The 2019 Sydney Theatre Awards saw NIDA alumni extremely well-represented, with NIDA-trained directors, actors, designers and production graduates all getting well-deserved recognition for their art.
NIDA Directing alumnus Kip Williams won Best Direction of a Mainstage Production for The Harp in the South. Photograph by James Green
The 2019 Sydney Theatre Awards on Monday 21 January saw NIDA alumni extremely well-represented, with NIDA-trained directors, actors, designers and production graduates all getting well-deserved recognition for their art.
Directors Kip Williams and Alexander Berlage, actors Hugo Weaving, Kate Box and Annie Stafford, designers Renée Mulder, Isabel Hudson and Jonathan Hindmarsh and lighting designer Verity Hampson were among alumni who won in their categories.
The 2019 Award ceremony also included an endowment awarded to NIDA second-year Acting student Philip D’Ambrosio by the Actors Benevolent Fund.
The Awards also honoured NIDA alumna Penny Cook (Acting, 1978), who passed away on Boxing Day 2018. In a short tribute, Penny was described as the one “who saved the SBW Stables theatre, championed regional arts and new writing, and is beloved by so many for her work on TV”. It was announced that the bar at Griffin Theatre will be renamed the Penny Cook Bar.
NIDA 2017 Directing alumnus Alexander Berlage won Best Direction of a Musical for Cry-Baby.
DIRECTORS
Best Direction of a Mainstage Production went to Kip Williams for The Harp in the South. Kip graduated from NIDA’s Directing course in 2010.
For this award Kip was up against himself, for his direction of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, and fellow NIDA graduate Imara Savage. Imara was nominated for her direction of Saint Joan, also at Sydney Theatre Company. Imara is a NIDA Writing (2006) and Directing (2008) graduate.
Alexander Berlage, a NIDA Production (2013) and Directing (2017) graduate, won Best Direction of a Musical for Cry-Baby. A fellow NIDA Directing alumnus in this category was Lee Lewis (2005), nominated for Darlinghurst Nights.
Additional NIDA Directing alumni nominated were:
Best Direction of an Independent Production— Alexander Berlage (Production, 2013; Directing, 2017) for There Will be a Climax, Warwick Doddrell (Directing, 2017) for Stupid Fucking Bird
2016 NIDA Acting alumna Annie Stafford won Best Female Actor in a Supporting Rolein an Independent Production for Stupid Fucking Bird.
ACTORS
Amongst the actors, Hugo Weaving won Best Male Actor in a Leading Rolein a Mainstage Production for The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui at Sydney Theatre Company. Hugo graduated from NIDA’s Acting course in 1981. Amongst the nominees for this award was fellow NIDA Acting alumnus, Yalin Ozucelik (2007), nominated for his leading role in The Norman Conquests.
Kate Box (Acting, 2003) won Best Female Actor in a Supporting Rolein a Mainstage Production for her role in Top Girls at Sydney Theatre Company. Amongst the nominations was fellow NIDA Acting alumna Contessa Treffone (2012), nominated for her role in The Harp in the South, also at Sydney Theatre Company.
Annie Stafford (Acting, 2016) won Best Female Actor in a Supporting Rolein an Independent Production for Stupid Fucking Bird at New Theatre. She was nominated amongst two fellow alumni— Morgan Maguire (Acting, 2010), for her role in Home Invasion at the Old 505 Theatre, and Wendy Mocke (Acting, 2017), for her role in Sport for Jove’s Moby Dick.
NIDA 2003 Acting alumna Kate Box won Best Female Actor in a Supporting Rolein a Mainstage Production for her role in Top Girls.
Additional NIDA Acting alumni nominated were:
Best Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Mainstage Production— Sarah Snook (Acting, 2008) for Saint Joan.
Best Female Actor in a Leading Role in an Independent Production— Gabrielle Scawthorn (Acting, 2009) for Ironbound; Ella Scott-Lynch (Acting, 2004) for King of Pigs
Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Mainstage Production— Colin Moody (Acting, 1990) for The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui; Guy Simon(Acting, 2010) for The Harp in the South
Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in an Independent Production— Mandela Mathia(Acting, 2017) for The Rolling Stone; Christopher Stollery (Acting, 1987) for Ear to the Edge of Time
WRITERS
Alana Valentine, a 1989 alumna of NIDA’s Writing course, was nominated for Best New Australian Work for her play The Sugar House, which played at Belvoir St Theatre.
NIDA 2015 Design alumna Isabel Hudson won Best Stage Design of an Independent Production for Cry-Baby.
DESIGNERS
Isabel Hudson, a 2015 Design alumna, won Best Stage Design of an Independent Production for Cry-Baby. The nominees included two fellow 2015 NIDA Design alumni Jonathan Hindmarsh for Metamorphoses and Isabel Hudson for The View UpStairs.
Renée Mulder (Design, 2008) won Best Costume Design of a Mainstage Production for The Harp in the South. Fellow NIDA alumna Alice Babidge (Design, 2004) was also nominated in this category, for A Cheery Soul.
Jonathan Hindmarsh (Design, 2015) won Best Costume Design of an Independent Production for Metamorphoses. Fellow NIDA alumnus Nicholas Fry (Design, 2016) was also nominated, for There Will Be a Climax.
Verity Hampson, a 2005 NIDA Production alumna won Best Lighting Design of a Mainstage Production for Blackie Blackie Brown at Sydney Theatre Company. Fellow NIDA Production graduate Damien Cooper (1996) was also nominated, for Top Girls, which was also at Sydney Theatre Company.
Benajmin Brockman (Production, 2011), won Best Lighting Design of an Independent Production for Metamorphoses, with Apocalypse Theatre Company in association with Red Line Productions. Fellow NIDA alumnus Martin Kinnane (Production, 1991) was also nominated for The Flick.
NIDA 2015 Design alumnus Jonathan Hindmarsh won Best Costume Design of an Independent Production for Metamorphoses.
Additional NIDA Design alumni nominated were:
Best Sound Design of a Mainstage Production— Nate Edmondson (Production, 2011) for The Harp in the South
Best Original Score of a Mainstage Production— Clemence Williams (Directing, 2016) for A Cheery Soul
Best Sound Design of an Independent Production— Nate Edmondson (Production, 2011) for The Flick; Clemence Williams (Directing, 2016) for The Wolves
NIDA congratulates the outstanding contributions which all of the nominees have made to the Australian performing arts scene, and as individuals who are shaping the future of our industry for the better.
The Sydney Theatre Awards are run by a group of theatre critics which in 2019 comprises Elissa Blake (Audrey Journal), Jason Blake (Audrey Journal), Deborah Jones (The Australian), Jo Litson (Limelight), John McCallum (The Australian), Joyce Morgan (Sydney Morning Herald), Ben Neutze (Time Out), John Shand (Sydney Morning Herald), Diana Simmonds (Stagenoise), Cassie Tongue (Time Out) and Suzy Wrong (Suzy Goes See).
