The Manchester Theatre Awards may be the most important theatre awards outside London, so it’s great to hear that Oldham’s very own Coliseum Thatre (who we are great fans of) has gathered 12 – yes 12 nominations in this year’s awards right up there with Kenneth Brannagh and the like. The event will be held on 7 March at Manchesters fabulous Royal Exchange Theatre in St Ann’s Square so bet of luck to them – break a leg (…er not literally, it’s a theatre saying yanno).
The Nominations are-
Best Actor
- David Birrell, Sweeney Todd, Royal Exchange
- Kenneth Branagh, Macbeth, Manchester International Festival, St Peter’s Church
- Nigel Cooke, To Kill A Mockingbird, Royal Exchange
- Paul Webster, Sugar Daddies, Oldham Coliseum
- Jack Wilkinson, David Copperfield, Oldham Coliseum
Best Actress
- Marianne Benedict, Chicago, Oldham Coliseum
- Cush Jumbo, A Doll’s House, Royal Exchange
- Gillian Kearney, Educating Rita, Library at The Lowry
- Alex Kingston, Macbeth, Manchester International Festival, St Peter’s Church
- Maxine Peake, Masque Of Anarchy, Manchester International Festival, Albert Hall
- Shannon Tarbet, To Kill A Mockingbird, Royal Exchange
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- Ray Fearon, Macbeth, Manchester International Festival, St Peter’s Church
- Kieran Hill, The Glass Menagerie, Octagon Theatre Bolton
- Robin Simpson, David Copperfield, Oldham Coliseum
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
- Sally Bankes, That Day We Sang, Royal Exchange
- Shirley Darroch, Chicago, Oldham Coliseum
- Heather Phoenix, Sugar Daddies, Oldham Coliseum
- Kelly Price, That Day We Sang, Royal Exchange
Best Actor in a Visiting Production
- Paul Michael Glaser, Fiddler On The Roof, The Lowry
- Julian Glover, Maurice’s Jubilee, Opera House
- Louis Maskell, West Side Story, Palace
- Barrie Rutter, Rutherford and Son, The Lowry
- Tim Treloar, Birdsong, Oldham Coliseum
Best Actress in a Visiting Production
- Michele Dotrice, The Ladykillers, The Lowry
- Katie Hall, West Side Story, Palace
- Catherine Kinsella, Rutherford and Son, The Lowry
- Karen Mann, Fiddler On The Roof, The Lowry
- Sian Phillips, People, The Lowry
Best Production
- Of Mice and Men, directed by David Thacker, Octagon Theatre Bolton
- Macbeth, directed by Rob Ashford, Manchester International Festival, St Peter’s Church
- The Accrington Pals, directed by James Dacre, Royal Exchange
- The Glass Menagerie, directed by David Thacker, Octagon Theatre Bolton
- The Old Woman, directed by Robert Wilson, Manchester International Festival, Palace
- To Kill A Mockingbird, directed by Max Webster, Royal Exchange
Best Visiting Production
- Birdsong, The Original Theatre Company and Birdsong Productions Ltd, Oldham Coliseum
- The Full Monty, Sheffield Theatres, The Lowry
- The Ladykillers, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse / Fiery Angel, The Lowry
- The Pirates Of Penzance, Scottish Opera and D’Oyly Carte, Opera House
- Twelfth Night, Propeller, The Lowry
- War Horse, National Theatre, The Lowry
Best Musical
- Chicago, Oldham Coliseum
- Fiddler On The Roof, The Lowry
- Paradise Moscow, Royal Northern College Of Music
- Singin’ In The Rain, Opera House
- Sweeney Todd, Royal Exchange
- Wicked, Palace
Opera
- Festival of Britten (Peter Grimes / A Midsummer Night’s Dream / Death In Venice), Opera North, The Lowry
- La Finta Giardiniera, Buxton Festival
- L’Elisir d’Amore, Royal Northern College Of Music
- La Voix Humaine, Buxton Festival
- Otello, Opera North, The Lowry
Dance
- Aladdin, Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Lowry
- Michael Clark Triple Bill, The Lowry
- Rambert, The Lowry
- Richard Alston Dance Company, The Lowry
- The Chelsea Hotel, Earthfall, The Lowry
Design
- La Colombe/La Princesse Jaune, design Lez Brotherston; light John Bishop, Buxton Festival
- Macbeth, design Christopher Oram; light Neil Austin; sound Christopher Shutt, Manchester International Festival, St Peter’s Church
- Of Mice and Men, design and light Ciaran Bagnall; sound Andy Smith, Octagon Theatre Bolton
- The Accrington Pals, design Jonathan Fensom; light Charles Balfour; sound Emma Laxton, Royal Exchange
- The Old Woman, designer/director Robert Wilson; sound Marco Oilvieri; light A J Weissbard, Manchester International Festival, Palace
- The Machine, design Lucy Osborne; light Mark Henderson; sound Ian Dickinson/Autograph; video Andrzej Goulding, Manchester International Festival, Upper Campfield Market
Best Newcomer
- Marcus Collins, Hairspray, The Lowry
- Laura Elsworthy, The Accrington Pals, Royal Exchange
- Nathan Ives-Moiba, Tull, Octagon Theatre Bolton
- Freya Sutton, Hairspray, The Lowry
- Nathan Wiley, The Glass Menagerie, Octagon Theatre Bolton
Best New Play
-
Away From Home, by Rob Ward and Martin Jameson, 24:7 Festival
- Brilliant Adventures, by Alistair McDowall, Royal Exchange Studio
- Cannibals, by Rory Mullarkey, Royal Exchange
- Flesh, by Sarah McDonald Hughes, Royal Exchange Studio
Best Studio Production
- A Wondrous Place, Royal Exchange Studio
- Brilliant Adventures, Royal Exchange Studio
- That Is All You Need To Know, The Lowry Studio
Best Fringe Production
- Away From Home, Working Progress Theatre, 24:7 Festival
- Little Shop of Horrors, Kings Arms
- Mary Bell by Mary Bell, Studio Salford,
- The Best, Lass O’Gowrie
- Word:Play, Box Of Tricks, various venues
- Withnail and I, Shred Productions, Lass O’Gowrie
Best Studio Performance
- Joseph Arkley, Brilliant Adventures, Royal Exchange Studio
- David Judge, Pages From My Songbook, Royal Exchange Studio
- Robert Lonsdale, Brilliant Adventures, Royal Exchange Studio
- Gerry McLaughlin, Mugabeland!, The Lowry Studio
Best Fringe Performance
- Rebecca Fenwick, Spoonface Steinberg, The Swan, Dobcross and tour
- Stella Grundy, The Rise and Fall Of A Northern Star, Studio Salford
- Dickie Patterson, The Best, Lass O’Gowrie
- David Slack, Withnail and I, Lass O’Gowrie
- Rob Ward, Away From Home, 24:7 Theatre Festival
Best Ensemble
- Chicago, Oldham Coliseum
- David Copperfield, Oldham Coliseum
- Duck!, Z-Arts Manchester
- Manchester Sound: The Massacre, Library
- Of Mice and Men, Octagon Theatre Bolton
Best Special Entertainment
- Dick Whittington, Opera House
- Jack and the Beanstalk, Oldham Coliseum
- Strictly Confidential, The Lowry
- Sutra, The Lowry