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CRITICS' AWARDS FOR THEATRE IN SCOTLAND
CATS AWARDS 2017
WINNERS & NOMINEES
The 2017 CATS winners were announced at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh, on Sun 11 June where special guest presenter Still Game’s Gavin Mitchell presented the awards.
Here are the winners and nominees for the Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland 2017.
Guest Presenter Gavin Mitchel
Best Male Performance
Brian Ferguson (Bernard 1, 2 and Michael Black)
A Number, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in partnership with Edinburgh International Science Festival
Image © Aly Wight
Image © Aly Wight
Robert Jack (Benedick)
Much Ado About Nothing, Dundee Rep Ensemble
Image © Tommy Ga Ken Wan
Image © Tommy Ga Ken Wan
Billy Mack (Willy Loman)
Death of a Salesman, Dundee Rep Ensemble
WINNER - Best Male Performer
“Billy Mack’s performance as Willy Loman was unforgettable. He movingly ran the gamut of Willy’s emotions, raging against what life has done to him,·bursting into unfounded optimism and finally, heartbreakingly, the realisation that it has all been for nothing.”
Joy Watters, Across the Arts
Image © Jane Hobson
WINNER - Best Male Performer
“Billy Mack’s performance as Willy Loman was unforgettable. He movingly ran the gamut of Willy’s emotions, raging against what life has done to him,·bursting into unfounded optimism and finally, heartbreakingly, the realisation that it has all been for nothing.”
Joy Watters, Across the Arts
Image © Jane Hobson
Gerry Mulgrew (Krapp)
Krapp’s Last Tape, Tron Theatre, Glasgow and Paul Brotherston
Image ©
Image ©
Best Female Performance
Lucy Briggs-Owen (Lydia Languish)
The Rivals, Citizens Theatre, Bristol Old Vic and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse
Image © Mark Douet
Image © Mark Douet
Nicole Cooper (Coriolanus)
Coriolanus, Bard in the Botanics
WINNER - Best Female Performance
“As Coriolanus in Bard in the Botanics’ stripped-back production of Shakespeare’s war-time classic, Nicole Cooper took on a role usually associated with unhinged machismo and stomped her way through the Kibble Palace with a whirlwind-like ferocity. This not only gave the play a fresh edge of femininity in a still contemporary work, but pointed to a major actor, who can tackle big roles with a mix of fearlessness and sensitivity.”
Neil Cooper, The Herald
Image © Tommy Ga Ken Wan
WINNER - Best Female Performance
“As Coriolanus in Bard in the Botanics’ stripped-back production of Shakespeare’s war-time classic, Nicole Cooper took on a role usually associated with unhinged machismo and stomped her way through the Kibble Palace with a whirlwind-like ferocity. This not only gave the play a fresh edge of femininity in a still contemporary work, but pointed to a major actor, who can tackle big roles with a mix of fearlessness and sensitivity.”
Neil Cooper, The Herald
Image © Tommy Ga Ken Wan
Louise McCarthy (Bernadette)
Cuttin’ a Rug, Citizens Theatre
Image © Tim Morozzo
Image © Tim Morozzo
Gemma McElhinney (Kelly Butcher)
GamePlan, (Rosie Seymore) FlatSpin and (Paige Petite) RolePlay, Pitlochry Festival Theatre
Image © Douglas McBride
Image © Douglas McBride
Best Ensemble
Death of a Salesman
Dundee Rep Ensemble
WINNER - Best Ensemble
“The best productions of Death of a Salesman put Willy Loman in context, and that’s what the ensemble do here. His sons, wife, neighbour and uncle all prop up Willy’s pain and·amplify his situation. The cast worked together to do this selflessly and brilliantly.”
Anna Burnside, Daily Record
Image © Jane Hobson
WINNER - Best Ensemble
“The best productions of Death of a Salesman put Willy Loman in context, and that’s what the ensemble do here. His sons, wife, neighbour and uncle all prop up Willy’s pain and·amplify his situation. The cast worked together to do this selflessly and brilliantly.”
Anna Burnside, Daily Record
Image © Jane Hobson
The Lonesome West
Tron Theatre, Glasgow
Image © John Johnstone
Image © John Johnstone
A Number
Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in partnership with Edinburgh International Science Festival
Image © Aly Wight
Image © Aly Wight
The Rivals
Citizens Theatre, Bristol Old Vic and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse
Image © Mark Douet
Image © Mark Douet
Best Director
Ian Cameron, Andy Cannon, Andy Manley and Shona Reppe
Black Beauty, Red Bridge and Traverse Theatre Company
Image © Mihaela Bodlovic
Image © Mihaela Bodlovic
Joe Douglas
Death of a Salesman, Dundee Rep Ensemble
Image © Jane Hobson
Image © Jane Hobson
Zinnie Harris
A Number, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in partnership with Edinburgh International Science Festival
WINNER - Best Director
“Zinnie Harris’s production of Caryl Churchill’s futuristic drama about cloning reflected brilliantly the careful, sharp-yet-nuanced structure of the play itself. Like a great, modernist concerto, her direction combined enthralling dissonance with a deep emotional and psychological connection.”
Mark Brown, Sunday Herald/The Telegraph
Image © Aly Wight
WINNER - Best Director
“Zinnie Harris’s production of Caryl Churchill’s futuristic drama about cloning reflected brilliantly the careful, sharp-yet-nuanced structure of the play itself. Like a great, modernist concerto, her direction combined enthralling dissonance with a deep emotional and psychological connection.”
Mark Brown, Sunday Herald/The Telegraph
Image © Aly Wight
Wils Wilson
Wind Resistance, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in association with Edinburgh International Festival and supported through the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund
Image © Aly Wight
Image © Aly Wight
Best Design
Fred Meller and Ben Ormerod
Fred Meller (designer) and Ben Ormerod (lighting designer), A Number, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in partnership with Edinburgh International Science Festival
Image © Aly Wight
Image © Aly Wight
Francis O’Connor, Tim Mitchell and Jamie Macdonald
Francis O’Connor (designer), Tim Mitchell (lighting designer) and Jamie Macdonald (video designer), Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh
Image © Drew Farrell
Image © Drew Farrell
Shona Reppe and Simon Wilkinson
Shona Reppe (designer) and Simon Wilkinson (lighting designer), Black Beauty, Red Bridge and Traverse Theatre Company
WINNER - Best Design
“Designer Shona Reppe brought a punctilious, modeller’s eye to the details of her wonderful horse-box set, enveloped in Simon Wilkinson’s clever lighting, for Black Beauty. This was more than decoration, however, but itself a cleverly versatile stage for the performers to bring all their storytelling abilities, whether as a puppeteer’s booth, New Town party house or farmhouse nursery. When boots can turn into horses and a pink rubber glove into a cow, you know that here magic can be made.”
Thom Dibdin, The Stage
Image © Mihaela Bodlovic
WINNER - Best Design
“Designer Shona Reppe brought a punctilious, modeller’s eye to the details of her wonderful horse-box set, enveloped in Simon Wilkinson’s clever lighting, for Black Beauty. This was more than decoration, however, but itself a cleverly versatile stage for the performers to bring all their storytelling abilities, whether as a puppeteer’s booth, New Town party house or farmhouse nursery. When boots can turn into horses and a pink rubber glove into a cow, you know that here magic can be made.”
Thom Dibdin, The Stage
Image © Mihaela Bodlovic
Neil Warmington and Sergey Jakovsky
Neil Warmington (designer) and Sergey Jakovsky (lighting designer), Death of a Salesman, Dundee Rep Ensemble
Image © Jane Hobson
Image © Jane Hobson
Best Music & Sound
John Browne and Stephen Deazley
John Browne (composer and musical director) and Stephen Deazley (vocal leader), The Suppliant Women, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and Actors Touring Company
Image © Stephen Cummiskey
Image © Stephen Cummiskey
Jonathan Gill, Richard Price and Gareth Williams
Jonathan Gill (musical director), Richard Price (sound designer) and Gareth Williams (composer), The 306: Dawn, National Theatre of Scotland, 14–18 Now and Perth Theatre in association with Red Note Ensemble
Image © Manuel Harlan
Image © Manuel Harlan
Nikola Kodjabashia
Nikola Kodjabashia (composer), Death of a Salesman, Dundee Rep Ensemble
Image © Jane Hobson
Image © Jane Hobson
Pippa Murphy, Karine Polwart, Ben Seal and Mark Whyles
Pippa Murphy (sound designer), Karine Polwart (composer and musical director), Ben Seal (live sound) and Mark Whyles (live sound), Wind Resistance, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in association with Edinburgh International Festival and supported through the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund
WINNER - Best Music & Sound
Image © Aly Wight
“It goes without saying that Karine Polwart’s live score for Wind Resistance was exquisite. The four times winner at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards is no stranger to acclaim. But what made this show more special still was the audio work done by her whole team. Not only did we enjoy the purity of her singing voice, accompanied by tenor guitar, finger piano and live vocal loops, but also the expert mixing of Ben Seal and Mark Whyles and the superb immersive sound design of Pippa Murphy.”
Mark Fisher, The Guardian
WINNER - Best Music & Sound
Image © Aly Wight
“It goes without saying that Karine Polwart’s live score for Wind Resistance was exquisite. The four times winner at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards is no stranger to acclaim. But what made this show more special still was the audio work done by her whole team. Not only did we enjoy the purity of her singing voice, accompanied by tenor guitar, finger piano and live vocal loops, but also the expert mixing of Ben Seal and Mark Whyles and the superb immersive sound design of Pippa Murphy.”
Mark Fisher, The Guardian
Best Technical Presentation
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh
WINNER - Best Technical Presentation
“The ‘wonder’ in Wonderland simply wouldn’t have happened had it not been for the stellar technical execution of the Royal Lyceum’s Christmas production. Whether it was making Alice fly, allowing the complicated design to flawlessly unfold or ensuring the tea party didn’t literally crash into the audience, the technical team were the unsung heroes behind a brilliant and entertaining production.”
Michael Cox, Across the Arts
Image © Drew Farrell
WINNER - Best Technical Presentation
“The ‘wonder’ in Wonderland simply wouldn’t have happened had it not been for the stellar technical execution of the Royal Lyceum’s Christmas production. Whether it was making Alice fly, allowing the complicated design to flawlessly unfold or ensuring the tea party didn’t literally crash into the audience, the technical team were the unsung heroes behind a brilliant and entertaining production.”
Michael Cox, Across the Arts
Image © Drew Farrell
Coriolanus Vanishes
Fire Exit and Tron Theatre, Glasgow
Image © Tommy Ga Ken Wan
Image © Tommy Ga Ken Wan
Dr Stirlingshire’s Discovery
Grid Iron and Lung Ha Theatre Company supported by RZSS Edinburgh Zoo and Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh. Part of Edinburgh International Science Festival
Image © Pete Dibdin
Image © Pete Dibdin
The 306: Dawn
National Theatre of Scotland, 14–18 Now and Perth Theatre in association with Red Note Ensemble
Image © Manuel Harlan
Image © Manuel Harlan
Best Production for Children & Young People
Black Beauty
Red Bridge and Traverse Theatre Company
WINNER - Best Production for Children & Young People
“Anna Sewell’s classic story about animal welfare gets an inspired make-over in this production about the lives and hard-luck times of two brothers who perform as a pantomime horse. Hugely funny, but also genuinely moving in bringing the essential themes of Black Beauty – kindness, courage, respect for others – to young audiences.”
Mary Brennan, The Herald
Image © Mihaela Bodlovic
WINNER - Best Production for Children & Young People
“Anna Sewell’s classic story about animal welfare gets an inspired make-over in this production about the lives and hard-luck times of two brothers who perform as a pantomime horse. Hugely funny, but also genuinely moving in bringing the essential themes of Black Beauty – kindness, courage, respect for others – to young audiences.”
Mary Brennan, The Herald
Image © Mihaela Bodlovic
Dr Stirlingshire’s Discovery
Grid Iron and Lung Ha Theatre Company supported by RZSS Edinburgh Zoo and Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh. Part of Edinburgh International Science Festival
Image © Pete Dibdin
Image © Pete Dibdin
Mikey and Addie
Andy Manley and Red Bridge
Image © Tommy Ga Ken Wan
Image © Tommy Ga Ken Wan
The Story of the Little Gentleman
Catherine Wheels
Image © Brian Hartley
Image © Brian Hartley
Best New Play
Andy Cannon, Andy Manley and Shona Reppe
Black Beauty, Red Bridge and Traverse Theatre Company
Image © Mihaela Bodlovic
Image © Mihaela Bodlovic
David Greig
The Suppliant Women, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and Actors Touring Company
Image © Stephen Cummiskey
Image © Stephen Cummiskey
Kieran Hurley
Heads Up, Show and Tell and Kieran Hurley
WINNER - Best New Play
“The combination of lyrical power and sensitive characterisation ensures that Kieran Hurley’s·Heads Up·goes beyond the rhetorical reflection on the end of times and becomes a bold example of the contemporary monologue. Heartfelt and intelligent, it is a worthy winner that is both brutal and compassionate.”
Gareth Vile, The List
Image © Niall Walker
WINNER - Best New Play
“The combination of lyrical power and sensitive characterisation ensures that Kieran Hurley’s·Heads Up·goes beyond the rhetorical reflection on the end of times and becomes a bold example of the contemporary monologue. Heartfelt and intelligent, it is a worthy winner that is both brutal and compassionate.”
Gareth Vile, The List
Image © Niall Walker
Karine Polwart
Wind Resistance, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in association with Edinburgh International Festival
Image © Aly Wight
Image © Aly Wight
Best Production
Black Beauty
Red Bridge and Traverse Theatre Company
Image © Mihaela Bodlovic
Image © Mihaela Bodlovic
Death of a Salesman
Dundee Rep Ensemble
WINNER - Best Production
“Dundee Rep used all the resources of its fine ensemble company to produce a beautiful, memorable and heart-breaking production of Death of a Salesman. The Rep used superb design and sound to set one of the 20th century’s greatest plays in its full historical context, while always remaining fully focused on the profound and enduring human tragedy at the heart of the story.”
Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman
Image © Jane Hobson
WINNER - Best Production
“Dundee Rep used all the resources of its fine ensemble company to produce a beautiful, memorable and heart-breaking production of Death of a Salesman. The Rep used superb design and sound to set one of the 20th century’s greatest plays in its full historical context, while always remaining fully focused on the profound and enduring human tragedy at the heart of the story.”
Joyce McMillan, The Scotsman
Image © Jane Hobson
A Number
Royal Lyceum Theatre, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in partnership with Edinburgh International Science Festival
Image © Aly Wight
Image © Aly Wight
Wind Resistance
Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in association with Edinburgh International Festival and supported through the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund
Image © Aly Wight
Image © Aly Wight
he CATS judging panel for 2017 was made up of: Mary Brennan (The Herald), Irene Brown (edinburghguide.com), Mark Brown (The Sunday Herald and the Daily Telegraph), Anna Burnside (Daily Record), Paul F Cockburn (BroadwayBaby), Neil Cooper (The Herald), Michael Cox (Across the Arts), Thom Dibdin (The Stage and AllEdinburghTheatre.com), Mark Fisher (The Guardian), Joyce McMillan (The Scotsman), David Pollock (The Independent), Allan Radcliffe (The Times), Amy Taylor (The Public Reviews and TVBomb), Gareth K Vile (The List) and Joy Watters (Across the Arts).
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