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Theatre Critics of Wales Awards
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A wide range of arts organisations and individuals were honoured last night (SAT, Jan 26) at the inaugural Theatre Critics in Wales Awards including a surprise Lifetime Achievement Award to the husband and wife he founders of the nation’s dance company.
Roy Campbell-Moore and Ann Sholem were presented with their Award for their contribution to the arts over more than three decades at the glittering ceremony at Sherman Cymru in Cardiff.
The Awards recognise excellence in theatre, dance and opera and are selected from performances by Welsh or Wales-based individuals and productions that have been performed in Wales by Wales-based companies.
The coveted Best Production English Language was one of seven awards presented to National Theatre Wales. The Award was given for its production of Coriolan/us while Richard Lynch was named Best Actor English language for his performance in the play’s title role. Best Director was presented to John McGrath for The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning.
The Sherman Cymru/Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru co-production Llwyth was also a strong winner with two awards; Best Production Welsh language and Simon Watts being named Best Actor Welsh language.
It was a night of success for Welsh National Opera with international soprano Rebecca Evans named Best Female Opera Singer for the role of Countess in WNO’s The Marriage of Figaro and rising star Gary Griffiths won Best Male Opera Singer for his performance in La bohème. The company’s La traviata was named Best Opera Production.
There was also success for Lisa Palfrey who was named Best Actress English language for her performance in the Sherman Cymru/ Bristol Old Vic collaboration Before It Rains and Rebecca Harries was named Best Actress Welsh language for Theatr Bara Caws’ Llanast! While Katherine Chandler won the Writer’s Guild Playwright Award for Before It Rains.
The Awards also recognised music and sound, ensemble, digital and technical skills in theatre alongside those for overall productions and individual performance. In 2014 these categories will be extended to include opera and dance.
Best music and sound was won by John Hardy/Mike Beer for Coriolan/us. The Best use of digital/online content was awarded to National Theatre Wales/Native HQ/Tom Beardshaw for The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning). Matthew Aubrey, Harry Ferrier, Gwawr Loader, Kyle Rees, Anjana Vasan, Sion Daniel Young picked up the Best Ensemble award also for The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning. The winner of the Best Design award was Tim Dickel for Little Dogs produced by National Theatre Wales/Frantic Assembly.
Theatr Iolo scooped the Best Production for Children and Young People with
Grimm Tales and the Young Critics’ Award was given to Volcano for their production of A Clockwork Orange.
The Awards are organised by the Young Critics Scheme, which is made up of young people, aged 12 to 25, who review stage productions in Wales that are then published online. The scheme is run by Guy O’Donnell, Arts Development Officer for Bridgend Council. Guy O’Donnell said, “This is the first of what I hope will now be a highlight of the arts calendar in Wales. The awards have been made possible by generous sponsorship of money, time and expertise and also the dedication of the Young Critics team and the panel of critics.”
Nominations were made by the young critics and a panel of professional reviewers from across Wales from performances they had seen in Wales during 2012. From this list a shortlist was complied and then the panel of young critics and professional reviewers selected the individual category winners.
Guy O’Donnell added, “Each category was generously sponsored by Wales’ arts companies and venues, the nation’s leading print and online media companies and arts marketing organisation to demonstrate their commitment to theatre, dance and opera in Wales and to the future of arts writing and reviewing.”
The former dancers founded Diversions Dance Company in Cardiff in 1983. Celebrating its 30th birthday this year, Diversions changed its name to National Dance Company Wales in 2008 in recognition of its status as one of the nation’s flagship arts organisations.
Presenting the award, art critic and judging panel member Mike Smith: “Roy and Ann have shown unstinting support for the company, dancers and dance artists in Wales over the years. They have brought the world’s finest choreographers and designers to Wales and devoted their lives to contemporary dance, which has been one of the less supported yet more internationally successful art forms we have in Wales.”
Based at the Dance House at the Wales Millennium Centre, NDCWales also won the Best Dance Production category with Dream by Christopher Bruce. Created as part of the Cultural Olympiad and performed at Wales Millennium Stadium last year, the dance will also be staged in Cardiff at the Sherman Cymru next month as part of the dance company’s birthday celebrations.
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Sunday, January 27, 2013 |
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