Lyceum is CATS delight
17 noms for Lyceum in critics’ awards
Edinburgh-based companies dominate this year’s nominations for the annual Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland
Half the 40 nominations over ten categories are for productions solely emanating from Edinburgh, with a further nine nominations for co-productions.
Kern Falconer and Grant O’ Rourke in The Venetian Twins, Photo: Alan McCredie
The Lyceum comes out as the star of the year. The Venetian Twins and The Caucasian Chalk Circle both have five nominations while Faith Healer has three and Bondagers two.
Nicola Daley is up for her title performance in Hedda Gabler and DC Jackson – the writer of the Glasgow Citizens co-production Kill Johnny Glendenning – is up for best new play.
The company has a total of 17 nominations in eight categories, spread around six of its eight eligible productions. Notably it has three of the four nominations in the categories of best ensemble, best director and best production.
The nominations come hard on the heels of the news that the company is to get its Creative Scotland funding cut by 17.5% over three years.
Artistic director Mark Thomson, who is personally nominated for his direction of The Caucasian Chalk Circle, said: “The company and I are thrilled that so many of our productions have been celebrated by the CATS Awards this year and in my penultimate season here at the Lyceum.
“It’s a wonderfully rewarding finale to a year where everyone who works here, the artists and staff have journeyed with creativity and hard work on some amazing pieces so that the people of Edinburgh and beyond can have great nights out at the theatre.”
Edinburgh-based Catherine Wheels has four nominations for The Voice Thief, an immersive play for older children which was staged at Summerhall. As well as best show for young people, actor Jenny Hulse is nominated in best female performance and it gets nods for best design and best technical presentation.
Andy Cannon, the Edinburgh-based performer and storyteller, has two nominations for Tales of a Grandson. This was the culmination of a project in which he went round Scotland telling and collecting stories. The final production, three connected one-hour plays performed in an afternoon, was produced with the Scottish Storytelling Centre and MacRobert and is up for both best production for children and best music.
The Traverse has six nods as co-producer. Notably with two A Play, A Pie and A Pint co-productions: Crash by Andy Duffy and Squash by Martin McCormick which are both up for best new play. It was also a co-producer with KILTR and the Glasgow Citizens on Untitled Projects’ Slope, which has four nominations: best production, director, design and technical presentation.
CATS co-convenor Mark Fisher said: “As the Royal Lyceum enters its 50th year, it is particularly apt that the company has attracted such a wealth of nominations for its recent season in which it fired on all cylinders
“What’s also thrilling is the strength and variety of Scottish theatre performances across the board, ranging from lunchtime plays to mainstage classics, from experimental sound-based drama to promenade shows for children. It’s a real privilege for the CATS judges to be able to celebrate such bold and inventive work.”
Results of the Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland will be announced at the Glasgow Tron on Sunday 14 June.
The CATS shortlist in full
CATS’ Whiskers
For outstanding achievement in pioneering and high-quality work by young people:
Junction 25 on its tenth anniversary.
Best Male Performance
Brian Ferguson (Hamlet), Hamlet, Citizens Theatre
Keith Fleming (Buck), The Call of the Wild, A Play, a Pie and a Pint, Glasgow
Sean O’Callaghan (Francis Hardy), Faith Healer, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Grant O’Rourke (Zanetto and Tonino), The Venetian Twins, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Best Female Performance, sponsored by STV
Nicola Daley (Hedda), Hedda Gabler, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Meg Fraser (Susan), Woman in Mind, Dundee Rep Ensemble and Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Jenny Hulse (Beatrice), The Voice Thief, Catherine Wheels Theatre Company
Amy Manson (Grusha), The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Best Ensemble, sponsored by Equity
Bondagers, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
The Libertine, Citizens Theatre
The Venetian Twins, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Best Director
John Dove, Faith Healer, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Tony Cownie, The Venetian Twins, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Stewart Laing, Slope, Untitled Projects in partnership with KILTR, Citizens Theatre and Traverse Theatre Company
Mark Thomson, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Best Design
Mike Brookes (lighting designer), Anna Chaney (cinematographer), Stewart Laing (designer) and Nick Millar (technical director), Slope, Untitled Projects in partnership with KILTR, Citizens Theatre and Traverse Theatre Company
Graham McLaren (set and costume designer), Gavin Glover (associate designer), Kai Fischer (lighting designer), The Tin Forest, National Theatre of Scotland
Karen Tennent, The Voice Thief, Catherine Wheels
Jamie Vartan (designer) and Simon Wilkinson (lighting designer), Bondagers, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh.
Best Music and Sound, sponsored by Guitar Guitar
Tyler Collins (musician), Gameli Tordzro (musician) and Matt Padden (sound design), Last Dream (On Earth), Kai Fischer in association with National Theatre of Scotland and Tron Theatre, Glasgow
Claire McKenzie (composer), The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Daniel Padden, The Pine Tree, Poggle and Me, a MacRobert Arts Centre and Barrowland Ballet co-production
Wendy Weatherby (composer and musician), Tales of a Grandson, MacRobert Arts Centre and Andy Cannon in association with the Scottish International Storytelling Festival
Best Technical Presentation
Slope, Untitled Projects in partnership with KILTR, Citizens Theatre and Traverse Theatre Company
Last Dream (On Earth), Kai Fischer in association with the National Theatre of Scotland and the Tron Theatre, Glasgow
The Tin Forest, National Theatre of Scotland
The Voice Thief, Catherine Wheels Theatre Company
Best Production for Children and Young People, sponsored by Young Scot
The Pine Tree, Poggle and Me, a MacRobert Arts Centre and Barrowland Ballet co-production
The Pokey Hat, Grinagog Theatre
Tales of a Grandson, MacRobert Arts Centre and Andy Cannon in association with the Scottish International Storytelling Festival
The Voice Thief, Catherine Wheels Theatre Company
Best New Play, sponsored by Robertson Taylor W&P Longreach – Theatre Insurance Brokers
Tony Cownie, The Venetian Twins (after Goldoni), Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Andy Duffy, Crash, A Play, a Pie and a Pint staged in partnership with the Traverse Theatre Company
DC Jackson, Kill Johnny Glendenning, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh and Citizens Theatre
Martin McCormick, Squash, A Play, a Pie and a Pint presented by the Traverse Theatre Company
Best Production
The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Faith Healer, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Slope, Untitled Projects in partnership with KILTR, Citizens Theatre and Traverse Theatre Company
The Venetian Twins, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Listing
Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland 2015
Sunday 14 June 2015 at 3.30pm
The Tron Theatre, Glasgow.
Tickets priced £15 from the box office, by telephone on 0141 552 4267 and online at http://www.tron.co.uk/event/critics-awards-for-theatre-in-scotland-2015
ENDS
