CRITICS' AWARDS FOR THEATRE IN SCOTLAND
With the excitement mounting ahead of this Sunday’s Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland ceremony we are delighted to announce that multi-talented Scottish actor, singer and presenter Clare Grogan will lead the festivities – and the revelations – as this year’s star host.
The bubbly star shot to fame at the age of 19 as Susan in the classic Scottish film Gregory’s Girl after being discovered in a Glasgow restaurant by Local Hero director Bill Forsyth. From here she went on to support Siouxsie and the Banshees and came to be described as ‘the Shirley Temple of punk’ during her time fronting the band Altered Images, whose successes included 1981’s top ten hit Happy Birthday.
After the band split in 1984 Clare returned to her acting career and has since starred in a string of popular television series including Taggart (BBC), Doctors (BBC), Father Ted (Hat Trick), Red Dwarf (BBC) and Skins (Company Pictures). She has presented for VH 1 and on shows as varied as Planet Football (Channel 4) and Scottish Passport (STV). She appeared as a contestant on Masterchef (BBC), and written a book aimed at teenagers, Tallulah and the Teenstars.
Throughout her varied career, Clare has continued to take on demanding stage roles including a notable performance at the Edinburgh Fringe as a Nazi officer’s wife who falls in love with a young Jewish woman in Forbidden. Never afraid to push her professional boundaries or to take on new creative challenges - and with her enduring links to the Scottish stage - who better to lead the festivities in this year’s celebration of Scottish theatre?
Clare Grogan says of her appearance: “Any opportunity I can get to support Scottish theatre is something I will take up. It was very much part of my culture growing up in Scotland. Just to be able to support that in any way is a genuine delight. It is so important to acknowledge the great work that goes into theatre.”
Joyce McMillan, CATS co-convener adds: “We are delighted that Clare Grogan will join us at 2011’s CATS Awards as our star guest presenter. Whether Clare is appearing as an actor, singer or herself, she brings with her a wonderful generosity of spirit and openness that adds a magical dimension to Scottish theatre and entertainment.”
Now in its ninth year, the CATS has become a highlight of the theatrical calendar in Scotland, celebrating the actors, directors playwrights and other artists who have made the most thrilling contributions to the industry.
Tickets cost £15 (including live entertainment, entry to the awards ceremony, a pre and post show glass of fizz and light refreshments) and can be purchased through the Festival Theatre box office. For further information on the CATS visit www.criticsawards.theatrescotland.com.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
CATS organisers would like to thank The Mackintosh Foundation, the charity set up by theatre producer Cameron Mackintosh to promote and develop theatrical, musical and dramatic arts, for its pledge of £3,000 over three years to support this unique event. In addition, technical services company Northern Light, insurance specialists W&P Longreach have each donated £500 a year until 2012 to support the individual awards for Best Technical Presentation, Best Male Performance and Best New Play, while media company STV has pledged £500 a year for five years to support the award for Best Female Performance. The list of sponsors is joined by Equity which is supporting the award for Best Ensemble. Equity has kindly pledged £500 to support the award for three years. The ceremony will be sponsored by catering company Appetite Direct and arts and entertainments publication The List
David Birrell as Sweeney Todd, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Dundee Rep Theatre
Alex Ferns as Johnny Byrne, The Hard Man, Scottish Theatres Consortium
Peter Forbes as Arnolphe, Educating Agnes, Royal Lyceum Theatre Company
Ian Smith, My Hands Are Dancing But My Heart Is Cold, Ian Smith
Kate Dickie as Jackie, Any Given Day, Traverse Theatre Company
Blythe Duff as Helen, Good With People, A Play, a Pie and a Pint/Paines Plough
Gemma McElhinney as Duck, The Monster in the Hall, TAG
Mercy Ojelade as Mary, Roadkill, Ankur Productions/Pachamama Productions
Age of Arousal, Stellar Quines Theatre Company/Royal Lyceum Theatre Company
Nothing to See Here, National Theatre of Scotland/Aberdeen City Council
The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, National Theatre of Scotland
The Three Musketeers and the Princess of Spain, Traverse Theatre Company/Belgrade Theatre, Coventry/English Touring Theatre
Cora Bissett, Roadkill, Ankur Productions/Pachamama Productions
James Brining, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Dundee Rep Theatre
Muriel Romanes, Age of Arousal, Stellar Quines Theatre Company/Royal Lyceum Theatre Company
Mark Thomson, The Importance of Being Earnest, Royal Lyceum Theatre Company
Janet Bird (set and costumes) and Jeanine Davies (lighting), Age of Arousal, Stellar Quines Theatre Company/Royal Lyceum Theatre Company
Candice Edmonds and Jamie Harrison (set), The Not-So-Fatal Death of Grandpa Fredo, Vox Motus
Shona Reppe (set and costumes) and Craig Fleming (lighting), White, Catherine Wheels Theatre Company
Colin Richmond (set) and Chris Davey (lighting), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Dundee Rep Theatre
Hilary Brooks, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Dundee Rep Theatre
Nikola Kodjabashia, The Three Musketeers and the Princess of Spain, Traverse Theatre Company/Belgrade Theatre, Coventry/English Touring Theatre
Alasdair Macrae, The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, National Theatre of Scotland
Michael John McCarthy, The Not-So-Fatal Death of Grandpa Fredo, Vox Motus
The Not-So-Fatal Death of Grandpa Fredo, Vox Motus
Orlando, Cryptic
Roadkill, Ankur Productions/Pachamama Productions
White, Catherine Wheels Theatre Company
Beauty and the Beast, Citizens Theatre
Caged, Catherine Wheels Theatre Company
The Three Musketeers and the Princess of Spain, Traverse Theatre Company/Belgrade Theatre, Coventry/English Touring Theatre
White, Catherine Wheels Theatre Company
David Greig, The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, National Theatre of Scotland
Chris Hannan, The Three Musketeers and the Princess of Spain, Traverse Theatre Company/Belgrade Theatre, Coventry/English Touring Theatre
Conceived by Cora Bissett, text by Stef Smith, Roadkill, Ankur Productions/Pachamama Productions
Molly Taylor, Love Letters to the Public Transport System, National Theatre of Scotland
Age of Arousal, Stellar Quines Theatre Company/Royal Lyceum Theatre Company
Roadkill, Ankur Productions/Pachamama Productions
The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, National Theatre of Scotland
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Dundee Rep Theatre
The CATS judging panel for 2011 is made up of: Mary Brennan (The Herald), Mark Brown (The Sunday Herald and the Daily Telegraph), Neil Cooper (The Herald), Michael Cox (onstagescotland.co.uk), Robert Dawson Scott (The Times), Thom Dibdin (Edinburgh Evening News and The Stage), Mark Fisher (The Guardian), Joyce McMillan (The Scotsman), Gareth K Vile (The Skinny) and Joy Watters (The Courier).
Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland
Sunday 12 June at 3.00pm
Festival Theatre, Edinburgh
13/29 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9FT
Tickets: £15 (includes a glass of fizz pre- and post-show)
Box Office: 0131 529 6000 / www.festivaltheatre.org.uk
For further information on the CATS visit www.criticsawards.theatrescotland.com.
For further press information or images please contact Rebecca Byers on 0131 622 8088 or rebecca.byers@eft.co.uk
Issued by the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh on behalf of the Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland.