Press release 10 May 2018
- Royal Lyceum gains 12 nominations for four productions across 7 award categories
- George Costigan nominated for Best Male Performance
- Two Best Design nominations for Tom Piper – co-creator of Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red – the stunning red poppies installation at the Tower of London
- The CATS will be presented at Perth Theatre on Sunday 10 June 2018
The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh has topped the shortlists for the 2018 CATS, which were released today, Thursday 10 May 2018. The theatre has received 12 nominations across four different productions with Rhinoceros – a Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh International Festival, DOT Theatre, Istanbul co-production – being most recognised production (nominated in 7 of the 10 categories).
Perth Theatre has 6 nominations including one for·Jessica Hardwick, first winner of the Billy McColl Award for Most Promising Newcomer in a Scottish Stage Production (2014), who is shortlisted in the Best Female Performance category for·Knives in Hens. Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre received 5 nominations across three different productions, including a Best Male Performance nomination for George Costigan for Long Day’s Journey into Night.
“This year has been another bumper year for the Royal Lyceum theatre,” says CATS co-convenor, Mark Fisher. “The theatre, which also topped the shortlists last year, has received 12 nominations for four different productions across seven of the award categories.”
“Once again co-productions have been recognised across all award categories including Rhinoceros, an international collaboration with DOT Theatre, Istanbul, which is the most recognised production with 7 nominations,” he adds.
“We’re simply delighted with the range of work recognised in these shortlists,” says co-convener Joyce McMillan, “from powerful productions of the best-loved classics to shows like Nursery Crymes and Flight, which really push at the edges of our concept of theatre.”
“It’s also a huge pleasure to see Perth Theatre firing on all cylinders again, after its three-year rebuilding programme; and we are especially pleased to be holding the Awards Ceremony at Perth this year, to celebrate the tremendous work that’s been done to make that much-loved theatre into a brilliant 21st century resource for the Perth area, and for the whole of Scottish theatre,” she adds.
In the Best New Play category Peter Arnott’s new version of Compton MacKenzie’s The Monarch of The Glen, Alan Bissett’s (More) Moira Monologues, Zinnie Harris’s Meet Me at Dawn, and Nursery Crymes, by street theatre specialists Mischief La-Bas, are shortlisted.
The CATS awards recognise creativity and excellence across the board. In the technical categories Tom Piper – co-creator of Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red (the red poppies installation at the Tower of London) – receives two nominations in the Best Design category (Rhinoceros and Long Day’s Journey into Night), and acclaimed composer Gareth Williams is among the nominees for Best Music (The 306: Day).
Productions for children and young people continue to make a vibrant contribution to theatre making in Scotland. This year Red Bridge Arts have made the shortlist for two different productions, Night Light and Space Ape alongside The Citizens Theatre’s Cinderella and Mamoru Iriguchi’s Eaten.
For full list of nominations see Notes for Editors.
The 2018 CATS has been generously supported by: STV (Best Female Performance), Equity (Best Ensemble) Scottish Drama Training Network (Best Design), and BECTU (Best Technical) The List, BBC Scotland Radio Drama and the Macintosh Foundation
The 2018 CATS will be presented on the afternoon of Sunday 10 June at the refurbished Perth Theatre. Tickets priced £16.50; £11.50 students (inc. a glass of wine on arrival) available from Horsecross
In person at Mill Street Perth PH1 5HZ
By telephone on 01738 621 031
Online via https://www.horsecross.co.uk/
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Notes for Editors
180 productions eligible for the 2017 CATS, with 90 eligible for the New Play Award.
The CATS judging panel for 2018 comprised Mary Brennan (The Herald), Irene Brown (edinburghguide.com), Mark Brown (Sunday Herald·and The·Daily Telegraph), 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)·and Joy Watters (Across the Arts).
For further information on the Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland visit:
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For further information contact: Lesley Booth, 0779 941 4474 / lesleyt@newcenturypr.com