March 5, 2007

BEST OF THE FRINGE FESTIVAL 2007 ANNOUNCED

The 14th annual New Zealand Fringe Festival has drawn to a close, with the announcements of this year’s Fringe 07 award winners.

Thirteen awards were granted at the award ceremony and closing night party, held Sunday night, March 4, at Wellington’s San Francisco bathhouse.

The top award, Best of Fringe 07, went to Hotel, the innovative and critically-acclaimed theatre performance set in the Museum Hotel, produced by site-specific. "Hotel was a beautifully slick and well-produced Fringe show," said Fringe 07 director Karen Blyth. "The judges all agreed that Hotel embodied the absolute best of what Fringe 07 had to offer. The site-specific company are a class act and certainly they are a team to watch in future. Well done to Hotel!

"The feedback from the arts community, reviewers and the audience has been that this year’s crop of productions has been of an exceptionally high standard.

"A big thank you to the hundreds of people who participated in Fringe 07 and to the audiences who make it all worthwhile. Roll on 2008 – we’ll be back!"

Twenty-three judges from the Wellington arts community reviewed all 98 productions between them to award thirteen winners and honourable mentions for each category.

The full list of winners and honourable mentions is:

BEST DANCE
WINNER: MOTHTICK by Julia Sadlar and Katie Burton
Honourable Mention: Chance by Maria Dabrowska and Alex Leonhartsberger.

BEST MUSIC
WINNER: In the Cube by STRIKE
Honourable Mentions:
Spartacus R in Octophonic by Brownlight Industries and Plus One
LCUK and Death to Your Dreams by Sean M Whelan and the Mime Set

BEST VISUAL ARTS
WINNER: Sounds like Light, Lights and Sound by Frey
Honourable Mentions:
Public Announcement by Mat Hunkin
Cakes of the 20th Century by the Mens Art Club

BEST OUTDOOR
WINNER: Gravity and Other Myths by Fuse Productions NZ
Honourable Mentions:
Lovers of Central Park by Connect Productions
Baby where are the fine things you promised me? by Winning Productions

BEST THEATRE
WINNER: HOTEL by Site-Specific
Honourable Mentions:
Brain Power by Out of Bounds
On the Corner by Longcloak Productions

STAND OUT PERFORMER
WINNER: Gavin Rutherford from HOTEL
Honourable Mentions:
Leon Wadham from Brain Power
Maria Dabrowska and Alex Leonhartsberger from Chance

BEST COMEDY
WINNER: Return of the Lonesome Buckwhips by The Lonesome Buckwhips
Honourable Mentions:
Hot Pink Bits by Penash Productions
The Little Shop of Horrors by Naked Pictures
A Yank in NZ by Dave Wiggins

MARKETING AWARD
WINNER: Hotel by site-specific
Honourable Mention:
Life As Antigone by Almost a Bird Theatre Collective

BEST ONE MAN BAND/ SOLO SHOW
WINNER: Porcelain Grin by The Amazing Orange Tricycle
Honourable Mentions:
Letteracy by Tanya Batt
Arch Enemies and Other Close Acquaintances by Live in an elevator

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
WINNER: Brain Power by Out of Bounds
Honourable Mentions: Imagining Reality by Babyshads

MOST ORGINAL CONCEPT
WINNER: Cakes of the 20th Century by The Mens Art Club
Honourable Mentions:
Soundmarks by the Soundnerds
Baby where are the Fine things you Promised Me? by Winning Productions

WHERE DID YOU COME FROM? Best Newcomer to Fringe
WINNER: Public Announcement by Mat Hunkin
Honourable Mentions: The Leaning Tower of Penchant by Back – Lit Productions

BEST OF FRINGE 07
WINNER:    HOTEL by site-specific
Honourable Mentions:
Gravity and Other Myths by Fuse Productions