Winners for Scotland’s Celebration of Theatre Announced

Press release 12 June 2011

CATHERINE Wheels today emerged as the leader at this year’s Critics’ Awards For Theatre In Scotland ceremony at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre. The children’s theatre specialists – who are also based in the capital – secured victory in an impressive three of the ten categories overall – with their show White winning Best Production For Children And Young People, Best Technical Presentation and Best Design.

Winner of 3 Awards - Catherine Wheel’s ‘White'

Ankur Productions/Pachamama Productions received six nominations for their hard-hitting, site-specific play Roadkill which dramatically explored the growing problem of sex-trafficking in Scotland. Cora Bissett’s bold and uncompromising piece took the coveted award for Best Production while Mercy Ojelade’s powerful depiction of the play’s central character Mary won her the top honour in the Best Female Performance category.

The Traverse Theatre scooped two awards for their bawdy but brilliant Christmas show The Three Musketeers And The Princess Of Spain, which edged out strong competition to win the Best New Play and Best Ensemble sections.

Dundee Rep, nominated in five categories, clinched the winning Best Male Performance for a second year running. David Birrell picked up the award for the title role in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street. Meanwhile, Hilary Brooks picked up a second award for the Rep and Sweeney Todd, as, for the first time, the honour for Best Music And Sound was awarded jointly to two productions. Alasdair Macrae shared the commendation for his work on the National Theatre of Scotland’s The Strange Undoing Of Prudencia Hart, penned by ten-time nominee David Greig.

In one of the most fiercely-contested categories, Muriel Romanes was named Best Director for The Age Of Arousal, a co-production between Stellar Quines Theatre Company and the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company.

Now in its ninth year, the Critics’ Awards For Theatre In Scotland took place on Sunday 12th June during a glamorous ceremony hosted by the multi-talented Scottish entertainer Clare Grogan. Now well established as a highlight in the theatrical calendar north of the border, the event was attended by some of the leading figures in Scottish theatre who celebrated alongside passionate theatre lovers.

Co-convener Mark Fisher, said: “The range of winners demonstrates the breadth and ambition of high-quality theatre in Scotland. The list embraces musicals, site-specific drama, children’s shows and main stage theatre – each winner brilliant in their own distinctive way.

“We’d like to add a big thank you to all our sponsors, without whom the awards would not be possible. As well as STV sponsoring best female performance, Northern Light sponsoring best technical presentation and W&P Longreach – Theatre Insurance Brokers sponsoring best new play, we are particularly delighted to welcome Equity as sponsor of the best ensemble award. In addition to this, we are very grateful to The List for producing the programme, Appetite Direct for the catering and the Festival Theatre for hosting the ceremony and providing invaluable support. Naturally, the event would not have been the same without guest presenter Clare Grogan and the Jazz Bar Quartet.”