| A Look-back and Guide |
Wales Theatre Awards |
| Wales Theatre Awards , Theatre of Wales , March 26, 2025 |
The Wales Theatre Awards were an occasion for theatre professionals to gather and to celebrate. The organiser of the later years, Mike Smith, assembled over 40 reviewers to work in panels. The gatherings and discussions were long and deliberative. The awards were an initiative from civil society. They were not part of a government-sponsored initiative. As such they received small publicity. S4C reported the events. BBC Cymru Wales took no interest. The Arts Council of Wales was equivocal. The awards ended due to antagonism pursued by small but noisy minority. After the pandemic notions of awards were not realistic. The cluster of reviewers had evaporated. The reduction in the arts meant there were insufficient productions to provide lists for nominations. In 2025 Get the Chance organised a new awards scheme with nine new categories. * * * * 27 March 2025: Get the Chance Awards at Porter's. * * * * 01 March 2017 Awards for: Cysgu’n Brysur” Arad Goch Gruff Rhys “The Insatiable, Inflatable Candylion” National Theatre Wales Colin Grenfell “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” Theatr Clwyd Amy Jane Cook “Constellation Street” The Other Room “Kommilitonen!” WNO Youth Opera Gwyn Hughes Jones “Cavalleria Rusticana”/ “Pagliacci” Welsh National Opera Claire Booth “La Voix Humaine” Wales Millennium Centre and Welsh National Opera “Meet Fred” Hijinx Angharad Price “Nansi” Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru Matthew Bulgo “Constellation Street” The Other Room Little Red Riding Hood & The Three Little Pigs” Ballet Cymru Caroline Finn “Folk” National Dance Company Wales Phil Williams “Theatr Dawns” Cascade Dance Theatre Sophie Melville “Blackbird” Those Two Impostors at The Other Room Llion Williams “Belonging/Perthyn” Re-Live Siw Hughes “Mrs Reynolds a’r Cena Bach” Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru Llion Williams “Chwalfa” Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru “Chwalfa” Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru “Constellation Street” The Other Room Peter Doran “Belonging/Perthyn” Re-Live Dennis O’Neill * * * * 28 February 2017 “This is a Wales Theatre Awards first” says Lowri Haf Cooke. Indeed it is. She is on the Taliesin stage for Best Male Performance in the Welsh Language. Llion Williams steps forward for his role in Theatr Genedlaethol's epic “Chwalfa”. It is a first since he has been on the stage not long before for his role in “Belonging/ Perthyn.” If speeches are to be made then they should be made the Llion Williams' way. His self-description is “It's that strange man from North Wales” and he has a lovely phrase “I speak two spokes”. * * * * 27 February 2017 “The Awards are a collective celebration of a collective art. Chelsey Gillard says as much when she speaks on behalf of “Constellation Street.” Matthew Bulgo wryly recalls the Artistic Director's first response to his post-”Last Christmas” script “this isn't a play.” Maybe so but in the company's hands it was a production of such collaborative audaciousness that it took three awards. The company took to the Taliesin stage but one figure stayed in the anonymity of the auditorium. With no Dan Porter there would be no Other Room; actually there would be because its creation was fuelled by entrepreneurial fervour. But without Porters it would be very different in flavour. The Awards have yet to look to an award for producer.” * * * * 27 January 2017 “Denis O'Neill writes a foreword for the print programme. Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas writes in the online version, S4C is present to televise it on “Heno.” True to its credo towards its own culture BBC Wales is not to be seen. “The pendulum swings. This year is the year of the north with Franwen, Bara Caws, Theatr Clwyd, Opra Cymru, Pontio & Seiriol Davies sweeping the awards. The doughty Arad Goch, nudging towards thirty years, picks up best design. The speeches of thanks are crisp and warm. Those by Geinor Styles and Tamara Harvey are deep and heart-felt. “The high point of the event is a masterly tribute by Simon Harris to West Glamorgan Youth Theatre. It starts with personal memory of teenage transformation to a veritable roll-call of Welsh theatre. The extraordinary quality of Port Talbot's drama heritage is told in the book”the Actors' Crucible”, and the author to is also present. Godfrey Evans' address is one of eloquence and humbleness. The message is simple. If power wants to engage communities and young people the money should be pumped out to communities to make it happen. Awards for: Buddug James Jones & Anneliese Mowbray, “Gwledd Gwyddno”, Arad Goch Tamara Harvey, “Uncle Vanya”, Theatr Clwyd & Sheffield Theatres Joe Fletcher, “Macbeth”, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru Lucy Rivers, “Sinners Club”, Gagglebabble, Theatr Clwyd & The Other Room “Tiger Bay”, Wales Millennium Centre with Cape Town Opera Marcos Morau, “Tundra”, National Dance Company Wales Anna Pujol, “The Light Princess”, Ballet Cymru, Catrin Finch & Riverfront Ed Myhill, “Animatorium”, National Dance Company Wales “Shadow Aspect”, Ballet Cymru “Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd”, Opra Cymru, Prifysgol Bangor, Pontio, Richard Lynch, “Macbeth”, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru Caryl Morgan, “Y fory”, Theatr Bara Caws Simon Bailey, “From the House of the Dead”, Welsh National Opera Le Vin herbé”, Welsh National Opera Natalya Romaniw, “Eugene Onegin”, Welsh National Opera / Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru “Uncle Vanya”, Theatr Clwyd & Sheffield Theatres Rosie Sheehy, “Uncle Vanya”, Theatr Clwyd & Sheffield Theatres Sion Daniel Young, “Killology”, Sherman Theatre & Royal Court Theatre Gary Owen, “Killology”, Sherman Theatre & Royal Court Theatre Siôn Eirian, “Yfory”, Theatr Bara Caws “Sieiloc”, Rhodri Miles “How To Win Against History”, Àine Flanagan Productions, Seiriol Davies, Pontio “Mwgsi”, Cwmni’r Frân Wen “You’ve Got Dragons”, Taking Flight Theatre Company/ Creu Cymru/ Abertillery Met Daniel Llewelyn-Williams * * * * 02 February 2016 “Owen Thomas, Gareth John Bale and Jamie Rees are all on stage. Apart from the personal thanks Jamie Rees reports the numbers from the venues. For fifty percent of the audience “Grav” has been their first occasion of visiting their local venue.” * * * * 01 February 2016 “Terry Hands’ award for the lighting of “Hamlet” is received by Lee Haven-Jones. Bizzy Day is a name so great it should be copyrighted. She is part-architect in 2015 of the work that took best production, best director, best male actor and best English-language playwright. Producers matter. A year ago the similarly young producer for “Hiraeth” stood on the Sherman stage silent behind her performer-creator front-person. It is just a year but Bizzy Day is a presence who matters in the theatre of Wales.” * * * * 30 January 2016 Awards: Best Production for Children: “Arabian Nights” Sherman Cymru Best Sound: Lothar Koenigs “Pelléas et Mélisande” Welsh National Opera Best Lighting: Terry Hands “Hamlet” Theatr Clwyd Best Design and/or Costume: Holly McCarthy “The Royal Bed” Theatr Pena/ Riverfront in assn with Torch Theatre Best Male in an Opera Production: Christopher Purves “Pelléas et Mélisande” Welsh National Opera Best Female in an Opera Production: Rosa Feola “I Puritani” Welsh National Opera / Danish National Opera Best Opera Production: “Pelléas et Mélisande” Welsh National Opera Best Ensemble: “A Winter’s Tale” Taking Flight Theatre supported Chapter Best Playwright in the Welsh Language: Llŷr Titus “Drych” Cwmni’r Frânwen/ Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru Best Playwright in the English Language: Alun Saunders “A Good Clean Heart” The Other Room Best Dance Production: “Stories from a Crowded Room” Earthfall/ Chapter Best Female Dance Artist: Eddie Ladd “Dawns Ysbrydion” Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru/ Galeri Best Male Dance Artist: Gwyn Emberton, “Triptych III” De Oscuro/ Wales Millennium Centre/ Chapter Best Female Performance in the English Language: Sophie Melville “Iphigenia in Splott” Sherman Cymru Best Male Performance in the English Language: Christian Patterson “Blasted” The Other Room Best Female Performance in the Welsh Language: Carys Eleri, “Yuri” August O12/ Chapter Best Male Performance Welsh Language: Rhodri Evan “Difa” Theatr Bara Caws Best Production in Welsh Language: “Difa” Theatr Bara Caws Best Production in English Language: “The Dying of Today” The Other Room Best Director: Kate Wasserberg Blasted” The Other Room Audience Award: “Grav” Torch Theatre Company Special Achievement: Jessica Cohen and Jim Ennis, Earthfall * * * * 29 January 2015 Best Production for Children & Young People: “Maudie’s Rooms”- Roar Ensemble in assn with Sherman Cymru Best Sound or Lighting: “Contractions”- Dyfan Jones & Nick Beadle/ Iain Goosey Productions Best Design: “Mametz” Jon Bausor/ National Theatre Wales Best Male in an Opera Production: John Tomlinson “Moses und Aron”/ WNO Best Female in Opera: Sarah Tynan “Boulevard Solitude”/ Welsh National Opera Best Opera Production: “Moses und Aron” Welsh National Opera Best Playwright in the English Language: Matthew Bulgo “Last Christmas” Best Playwright in the Welsh Language: Siôn Eirian “Garw” Special Achievement: Terry Hands Best Dance Production: “Caitlin”/ Light, Ladd & Emberton Best Director: Michael McCarthy “The Trial”/ Music Theatre Wales Best Female Performance in English: Sara Lloyd-Gregory “Contractions” Best Male Performance in English: Daniel Llewelyn Williams “Not About Heroes” Theatr Clwyd Best Female Performance in Welsh Language: Eiry Thomas “Garw” Best Male Performance in Welsh Language: Rhys Parry-Jones “Garw” Best Production in Welsh: “Garw” Theatr Bara Caws Best Production in English: “Hiraeth” Buddug James Jones Best Ensemble: WNO Chorus “Moses und Aron” Welsh National Opera * * * * 5 January 2015 “The awards are decided by a completely open vote by the users of the site – although it seems clears that as the prestige and status of the awards has grown a certain amount of discreet lobbying has been going on by a number of companies.” * * * * 25 January 2014 Awards for: Best Production in the English language: “Parallel Lines” – Dirty Protest “Blodeuwedd” – Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru Best Playwright English language: Tim Price “Salt, Root & Roe” Clwyd Theatr Cymru Male performance English language- Robert Bowman “Diary of a Madman” Living Pictures Best Female performance English language: Siwan Morris – “Tonypandemonium” National Theatre Wales Best Director: Wils Wilson – “Praxis Makes Perfect” National Theatre Wales/Neon Neon Best Playwright in the Welsh language: Roger Williams – “Tir Sir Gâr” Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru Best Male performance Welsh language: Owen Arwyn – “Pridd” Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru Best Female performance Welsh language: Rhian Morgan “Dyled Eileen” Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru Best Music and sound: Dan Lawrence “The Bloody Ballad” Gagglebabble Best Lighting: Natasha Chivers – Praxis Makes Perfect National Theatre Wales/Neon Neon Best Design and costume: Rachel Canning – “Sleeping Beauties” Sherman Cymru Best Digital/online content: Native HQ – “Y Bont” Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru Most Inspirational educator: Ioan Hefin – “You Should Ask Wallace” Theatr na nÓg Best Opera production: “Lulu” – Welsh National Opera Best Male Performer in Opera : Marcus Farnsworth – “Greek” Music Theatre Wales Best Female Performer in Opera: Marie Arnet – “Lulu” Welsh National Opera Best Production for Children: “Silly Kings” – National Theatre Wales Best Ensemble: “The Bloody Ballad” – Gagglebabble Best Small-scale dance production: Chelsea Hotel – Earthfall Best Large-scale dance production: “Romeo a Juliet” – Ballet Cymru/Coreo Cymru/The Riverfront Special Recognition award: Gaynor Lougher and Richard Berry – Hijinx * * * * 30 January 2013 “There have been previous theatre awards but they lapsed eight years ago. The new initiative, the Theatre Critics of Wales Awards, is the creation of Guy O'Donnell.” Awards for: “Llwyth” Sherman Cymru/Theatr Genedaethol Cymru Rebecca Harries – “Llanast!” Bara Caws Simon Watts – “Llwyth” Sherman Cymru/Theatr Genedaethol Cymru “Coriolan/us” – National Theatre Wales Richard Lynch – “Coriolan/us” National Theatre Wales Lisa Palfrey – “Before It Rains” Sherman Cymru/Bristol Old Vic Best ensemble: Matthew Aubrey, Harry Ferrier, Gwawr Loader, Kyle Rees, Anjana Vasan, Sion Daniel Young “The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning” – National Theatre Wales Best director: John McGrath “The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning National Theatre Wales Best design: Tim Dickel – “Little Dogs” National Theatre Wales/Frantic Assembly Best music and sound: John Hardy/Mike Beer – “Coriolan/us” National Theatre Wales Best use of digital/online content: “The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning” – National Theatre Wales/Native HQ/Tom Beardshaw Best production for children/young people: “Grimm Tales” – Theatr Iolo Best dance production: “Dream”- National Dance Company Wales The Writer’s Guild playwright award: Katherine Chandler – “Before It Rains” Sherman Cymru/Bristol Old Vic Young Critics' award: “A Clockwork Orange” – Volcano Best opera production: “La Traviata” – Welsh National Opera Best male opera singer: Gary Griffiths – “La Bohème” Welsh National Opera Best female opera singer: Rebecca Evans – “The Marriage of Figaro” Welsh National Opera Lifetime Achievement Award: Ann Sholem and Roy Campbell-Moore Best use of digital/online content: “The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning” – National Theatre Wales/Native HQ/Tom Beardshaw |
Reviewed by: Adam Somerset |
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