It’s Cool for Edinburgh at CATS
Edinburgh companies dominate Critics Awards shortlist
The shortlist for this year’s Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland have been published and exactly half the nominations are for productions made or co-produced in Edinburgh.
The Lyceum comes out best with a dozen nominations for four productions across seven of the ten different categories. Three EIF co-productions receive a total of 11 nominations between them.
Best Ensemble nomination: Rhinoceros, (Edinburgh International Festival and Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in association with DOT Theatre, Istanbul). Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.
The Lyceum, EIF, DOT Theatre co-production of Rhinoceros, directed by Murat Daltaban, goes head to head with the Lyceum’s Cockpit in three categories: best director, ensemble and best production.
The Belle’s Stratagem is also nominated for best ensemble while Rhinoceros and Glory on Earth both receive nods in the best music and sound category.
Rhinoceros is nominated in three further categories: Robert Jack who played Berenger is up for best male performance, Tom Piper (designer) and Chris Davey (lighting) are up for the design award and the theatre’s backstage team is up for best technical presentation.
Flight, a co-production between the EIF, Vox Motus and the Beacon Arts Centre is nominated in three categories – design, technical presentation and best production.
A scene from Flight by Vox Motus. Pic Beth Chalmers
Red Bridge Arts, the independent production company, has two shows nominated in the theatre for children and young people category. Night Light by Andy Manley and Teater Refleksion, co-produced with Imaginate, is up against Space Ape by Andy Cannon.
Also nominated in the children’s theatre section is Mamoru Iriguchi’s independent production, Eaten, which was at Summerhall during fringe 2017 and had a showing at this year’s Science Festival.
Edinburgh theatres are nominated in every single category. The Traverse makes it into the best new play category with Zinnie Harris’s Meet Me At Dawn, an EIF co-production. While Apphia Campbell’s extraordinary performance in WOKE gets a nod in the best female performance category.
international connections
Commenting on the Lyceum’s nominations, artistic director David Greig said: “We are delighted to be nominated for so many Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland this year and I’m particularly pleased that such a variety of shows are in contention.
“The success of Rhinoceros celebrates The Lyceum’s aspiration to make more international connections, as we have with DOT Theatre, Istanbul and Edinburgh International Festival; while two nominations for Music and Sound (for Rhinoceros and Glory on Earth) bear witness to our commitment to put music at the centre of our work which is writ-large throughout our next season.
Hannah Jarrett-Scott, Shannon Swan, Christie Gowans, Rona Morison, kirsty Eila McIntyre, Fiona Wood, Christina Gordon in
Glory on Earth by Linda McLean. Pic: Drew Farrell.
Greig continued: “The scale and ambition of Cockpit took an incredible amount of work both from the cast and creative team, as well as the theatre staff, so I’m very proud this has been recognised; while The Belle’s Stratagem points to our commitment to nurture and celebrate Scottish talent.
“These nominations are not just for the artists involved but for the dedicated Lyceum team who work with them to bring extraordinary productions to our stage.”
The CATS will be presented at Perth Theatre on Sunday 10 June 2018, with tickets available to all, whether performers, nominees or members of the public. As Dundee-based critic and member of the judging panel Joy Watters told Æ: “It’s for everyone who loves and cares about Scottish theatre, from all sides of the footlights and from all of Scotland.”
Listing and links
The Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland 2018
Perth Theatre, Mill Street, Perth, PH1 5HZ. Box Office: 01738 621031
Sunday 10 June 2018, 4pm.
Tickets and further details: www.horsecross.co.uk.
The CATS website: www.criticsawards.theatrescotland.com.
Facebook event page: CATS 2018.
CATS on Twitter: @catsawards.
ENDS
