December 7, 2009

CHAPMAN TRIPP THEATRE AWARDS
Winners List 2009

At the St James Theatre on Sunday 6 December, another extraordinary year of professional theatre was celebrated. The ceremony was ‘mastered’ by Taika Cohen (a.k.a. Waititi) and produced and directed by Mark Westerby with video production by Charlie Bleakley and Rollo Wenlock.

A hundred productions were in contention, staged late last year and throughout this year up to 14 November. The panel of critics that determined the awards was Laurie Atkinson (The Dominion Post), Lynn Freeman (Capital Times), John Smythe (Theatreview), Uther Dean (Salient) and Helen Sims (The Lumiere Reader). The Arbiter was Harry Ricketts.

Each critic nominates their candidates for each category and through a process of elimination the final nominees are determined. The final votes are arrived by a secret ballot using a proportional voting system, so only the arbiter knows the results.

The Mayor’s Award for Significant Contribution to Theatre is a special tribute to the lifetime contribution and commitment of a theatre practitioner who has been a pioneer in the performing arts. The recipient is determined by the Wellington Theatre Cluster: Bats Theatre, Circa Theatre, Downstage Theatre, Taki Rua, Capital E National Theatre for Children, and Playmarket.

And the winners are:

MONTANA AWARD FOR MOST ORIGINAL PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR
The Intricate Art Of Actually Caring – The Playground Collective

DOWNSTAGE THEATRE AWARD FOR THE MOST PROMISING MALE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Jack Sergent-Shadbolt – The Intricate Art Of Actually Caring

CIRCA AWARD DONATED BY TACT FOR THE MOST PROMISING FEMALE NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Sophie Roberts – Wolf’s Lair

TOI WHAKAARI: NZ DRAMA SCHOOL & VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON AWARD FOR THE MOST PROMISING NEW DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Eleanor Bishop – The Intricate Art Of Actually Caring

THE THEATRE AWARDS TRUST AWARD FOR COSTUME DESIGNER OF THE YEAR Dawa Devereux – A Most Outrageous Humbug

GROUSE LIGHTING AWARD FOR LIGHTING DESIGNER OF THE YEAR Adam Walker – Death And The Dreamlife Of Elephants   WETA WORKSHOP AWARD FOR SET DESIGNER OF THE YEAR Tracey Monastra – Death And The Dreamlife Of Elephants

WESTERN AUDIO ENGINEERING AWARD FOR SOUND DESIGNER OF THE YEAR Stephen Gallagher – The Blackening

CONSTANCE SCOTT KIRKCALDIE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING COMPOSER OF MUSIC
Erika Grant, Isaac Smith & Amanda Mclean – Bedlam

PETER HARCOURT AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEW PLAYWRIGHT OF THE YEAR SPONSORED BY BATS THEATRE & TAKI RUA PRODUCTIONS
Arthur Meek – Collapsing Creation

THE ORBIT CORPORATE TRAVEL AWARD FOR SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR Michelle Amas – Rock ‘n’ Roll

CHAPMAN TRIPP AWARD FOR SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Christopher Brougham – Collapsing Creation

MAYOR’S AWARD FOR SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE THEATRE
Bill Sheat

THE ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY OUTSTANDING NEW NEW ZEALAND PLAY OF THE YEAR
Collapsing Creation – Arthur Meek

EAT WELLINGTON ACCOLADE FOR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
Miranda Harcourt – Biography Of My Skin

ST JAMES THEATRE CHARITABLE TRUST ACCOLADE FOR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
Geraldine Brophy – Blood Wedding

CHAPMAN TRIPP AWARD FOR ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Erin Banks – A Brief History Of Helen Of Troy

GAIL COWAN MANAGEMENT & ODD MANAGEMENT AWARD FOR ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Jed Brophy – The Blackening

THE MUSEUM HOTEL AWARD FOR DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Joint winners:
Leo Gene Peters – Death And The Dreamlife Of Elephants
Tim Spite – Biography Of My Skin

CHAPMAN TRIPP AWARD FOR PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR
Collapsing Creation – Downstage Theatre and Conditional Productions