2020 Shortlist

Best Female Performance

Sponsored by STV

  • Nicole Cooper (Hamlet), Hamlet, Bard in the Botanics
  • Anna Russell-Martin (Anais Hendricks), The Panopticon, National Theatre of Scotland
  • Kirsty Stuart (Duchess), The Duchess (of Malfi), Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and Citizens Theatre
  • Kirsty Stuart (Grace), Faith Healer, Pitlochry Festival Theatre

Best Male Performance

  • George Costigan (Francis Hardy), Faith Healer, Pitlochry Festival Theatre
  • Barrie Hunter (Jim McLean), Smile, Dundee Rep Ensemble
  • James McArdle (Peter Gynt) Peter Gynt, Edinburgh International Festival and National Theatre of Great Britain
  • Tom McGovern (Thomas Barclay), The Signalman, A Play, a Pie and a Pint in association with the Traverse Theatre

Best Ensemble

Sponsored by Equity

  • How Not To Drown, ThickSkin and Traverse Theatre Company, co-produced with Tron Theatre and Lawrence Batley Theatre
  • The Importance of Being Earnest, Perth Theatre
  • Tay Bridge, Dundee Rep Ensemble
  • Thank You Very Much, Manchester International Festival and National Theatre of Scotland

Best Director

  • Ken Alexander, The Signalman, A Play, a Pie and a Pint in association with the Traverse Theatre
  • Matthew Lenton, The Metamorphosis, Vanishing Point, Tron Theatre and Emilia Romagna Teatro Fondazione
  • Matthew Luton, Solaris, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Malthouse Theatre and the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
  • Elizabeth Newman, Faith Healer, Pitlochry Festival Theatre

Best Design

  • Shona Reppe, Atlantis Banal: Beneath The Surface, created with Vélo Théâtre, France, produced by Catherine Wheels
  • Kenneth MacLeod (set and costume) and Simon Wilkinson (lighting), The Metamorphosis, Vanishing Point, Tron Theatre and Emilia Romagna Teatro Fondazione
  • Hyemi Shin (set and costume), Paul Jackson (lighting), Tov Belling and Katie Milwright (cinematography), Toby Angwin (visual effects), Solaris, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Malthouse Theatre and the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
  • Rachana Jadhav (book illustrator and set designer) and Karen Bryce (lighting), Total Immediate Collective Imminent Terrestrial Salvation, National Theatre of Scotland in association with the Royal Court Theatre, Teatro de Bairro Alto, Lisbon and Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts

Best Music and Sound

Sponsored by the Scottish Drama Training Network

  • Rob Hiley (musical director and arranger) and Chloe Dougan (sound designer), Blonde Bombshells of 1943, Pitlochry Festival Theatre
  • Biff Smith (songs, lyrics and music), Dark Carnival Unplugged, Vanishing Point
  • Matthias Hermann (sound designer and composer), Thank You Very Much, Manchester International Festival and National Theatre of Scotland
  • Carla J Easton (songs and music) and Fiona Johnston (sound design and club mix), Them!, National Theatre of Scotland

Best Technical Presentation

Sponsored by BECTU

  • The Afflicted, Groupwork in association with ThickSkin and support from Tramway
  • Atlantis Banal: Beneath The Surface, Shona Reppe, created with Vélo Théâtre, France, produced by Catherine Wheels
  • Solaris, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Malthouse Theatre and the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
  • The Steamie, Neil Laidlaw and Jason Haigh-Ellery in association with Stephen McGil

Best Production for Children and Young People

  • Atlantis Banal: Beneath the Surface, Shona Reppe, created with Vélo Théâtre, France, produced by Catherine Wheels
  • The Secret Garden, Red Bridge Arts in association with Platform
  • Sound Symphony, Ellie Griffiths, Independent Arts Projects in association with Capital Theatres
  • This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing, Imaginate and Stellar Quines with support from MacRobert Arts Centre

Best New Play

  • Shona Reppe, Atlantis Banal: Beneath the Surface, Shona Reppe, created with Vélo Théâtre, France, produced by Catherine Wheels
  • Mara Menzies, Blood and Gold, Independent Arts Projects
  • Zinnie Harris after John Webster, The Duchess (of Malfi), Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and Citizens Theatre
  • Peter Arnott, The Signalman, A Play, a Pie and a Pint in association with the Traverse Theatre

Best Production

  • Faith Healer, Pitlochry Festival Theatre
  • The Metamorphosis, Vanishing Point, Tron Theatre and Emilia Romagna Teatro Fondazione
  • The Signalman, Peter Arnott, A Play, a Pie and a Pint in association with the Traverse Theatre
  • Solaris, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Malthouse Theatre and the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
  • Thank You Very Much, Manchester International Festival and National Theatre of Scotland

The CATS judging panel for 2020 was made up of: Mary Brennan (The Herald), Anna Burnside (Daily Record), Neil Cooper (The Herald), Michael Cox (Across the Arts), Thom Dibdin (The Stage and AllEdinburghTheatre.com), Mark Fisher (The Guardian), Joyce McMillan (The Scotsman), and David Pollock (freelance arts journalist).