December 14, 2014

An Evening Celebrating Community and Theatrical Excellence! 

Another fantastic year of the Cultural Capital’s theatrical excellence was celebrated last night, (Sunday 14 December), at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards in Paramount Theatre.

After a tumultuous year full of heavy loss for the community, these Awards were a reflection of the importance to support each other through the good and bad times. “We are a community and this is not a competition. It’s a quest” – a statement that perfectly encapsulated the tone of the evening from Simon Haren (winner of Most Original Production with Isobel McKinnon – Dinner with Izzy & Simon).

Big winners on the night were Equivocation (Promising Newcomer, Best Costume, Best Director and Production of the Year), Kiss the Fish (Best Music Composition, Outstanding New NZ Play and Best Supporting Actress), and Watch (Best Set, Best Sound Design and Outstanding Performance).

The Theatre Practitioners Service Awards is an exciting new nationwide initiative was unveiled by Paul Foster-Bell, list MP based in Wellington.  Practitioners who have reached milestone achievements by participating in 25, 50 or 100 professional shows are eligible to receive the honours. These honours will be presented annually at the regional theatre awards and end of year celebrations. Much like the rugby capping ceremony the awards intend to celebrate commitment and longevity.  

Also honoured on the night was Judges’ Wildcard Deb McGuire – for technical operation and extraordinary support beyond the call of duty.  A very popular choice for this award – Deb was met with ovations.

The Mayor’s Award for Significant Contribution went to ‘the two Simons’ – Simon Bennett and Simon Elson, who are the founders of the current model of BATS Theatre. Their policy in 1988 was to rekindle the popularity and accessibility of theatrefor young people and to provide a venue, a training ground and a way in for young people struggling to forge careers in the difficult world of professional theatre.

Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards wishes to sincerely thank our sponsors for making this special evening possible: Chapman Tripp, Wellington City Council, Circa Theatre, BATS Theatre, Taki Rua, Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School, Victoria University, Constance Scott Kirkcaldie, Emerging Artist Trust, Whitireia Performing Arts, Grouse Lighting, WETA Workshop, Park Road Post Productions, The Mayor Celia Wade-Brown, Playmarket, Capital E National Theatre for Children, ProActors, eCaster, Multi Media Systems,  Paramount Theatre, The Dominion Post, we warmly welcome our new sponsors New Zealand Arts Festival and Sileni Wines. 

The Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards wish to sincerely thank our esteemed MC’s were Rachel Henry and Cohen Holloway, the hard working critics panel, all the theatres, the theatre community and the wonderful audiences continuing to make Wellington such an exciting Cultural Capital!

THE CHAPMAN TRIPP THEATRE AWARDS 2014: WINNERS and NOMINEES  

(Nominees are listed alphabetically – Winners in Red) 

The Critics’ Wildcard
Deb McGuire – for technical operation and extraordinary support beyond the call of duty.

Circa Award Donated by TACT Most Promising Male Newcomer
Tom Eason – Equivocation
Andrew Paterson – Isaac’s Eye
James Roque – Kiss The Fish 

Emerging Artist Trust Wellington/Chapman Tripp Most Promising Female Newcomer
Neenah Dekkers-Reihana – 4 Billion Likes
Carrie Green – I Could Live Here
Brynley Stent – Revelations

The George Webby Most Promising New Director Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School and Victoria University of Wellington 
Robin Kerr – All Your Wants and Needs Fulfilled Forever
Samuel Phillips – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Te Kohe Tuhaka – Pūtōrino Hill 

The Peter Harcourt Outstanding New Playwright – Bats Theatre and Taki Rua Productions 
Sam Brooks – Riding In Cars With Mostly Straight Boys
Lori Leigh – Revelations
Chris Molloy – Putorino Hill

Grouse Lighting Award for Lighting Designer
Jennifer Lal – Equivocation
Rowan McShane – A Play About Fear
Marcus McShane – Constellations 

Weta Workshop Set Designer 
Meg Rollandi – Watch
Sam Trubridge – All Your Wants and Needs Fulfilled Forever
Theo Wijnsma – Grandad’s Lucky Storm 

Paul Jenden Award for Costume Designer sponsored by Chapman Tripp
Sheila Horton – Pasefika
Donna Jefferis – Equivocation 
John Verryt – Kiss The Fish

Park Rd Post Sound Designer 
Matt Eller – Equivocation
Gareth Hobbs – All Your Wants and Needs Fulfilled Forever
Tane Upjohn-Beatson – Watch  

The Mayor’s Award for Significant Contribution to Theatre
Simon Bennett & Simon Elson – for their restructure of Bats Theatre in 1989

Constance Scott Kirkcaldie Composer of Music  
Gareth Hobbs – All Your Wants and Needs Fulfilled Forever
Tane Upjohn-Beatson – Constellations  
David Ward – Kiss The Fish

Absolutely Positively Most Original Production of the Year 
The Bookbinder – Trick of the Light
Dinner with Izzy and Simon – Isobel MacKinnon and Simon Haren
The Pianist – Thomas Monckton and Circo Aerero with Show Pony

Playmarket/ Capital E-National Theatre for Children Outstanding New New Zealand Play 
The Bookbinder – Ralph McCubbin Howell
Everything Is Surrounded by Water – Uther Dean & Hannah Banks
Kiss The Fish – Jacob Rajan and Justin Lewis
Once We Built a Tower – Dean Parker

Award for Supporting Actor of the Year – Brancott Estate
Calum Gittins – Riding In Cars With Mostly Straight Boys
Alex Greig – A View From the Bridge
Paul McLaughlin – Equivocation 

Award for Supporting Actress of the Year – Chapman Tripp
Victoria Abbott – All Your Wants and Needs Fulfilled Forever
Julia Croft – Kiss The Fish 
Kim Garrett – Putorino Hill 

The Richard Campion Accolade for Outstanding Performance – Chapman Tripp
Hannah Banks – Watch
The Dorothy McKegg Actress of the Year – Chapman Tripp 
Erin Banks – Constellations
The Grant Tilly Actor of the Year – The ProActors and eCaster
Gavin Rutherford – A View From the Bridge
Other Nominees:
Richard Dey – Constellations
Jude Gibson – A View From the Bridge
Guy Langford – Pitmen Painters
Jacob Rajan – Kiss The Fish

New Zealand Festival Director of the Year
Peter Hambleton – Equivocation
Rachel Lenart – Constellations
Paul McLaughlin – Isaac’s Eye 

Chapman Tripp Award for Production of the Year
Constellations – Circa Theatre
Equivocation – Circa Theatre
Watch – BATS and My Accomplice in association with David Goldthorpe Creative