Sydney Theatre Awards – 2017 Winners Announced

Tonight the Seymour Centre hosted over 450 members of the Sydney Theatre community to celebrate The Year That Was at the 2017 Sydney Theatre Awards.

Maggie McKenna and Sydney Theatre Award Winner Madeleine Jones in Muriel's Wedding. Image by Lisa Tomasetti
Sydney Theatre Award winners Maggie McKenna as Muriel and Madeleine Jones as Rhonda in Muriel’s Wedding. Image by Lisa Tomasetti

The 37 Awards presented were shared between 18 productions with Belvoir’s Hir a standout, winning Best Mainstage Production and also Mainstage awards for Best Director (Anthea Williams), Best Male Actor In A Supporting Role (Michael Whalley) and Best Stage Design (Michael Hankin).
However, the big winner of the evening was STC and Global Creatures’ Muriel’s Wedding, winning 6 awards including Best Mainstage Musical, Best Direction of a Musical (Simon Phillips), Best Choreography (Andrew Hallsworth), Best Musical Direction (Isaac Hayward), Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical (Madeleine Jones), Best Newcomer (Maggie McKenna) and Best Original Score in a Mainstage Production (Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall).

The Best Independent Musical award went to Calamity Jane, while the Best New Australian Work was awarded to Patricia Cornelius for Shit.

The Sydney Theatre Awards are presented annually by a group of leading theatre critics to celebrate the strength, quality and diversity of theatre in Sydney. The Sydney Theatre Reviewers consist of Elissa Blake (Audrey Journal, formerly Fairfax), Jason Blake (Audrey Journal, formerly Fairfax), Dee Jefferson (ABC), Deborah Jones (The Australian), Jo Litson (The Sunday Telegraph, Limelight), John McCallum (The Australian), Ben Neutze (Time Out), Diana Simmonds (Stagenoise), Cassie Tongue (Time Out, The Guardian) and Suzy Wrong (Suzy Goes See, Auditorium magazine).

2017 SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS WINNERS

BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Hir (Belvoir)

BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
A View From the Bridge (Red Line Productions)

BEST DIRECTION OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Anthea Williams (Hir)

BEST DIRECTION OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Kate Gaul (The Ham Funeral)

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Kate Mulvany (Richard 3)

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Mitchell Butel (The Merchant of Venice)

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Sarah Meacham (Dry Land)

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Ivan Donato (A View From the Bridge)

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Elaine Crombie (Barbara and the Camp Dogs)

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Michael Whalley (Hir)

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Zoe Terakes (A View From the Bridge)

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Johnny Nasser (The Ham Funeral)

BEST STAGE DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Michael Hankin (Hir)

BEST STAGE DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Alicia Clements (Assassins)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Jonathon Oxlade (Mr Burns, A Post-Electric Play)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Alicia Clements (Assassins)

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Nick Schlieper (Chimerica)

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Alexander Berlage (4:48 Psychosis)

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
The Sweats (Chimerica)

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Benjamin Freeman (4:48 Psychosis)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall (Muriel’s Wedding)

BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK
Shit (Patricia Cornelius)

BEST NEWCOMER
Maggie McKenna (Muriel’s Wedding)
Zoe Terakes (A View From the Bridge)

BEST PRODUCTION OF A MAINSTREAM MUSICAL
Muriel’s Wedding (Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures)

BEST PRODUCTION OF AN INDEPENDENT MUSICAL
Calamity Jane (One Eyed Man Productions in association with Neglected Musicals and Hayes Theatre Co)

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Simon Phillips (Muriel’s Wedding)

JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Virginia Gay (Calamity Jane)

JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
David Campbell (Assassins)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Madeleine Jones (Muriel’s Wedding)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Matthew Backer (Only Heaven Knows)

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A MUSICAL
Andrew Hallsworth (Muriel’s Wedding)

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Isaac Hayward (Muriel’s Wedding)

BEST CABARET PRODUCTION
Hot Brown Honey

BEST PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN
Junk (Flying Fruit Fly Circus)

BEST PRODUCTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Dignity of Risk (atyp/Shopfront Arts)

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Brian Thomson

SPECIAL AWARD – Eva Di Cesare, Sandra Eldridge and Tim McGarry, Monkey Baa Theatre Company for 20 years of excellence and extraordinary service to the children and young people of Australia

Matt Edwards

Matt is a past owner of AussieTheatre, working as digital director from 2011 to 2019. He is also a performer, most recently appeared in the Australian tour of Mamma Mia! and previously in the Australian/NZ tour of CATS and Enda Markey's acclaimed production of Blood Brothers. As well as performing Matt keeps himself busy in the digital side of the arts working with web design agency Emptyhead Digital

Matt Edwards

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