Recognising theatrical excellence in the time of COVID
After two successive years of disruption because of Covid where some shows managed to get on stage but most were cancelled, rescheduled or curtailed, the CAT Awards decided to mark this remarkable period in a unique way: called “CATS Interrupted”.
Underlying this decision is the spirit of fairness to all. Since the beginning of 2020 our judging panel has attended fewer than fifty shows and its travel outside the Canberra region has been severely curtailed.
It would be remiss of us not to acknowledge theatrical achievement, but it would be unfair for us to pretend that it’s “business as usual”.
Therefore, the regular categories, along with nominations and winners, have been put to one side temporarily. Instead, the judging panel has recognised excellence on and off stage during a period of extreme and extended challenge.
RECOGNITION OF EXCELLENCE
ANU MED REVUE
for the originality and contemporary relevance of
Dr Wonka and the Whitecoat Factory
THE DROWSY CHAPERONE
Directed by Candy Burgess
Bay Theatre Players, Batemans Bay
MATTHEW BURGESS
as the Man in Chair in The Drowsy Chaperone
Bay Theatre Players, Batemans Bay
SIOBHAN MCCULLAGH
for her solo dance in High Kix
Bom Funk Dance Studio, Canberra
ANDRE LE
as Michael Mell in Be More Chill
Budding Entertainment, Canberra
THE GREASE BAND
Directed by Lizzy Collier
Canberra Grammar School
JERSEY BOYS
Directed by Jim McMullen
Musical direction by Caleb Campbell
Canberra Philharmonic Society
JARED NEWALL
as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys
Canberra Philharmonic Society
ABSURD PERSON SINGULAR
The ensemble cast
Canberra Repertory Society
ANDREW KAY
for multiple set designs for
Canberra Repertory Society
JAMIE BOYD
as Eugene Jerome in Brighton Beach Memoirs
Canberra Repertory Society
KAREN VICKERY
for direction of Brighton Beach Memoirs
Canberra Repertory Society
LIZ ST CLAIR LONG
as Big Mama in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Canberra Repertory Society
TIEG SADHANA
as Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Canberra Repertory Society
MAX GAMBALE
as Henry in Cosi
Canberra Repertory Society
COSI
Directed by Sophie Benassi
Canberra Repertory Society
PIPPIN CARROLL
as Wyndham Brandon in Rope
Canberra Repertory Society
JOSH WISEMAN & RYAN STREET
as Charles Granillo and Rupert Cadell in Rope
Canberra Repertory Society
QUENTIN MITCHELL & NATHAN SCIBERRAS
for set and lighting design in Rope and What the Butler Saw
Canberra Repertory Society
LIZ BRADLEY
for direction of What the Butler Saw
Canberra Repertory Society
THE GRAPES OF WRATH
for its production values and the
relationship between the cast and set
Canberra Repertory Society
HARRY LEWIS
as the MC in Downtown – the Musical
Chevalier College, Bowral
LORRAINE BENNETT
for providing consistent high-quality training at the
Classical Ballet Centre, Canberra
BONNIE NEATE & SUZI PIANI
for choreography in Unveiled
Dance Central, Canberra
HELEN MCFARLANE
as Tanya in Mamma Mia!
Free-Rain Theatre Company, Canberra
LOUIZA BLOMFIELD
as Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia!
Free-Rain Theatre Company, Canberra
ALEXANDER UNIKOWSKI
for musical direction of Mamma Mia!
Free-Rain Theatre Company, Canberra
MOTHERHOOD THE MUSICAL
The ensemble cast
Lieder Theatre, Goulburn
LES MISERABLES
for inspired restaging due to a Covid venue change
Directed by Laura Turner and Jane McIntosh
Nowra Anglican College
LYN TOWNSEND AND TEAM
for costumes in Wicked
Parkes Musical & Dramatic Society
AARON KINGHAM
as Dr Dillamond in Wicked
Parkes Musical & Dramatic Society
CHARLENE ZULKAPLI
as Jasmine in Aladdin Jr
Pied Piper Productions, Canberra
‘TOO DARN HOT’
in Kiss Me, Kate
Choreography by Lauren Chapman
Queanbeyan Players
LOUISE GASPARI
as Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music
Queanbeyan Players
LYDIA MILOSAVLJECIC
as Maria in The Sound of Music
Queanbeyan Players
KIMMIE JONCESKI
as Rizzo in Grease
SoPopera Productions, Wollongong
JAYDEN SIERRA
as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys
SoPopera Productions, Wollongong
PETER COPELAND
for musical direction of Jersey Boys
SoPopera Productions, Wollongong
ROBYN WHITBY AND TEAM
for costumes in The Little Mermaid
Spectrum Theatre Group, Merimbula
LEO MARRIS
as the Beast in Beauty and the Beast
St Edmund’s College, Canberra
KARA MURPHY
as Belle in Beauty and the Beast
St Edmund’s College, Canberra
JO DARBY
as Pauline Salas in Death and the Maiden
Wagga Wagga School of Arts Inc SOACT
IDRIS STANBURY & BENJAMIN MARTIN
for lighting design in Interrobang!?
Warehouse Circus, Canberra
COMMENDATIONS
THE LATE BRIAN SUDDING
for his huge contribution to theatre over 50 years
particularly in set design in the Canberra Region
AUSTRALIAN DANCE & DRAMA COMPANY
for inclusive casting of special needs performers
and online rehearsals for Aladdin Jr, Moorebank
THE FOUR SEASONS
Jared Newall, Dave Smith, Jonathon Rush, Zach Johnson
plus Luke Ferdinands, Darcy Kinsella, Angus Saunders, Steven O’Mara and Marcel Cole
in Jersey Boys
Canberra Philharmonic Society
CANBERRA REPERTORY SOCIETY
for continuing to mount and rehearse seasons and
presenting 7 shows despite audience limitations
KATE PRICE
for a stellar career of directing and drama teaching at
Chevalier College, Bowral
DREAMCOAT PRODUCTIONS
for donating all profits from Mamma Mia! to Sapphire Coast Social Justice
to help their work in bushfire relief in the local community,
Bega
FANTASY STUDIOS
for their inspired ad libbing and interaction with the audience in
The Trail to Oregon
GUNGAHLIN COLLEGE THEATRE COMPANY
for rehearsing online and opening their production of Away
only one week after lockdown
LAUREN CHAPMAN
as encouragement for choreography in Kiss Me, Kate
Queanbeyan Players
QUEANBEYAN PLAYERS
for persisting through 2 production postponements
and triumphantly staging The Sound of Music
THE ECLIPSE TEAM
for videography to stream The Sound of Music
Queanbeyan Players
JIMMY RIZK
for stepping in on the morning of the matinee to
learn the role of Sonny and also play Doody in Grease
SoPopera Productions, Wollongong
THE LITTLE MERMAID
Directed and choreography by Amber Little
Spectrum Theatre Group, Merimbula
WAREHOUSE CIRCUS
for rehearsing cast online and by phone while locked down in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra
and then presenting Interrobang!? in a new venue
THE PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTIVE
for mounting productions of Heathers and Moana Jr, Nowra
JOE MCGRAIL-BATEUP
for 20 years of voiceovers
supporting the CAT Awards presentations