Be at HOME for Manchester Theatre Awards

Published: 16 January 2017
Reporter: David Upton

Manchester Theatre Awards

After watching more than 200 theatre performances throughout 2016, the 10-strong MTA Panel has narrowed down a shortlist that honours everyone from established star names in main house productions to complete newcomers.

A group of enthusiastic young critics also choose an annual award from amongst the city’s youth theatre productions.

In the past, Manchester Theatre Awards have often gone to actors and actresses who go on to become household or even Hollywood names. Many performers feature the awards in their theatrical CVs.

In the midst of its 40th anniversary year, the Royal Exchange has picked up nearly 20 nominations. This year’s categories for Best Actress and the coveted Best Production proved particularly difficult to narrow down and in the event it is the Royal Exchange and the city’s HOME venue that go head to head for the trophies.

Likewise, Best Musical has been a crowded category with Manchester’s emergent Hope Mill Theatre getting a foot in the door with its regional première production of Parade. This brand new fringe venue, in an old mill in Ancoats, has staged several ambitious productions in 2016.

For the Best Newcomer award, five new faces will be up against two teams of juvenile actors and actresses who performed, respectively, the part of ‘Michael’ in Billy Elliot, or ‘Scout’ in To Kill a Mockingbird, the latter at the Octagon in Bolton.

All nominees are invited to the awards event and public tickets are available, priced £15, at www.homemcr.org or 0161 200 1500.

Manchester Theatre Award nominations

Best Actor

Best Actress

Best Production

  • Breaking The Code, Royal Exchange
  • Ghosts, HOME
  • The Emperor, HOME
  • Wit, Royal Exchange

Best Supporting Actor

  • Daniel Crossley, Sweet Charity, Royal Exchange
  • Raad Rawi, Breaking The Code, Royal Exchange
  • Marc Small, To Kill A Mockingbird, Octagon Theatre
  • Miltos Yerolemou, King Lear, Royal Exchange

Best Supporting Actress

Best Visiting Production

Best Actor in a Visiting Production

  • Edward Bennett, Love’s Labour’s Lost / Much Ado About Nothing, Opera House
  • Rufus Hound, The Wind in the Willows, The Lowry
  • Simon McBurney, The Encounter, HOME
  • Michael Pennington, King Lear, Opera House

Best Actress in a Visiting Production

  • Lisa Dillon, Love’s Labour’s Lost / Much Ado About Nothing, Opera House
  • Aoife Duffin, A Girl Is A Half-Formed Thing, Lowry
  • Lisa Maxwell, End Of The Rainbow, Opera House
  • Zizi Strallen, Mary Poppins, Palace

Best Newcomer

  • Daisy Badger, Look Back In Anger, Octagon Theatre
  • Ben Hunter, The Girls, Lowry
  • Norah Lopez Holden, Ghosts, HOME
  • Kirsty Rider, Pride And Prejudice, Lowry
  • Holly Willock, The Wind In The Willows, Lowry
  • Young ‘Michael’ cast, Billy Elliot, Palace
  • Young ‘Scout’ cast, To Kill A Mockingbird, Octagon Theatre

Best Opera

The Robert Robson Award for Best Dance

Best Musical

  • Billy Elliot, Palace
  • Parade, Hope Mill Theatre
  • Singin’ in the Rain, Octagon Theatre
  • Sweet Charity, Royal Exchange
  • The Wind in the Willows, Lowry

Best Fringe Production

  • Boomtown Gals, Various venues
  • Die Diana, Bandit, Mugger and Thief, Manchester
  • Multi Story, Monkeywood, Various venues
  • The Trial, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester

Best Fringe Performance

  • Joyce Branagh, Boomtown Gals, Various venues
  • Sam Grogan, Waiting Room, King’s Arms, Salford
  • William J Holstead, The Trial, Hope Mill Theatre
  • Leanne Martin, The Brink, King’s Arms

Best Studio Production

Best Actor in a Studio Production

  • Alexander Gatehouse, Ventoux, Lowry
  • Joseph Quinn, Wish List, Royal Exchange Studio
  • Rex Ryan, Pilgrim, Lowry

Best Actress in a Studio Production

  • Erin Doherty, Wish List, Royal Exchange Studio
  • Sarah Emmott, Declaration, Lowry
  • Georgia Henshaw, Bird, Royal Exchange Studio
  • Molly Vevers, Ross and Rachel, Lowry

Best New Play

Best Design

  • Endgame, HOME
  • La Vie Parisienne, Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester
  • Singin’ In The Rain, Octagon Theatre
  • The Pitmen Painters, Coliseum, Oldham

Best Ensemble

  • 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, HOME
  • Singin’ In The Rain, Octagon Theatre
  • The Pitmen Painters, Coliseum
  • The James Plays, Lowry

Best Special Entertainment

Youth Panel Award

  • NOTHING - The Royal Exchange Theatre Young Company
  • The Secret Garden – Octagon Youth Theatre
  • The Factory – The Royal Exchange Theatre Young Company
  • The Siege of Christmas - Contact Youth Company with Swung Low

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