Who won Sydney Theatre Awards this year? We have the list!

Last night, at the Paddington “Paddo” RSL, over 300 performers, theatre-makers, administrators  — a cross-section of the Sydney arts scene — crowded into the auditorium for the Sydney Theatre Awards. Now in its tenth year, the awards recognise the best of the best in Sydney, on both mainstage and independent stages.

The cast of Dirty Dancing opened the show with a performance of “Don’t Stop Believin'”, hours after Rock of Ages, the popular jukebox musical that highlights the song and once played Melbourne, closed on Broadway.

The two other performances on the night came from within the cast of Wicked. Edward Grey and Emily Cascarino took to the stage with “Breaking Up,” while Jemma Rix performed “Raise the Roof.”

But it was all about the awards: the achievements of a thriving, inspiring community. Bell Shakespeare’s Hery V was awarded Best Mainstage Production; and Best Independent Production was Sport for Jove’s All’s Well That Ends Well. The Hayes Theatre took out Best Musical with their production of Sweet Charity, which has been so successful that it is now in the beginnings of a national tour, opening at the Sydney Opera House tonight.

Best Actor and Actress in a Leading Role in a Mainstage Production went to Richard Roxburgh (Cyrano de Bergerac) and Sarah Peirse (Switzerland). Best Actor in a Leading Role in an Independent Production was shared by Sean Hawkins and Andrew Henry (Howie the Rookie), while Matilda Ridgway was named Best Actress in a Leading Role in an Independent Production (A Doll’s House). Two performers were also named joint winners of Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical: Verity Hunt-Ballard (Sweet Charity) and Blazey Best (Miracle City). This is the first time in the history of the Sydney Theatre Awards that an award has been shared.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to the incomparable Reg Livermore, who has been performing for over 60 years — irrepressible, irresistible, and thoroughly individual.

The Sydney Theatre Awards are run by a group of leading theatre critics to celebrate the strength, quality and diversity of theatre in Sydney. The Sydney Theatre Reviewers are Elissa Blake (Sun Herald), Jason Blake (Sydney Morning Herald), Deborah Jones (The Australian), Jo Litson (Sunday Telegraph), John McCallum (The Australian), Ben Neutze (Crikey/Daily Review), John Shand (Sydney Morning Herald), Diana Simmonds (stagenoise.com), Polly Simons (Daily Telegraph) and Cassie Tongue (AussieTheatre).

Check out the full list of winners below — and in the video, see the cast of Sweet Charity receive their awards during their curtain call following their performance last night.

 

BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Henry V (Bell Shakespeare)

BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
All’s Well That Ends Well (Sport for Jove)

BEST DIRECTION OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Damien Ryan (Henry V)

BEST DIRECTION OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Jay James-Moody (The Drowsy Chaperone)

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Sarah Peirse (Switzerland)

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Richard Roxburgh (Cyrano de Bergerac)

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Matilda Ridgway (A Doll’s House)

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Sean Hawkins (Howie the Rookie)
Andrew Henry (Howie the Rookie)

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Kate Mulvany (Tartuffe)

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Josh McConville (Noises Off)

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Georgia Adamson (The Crucible)

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
George Banders (All’s Well That Ends Well)

BEST STAGE DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Anna Gardiner (Henry V)

BEST STAGE DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Lauren Peters (The Drowsy Chaperone)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Julie Lynch (Noises Off)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Elizabeth Franklin (The Drowsy Chaperone)

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Benjamin Cisterne (A Christmas Carol)

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Toby Knyvett (All’s Well That Ends Well)

BEST SCORE OR SOUND DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Steve Francis and Drew Livingston (Henry V)

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
David Stalley (All’s Well That Ends Well)

BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK
Switzerland (Joanna Murray-Smith)

BEST NEWCOMER
Hunter Page-Lochard (Black Diggers, Brothers Wreck, Sugarland)

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
Is This Thing On? (Belvoir)

BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
Sweet Charity (Luckiest Productions and Gooding Productions in association with Hayes Theatre Co)

JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Blazey Best (Miracle City)
Verity Hunt-Ballard (Sweet Charity)

JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Jay James-Moody (The Drowsy Chaperone)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Debora Krizak (Sweet Charity)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Robert Grubb (Strictly Ballroom)

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION
Max Lambert (Miracle City)

BEST CABARET PRODUCTION
Love and Death and an American Guitar (Toby Francis)

BEST PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN
The Piper (My Darling Patricia presented by Sydney Festival and Carriageworks)

BEST PRODUCTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Sugarland (atyp)

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Reg Livermore