and Ruth Wishart, Enquirer, National Theatre of Scotland and the London Review of Books

Best Male Performance
Stuart Bowman (Detective), Watching the Detective, A Play, a Pie and a Pint
Stephen Clyde (Bottom), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Bard in the Botanics
Stephen Kennedy (Edward), Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, Perth Theatre
Michael Nardone (John Morrison), Men Should Weep, National Theatre of Scotland

Best Female Performance sponsored by STV
Maureen Beattie (Sister Ursula Mary), 27, National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Lyceum Theatre
Sally Reid (Mona), Days of Wine and Roses, Theatre Jezebel and the Tron Theatre Company
Ann Louise Ross (Mill Laverello), Further than the Furthest Thing, Dundee Rep Theatre
Susan Vidler (Young Woman), Knives in Hens, National Theatre of Scotland

Best Ensemble sponsored by Equity
A Christmas Carol, National Theatre of Scotland
Enquirer, National Theatre of Scotland and the London Review of Books
King Lear, Citizens Theatre Company
Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, Perth Theatre

Best Director
James Brining, Further than the Furthest Thing, Dundee Rep Theatre
Dominic Hill, Betrayal, Citizens Theatre Company
Graham McLaren, A Christmas Carol, National Theatre of Scotland
Rachel O’Riordan, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, Perth Theatre

Best Design
Graham McLaren (set), Gavin Glover (puppets), Paul Claydon (lighting), A Christmas Carol, National Theatre of Scotland
Colin Richmond (set), Chris Davey (lighting), Betrayal, Citizens Theatre Company
David Shrigley, Nick Millar, Alice Wilson and Susie Hunter (production design) Simon Wilkinson (lighting), Pass the Spoon, Magnetic North Theatre Productions in collaboration with Red Note Ensemble.
Neil Warmington (set), Philip Gladwell (lighting), Elizabeth Ogilvie (water), Further than the Furthest Thing, Dundee Rep

Best Music and Sound
Jon Beales, My Fair Lady, Pitlochry Festival Theatre
Paddy Cunneen , King Lear, Citizens Theatre Company
David Fennessy (composer), Kenny Macleod (sound design), Pass the Spoon, Magnetic North Theatre Productions in collaboration with Red Note Ensemble
Johnny Whoop, BEATS, the Arches

Best Technical Presentation sponsored by Northern Light
A Christmas Carol, National Theatre of Scotland
Five-Minute Theatre, National Theatre of Scotland
Further than the Furthest Thing, Dundee Rep
The Salon Project, Traverse Theatre Company and Untitled Projects

Best Show for Children and Young People
The Curious Scrapbook of Josephine Bean, Shona Reppe Puppets
Kes, Catherine Wheels in association with Brunton Theatre
Tall Tales for Small People, National Theatre of Scotland and Communicado
Too Many Penguins, Frozen Charlotte and the MacRobert, Stirling

Best Production
A Christmas Carol, National Theatre of Scotland
Further than the Furthest Thing, Dundee Rep Theatre
King Lear, Citizens Theatre Company
The Salon Project, Traverse Theatre Company and Untitled Projects

Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland website: www.criticsawards.theatrescotland.com

ENDS

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