2019 Sydney Theatre Award Winners

The winners of the 2019 Sydney Theatre Awards have been announced, with 35 Awards presented, shared between 18 productions which played in Sydney during the calendar year of 2019. More than 400 members of the Sydney theatre community packed the York Theatre at the Seymour Centre to celebrate.

Best Mainstage Production was awarded to Belvoir and Co-Curious’s Counting and Cracking, which also won Best New Australian Work (S. Shakthidharan) and Best Original Score of a Mainstage Production (Stefan Gregory). Best Independent Production went to Outhouse Theatre Co and Seymour Centre’s John. Sydney Theatre Company’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane was presented with awards for Best Direction of a Mainstage Production (Paige Rattray), Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Mainstage Production (Hamish Michael), Best Stage Design of a Mainstage Production (Renée Mulder) and Best Lighting Design of a Mainstage Production (Paul Jackson). Best Direction of an Independent Production went to Dino Dimitriadis for Angels in America, produced by Apocalypse Theatre Company in association with Red Line Productions, which was also awarded Best Female and Male Actors in a Supporting Role in an Independent Production (Catherine Văn-Davies and Joseph Althouse).

American Psycho, produced by BB Arts Entertainment and Two Doors Productions in association with Hayes Theatre Co, scooped nine awards including Best Independent Musical, Best Direction of a Musical (Alexander Berlage) and the Judith Johnson Award for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Ben Gerrard - pictured right). The Judith Johnson Award for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical went to Elenoa Rokobaro for Caroline, or Change. Best Newcomer was awarded to Chika Ikogwe (The Wolves/ Fangirls).

The Sydney Theatre Award for Lifetime Achievement was presented to actor Maggie Blinco (pictured below). With a stage career spanning almost 50 years, Maggie has worked for the Nimrod Theatre Company, Playbox Theatre Company, ATYP, Griffin Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company and many independent companies, as well as appearing in countless television series and feature films. She is still active on the Sydney stage, having performed in Omar and Dawn at Kings Cross Theatre and Johnat the Seymour Centre during 2019.

Presenters at the Awards ceremony included Matthew Backer, Ana Maria Belo, Brett Boardman, Luke Carroll, Estelle Conley, Gerry Connolly, Matt Lee, Suzie Mathers, Diana McLean, Kenneth Moraleda, Kate Mulvany, Anna O'Byrne, Merran Regan, Guy Simpson, Anthony Skuse and Bruce Spence. There were performances by Tim Minchin, Ashleigh Taylor (from the new Australian musical The Life of Us), and a reunion of original cast members of the musical Beauty and the Beast which opened in Australia 25 years ago.

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 Awards reviewers are Elissa Blake (Audrey Journal), Jason Blake (Audrey Journal), Deborah Jones (The Australian), Jade Kops (Broadway World), Jo Litson (Limelight), John McCallum (The Australian), Ben Neutze (Time Out), John Shand (Sydney Morning Herald), Diana Simmonds (Stagenoise), Cassie Tongue (Time Out) and Suzy Wrong (Suzy Goes See).

The Sydney Theatre Awards gratefully thanks major sponsor The Seaborn, Broughton and Walford Foundation, as well as other sponsors: William Fletcher Foundation, Showcast, Currency Press, Ticketmaster, Hayes Theatre Co, Bellbird Cottages, Actors Benevolent Fund, ACMN, JPJ Audio, the Seymour Centre and Helen Constance.

 

WINNERS OF 2019 SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS

 

BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Counting and Cracking (Belvoir and Co-Curious)

 

BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

John (Outhouse Theatre Co and Seymour Centre)

 

BEST DIRECTION OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Paige Rattray (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)

 

BEST DIRECTION OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Dino Dimitriadis (Angels in America)

 

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Sheridan Harbridge (Prima Facie)

 

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Meyne Wyatt (City of Gold)

 

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Janine Watson (The Happy Prince)

 

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Justin Amankwah (Good Dog)

 

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Shari Sebbens (City of Gold)

 

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Hamish Michael (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)

 

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Catherine Văn-Davies (Angels in America)

 

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Joseph Althouse (Angels in America)

 

BEST STAGE DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Renée Mulder (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)

 

BEST STAGE DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Isabel Hudson (American Psycho)

 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Mel Page (Mary Stuart)

 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Mason Browne (American Psycho)

 

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Paul Jackson (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)

 

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Alexander Berlage (American Psycho)

 

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Max Lyandvert (Titus Andronicus)

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Stefan Gregory (Counting and Cracking)

 

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Nicholas Walker (American Psycho)

 

BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK

Counting and Cracking (S. Shakthidharan)

 

BEST NEWCOMER

Chika Ikogwe (The Wolves/Fangirls)

 

BEST ENSEMBLE

White Pearl (Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta and Sydney Theatre Company)

 

BEST PRODUCTION OF A MAINSTAGE MUSICAL

Fangirls (Belvoir, Queensland Theatre and Brisbane Festival in association with ATYP)

 

BEST PRODUCTION OF AN INDEPENDENT MUSICAL

American Psycho (BB Arts Entertainment and Two Doors Productions in association with Hayes Theatre Co)

 

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

Alexander Berlage (American Psycho)

 

JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Elenoa Rokobaro (Caroline, or Change)

 

JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Ben Gerrard (American Psycho)

 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Stefanie Jones (Muriel’s Wedding)

 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Thomas Campbell (HMS Pinafore)

 

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION

Andrew Worboys (American Psycho)

 

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A MUSICAL

Yvette Lee (American Psycho)

 

BEST CABARET PRODUCTION

Hayes @The Hayes (Nancye Hayes)

 

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Maggie Blinco