It’s curtain up on the annual Manchester Theatre Awards as David Upton previews the nominations from a glittering year of performances
Two of the region’s top actresses, who both also star in major TV serials, are nominated in the same category for the latest Manchester Theatre Awards.
Suranne Jones and Maxine Peake took lead roles in critically-acclaimed productions at the city’s Royal Exchange Theatre in 2014 and are now both shortlisted in the Best Actress category.
The annual awards, which are supported by Cheshire Life and Lancashire Life as a media sponsor, cover 20 categories and are chosen by a panel of 11 of the region’s leading theatre critics.
Suranne Jones took the title role earlier in the year in Orlando, a stage adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s time and gender-shifting novel. The Oldham-born actress first achieved fame in TV’s Coronation Street before more recently featuring as Sgt Rachel Bailey in the highly-rated Scott and Bailey series.
Maxine Peake, from Bolton, shot to fame in TV’s original Shameless series and now stars in both Silk and The Village on BBC. In September she took to the Exchange stage as Hamlet, the latest in a number of actresses to become Shakespeare’s tortured Prince. She is now an associate artist at the venue as well as a previous winner of the MTA Best Actress Award for her performance of Miss Julie.
The Exchange, and Bolton’s Octagon Theatre, monopolise the nominations across four of the leading categories, for Best Actor and Best Actress, as well as Best Supporting Actor and Actress.
Other famous names shortlisted for awards include Robert Lindsay, who starred in the premiere performance of the musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Manchester Opera House before it went on to acclaim in the West End, and Sir Anthony Sher, who appeared in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Henry IV Parts I and II at The Lowry in Salford.
They both go head to head in the Best Visiting Actor category.
Veteran comedy entertainer Barry Humphries is amongst nominations for Best Special Entertainment for his farewell performance at Manchester Opera House. It was an especially poignant event as his grandfather emigrated to Australia from the city back in 1888.
Other awards cover nominations for best musical, dance and opera performances and there are six nominations in the coveted Best Production category – all of them homegrown in Manchester.
Similarly the city’s energetic fringe and studio theatre scene is honoured across four categories.
Several of this year’s theatre award nominations also feature productions that have been tailored for performance away from traditional theatre stages and have been presented in everything from the city’s Edwardian baths . . . to a pram shop in Oldham town centre.
The winners will be announced at a glittering awards event on stage at Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music on Friday March 13.
All the nominees are invited as well as celebrity guests to present the coveted glass trophies. A limited number of audience tickets are also available from www.rncm.ac.uk and there will be coverage of the event in Life magazines.
For a more details visit www.manchestertheatreawards.com
THE 2014 NOMINATIONS
Best Actor
Rob Edwards, in Duet For One and Separation, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Michael Hugo, in Around The World In 80 Days, at the Royal Exchange
Harry McEntire, in Billy Liar, at the Royal Exchange
Dan Parr, in Britannia Waves The Rules, at the Royal Exchange
Michael Shelford, in Early One Morning, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Best Actress
Clare Foster, in Duet For One and Separation, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Natalie Grady, in Hobson’s Choice, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Suranne Jones, in Orlando, at the Royal Exchange
Maxine Peake, in Hamlet, at the Royal Exchange
Lauren Samuels, in Love Story, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
David Birrell, in Journey’s End, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Colin Connor, in Early One Morning, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Daragh O’Malley, in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, at the Royal Exchange
Michael Shelford, in Hobson’s Choice, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Nuno Silva, in Little Shop Of Horrors, at the Royal Exchange
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Claire Benedict, in Hamlet, at the Royal Exchange
Gillian Bevan, in Hamlet, at the Royal Exchange
Molly Gromadzki, in Orlando, at the Royal Exchange
Katie Moore, in Billy Liar, at the Royal Exchange
Best Actor in a Visiting Production
Joshua Jenkins, in The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, at The Lowry
Robert Lindsay, in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, at the Opera House
Cassidy Little, in The Two Worlds Of Charlie F, at the Opera House
Steven Miller, in Shakespeare’s Othello, at The Lowry
Antony Sher, in Henry IV Parts I and II, at The Lowry
Al Weaver, in The Pride, at the Opera House
Best Actress in a Visiting Production
Jane Asher, in Moon Tiger, at The Lowry
Emily Butterfield, in An August Bank Holiday Lark, at Oldham Coliseum
Lisa Dwan, in Not I, Footfalls and Rockaby, at The Lowry
Katherine Kingsley, in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, at the Opera House
Emma Williams, in Annie Get Your Gun, at the Opera House
Best Production
Angel Meadow, directed by Louise Lowe and company for ANU Productions and HOME, at Edinburgh Castle, Ancoats
Around The World In 80 Days, directed by Theresa Heskins, for the Royal Exchange
Close The Coalhouse Door, directed by Kevin Shaw for Oldham Coliseum
Journey’s End, directed by David Thacker for Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Romeo And Juliet, directed by Walter Meierjohann for HOME, at Victoria Baths
Separation, directed by Elizabeth Newman for Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Best Visiting Production
The Curious Incident Of the Dog In The Night-Time, from the National Theatre, at The Lowry
The Events, from Actors Touring Company, at Number One First Street
Not I, Footfalls and Rockaby, from the Royal Court Theatre, at The Lowry
The Pride, from Jamie Lloyd Productions, at the Opera House
Shakespeare’s Othello, from Frantic Assembly, at The Lowry
The Brynteg Award for Best Musical
20th Century Boy, at the Opera House
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, at the Opera House
Jersey Boys, at the Palace Theatre
Little Shop Of Horrors, at the Royal Exchange
Love Story, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Robert Robson Award for Dance
Beauty Of The Beast, from Company Chameleon, at The Lowry
Cinderella, from Northern Ballet Theatre, at the Palace Theatre
Le Corsaire, from English National Ballet, at the Palace Theatre
Dracula, from Mark Bruce Productions, at Contact Theatre
Lord Of The Flies, from New Adventures, at The Lowry
Opera
Götterdämmerung, from Opera North, at The Lowry
Life On The Moon, from English Touring Opera, at Buxton Opera House
The Coronation Of Poppea, from Opera North, at The Lowry
The Girl Of The Golden West, from Opera North, at The Lowry
The Jacobin, from Buxton Festival, at Buxton Opera House
Design
Angel Meadow, at HOME, the Edinburgh Castle, Ancoats
Journey’s End, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Little Shop Of Horrors, at the Royal Exchange
Romeo and Juliet, at HOME at Victoria Baths
The Life And Times Of Mitchell And Kenyon, at Oldham Coliseum
Best Newcomer
Emily Barber, in Billy Liar, at the Royal Exchange
Wil Coban, in Romeo And Juliet, at HOME at Victoria Baths
Dominic Myerscough, in Icarus, at the Lowry Studio
Maeve O’Sullivan, in Close The Coalhouse Door, at Oldham Coliseum
Best New Play
An August Bank Holiday Lark, by Deborah McAndrew, at Oldham Coliseum
In My Bed, by Rebekah Harrison, at 24:7 Theatre Festival, New Century Hall
This May Hurt A Bit, by Stella Feehilly, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Watching Goldfish Suffocate, by David Degiorgio and Craig Hepworth, at the Great Northern Playhouse
Best Studio Production
Amsterdam, from Afrique Performs, at Contact Theatre
He Had Hairy Hands, from Kill The Beast Company, at the Lowry Studio
Solfatara, from Atresbandes at the Lowry Studio
The C Project, from Working Progress Theatre Company at the Lowry Studio
Best Fringe Production
In My Bed, from Milk And Two Sugars Company, for 24:7 Theatre Festival, at New Century Hall
Life’s A Gatecrash, from PACT Theatre Company at The Kings Arms, Salford
The Tongue Twister, from 24:7 Theatre Festival, at New Century Hall
Thick As Thieves, from Hard Graft Theatre Company, at ReTale, Oldham Mumps
Watching Goldfish Suffocate, from Vertigo Theatre, at the Great Northern Playhouse
Best Studio Performance
Ellie Kendrick, in Pests, at the Royal Exchange Studio
Sinèad Matthews, in Pests, at the Royal Exchange Studio
Amaka Okafor, in Bird, at the Bill Naughton Studio, Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Best Fringe Performance
Jarreau Benjamin, in Len Johnson Fighter, at the Kings Arms, Salford
David Degiorgio, in Watching Goldfish Suffocate, at The Great Northern Playhouse
Kaitlin Howard, in The Alphabet Girl, at the Kings Arms, Salford
OIivia Sweeney, in In My Bed, at 24:7 Theatre Festival, New Century Hall
John Weaver, in Afterglow, at 24:7 Theatre Festival, New Century Hall
Best Ensemble
Alice In Wonderland, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Angel Meadow, at HOME, the Edinburgh Castle, Ancoats
Close The Coalhouse Door, at Oldham Coliseum
Romeo And Juliet, at HOME, Victoria Baths
This May Hurt A Bit, by Out Of Joint Theatre Company, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Best Special Entertainment
Barry Humphries, in Eat, Pray, Laugh at the Opera House
Best of BE Festival, at Number One First Street
Cirque Berserk, at The Lowry
In The Night Garden, at the Trafford Centre
Robin Cousins’ Ice, at The Lowry
