Orange Tree Theatre wins the Empty Space Peter Brook Award

Richmond's Orange Tree Theatre has been awarded the 2015 Empty Space Peter Brook Award for its dynamic series of collaborations, rediscoveries and new work.

Paul Miller took over as artistic director of the theatre in 2014, on the day the theatre suffered a government funding cut. But over the last year his programming has seen plenty of critical acclaim, including for new play Pomona by Alistair McDowall, which transferred to the National Theatre and went on tour. Pomona director Ned Bennett won the award for best new director at the UK Theatre Awards this year.

The Orange Tree beat off competition from Theatre503, Crucible Studio Theatre, Ustinov Studio, Southwark Playhouse and the Maria at the Young Vic.

The award recognises studio theatres that have produced professional quality of work. In a ceremony today Thelma Holt presented a cheque for £2000 to the theatre.

The Peter Brook/Equity Ensemble Award was won by theatre company Simple8 while the Dan Crawford Innovation Award went to Summerhall in Edinburgh. The Peter Brook Festival Award was given to Kandinsky Theatre while Jonathan Church was given the Peter Brook Special Achievement Award for turning Chichester Festival Theatre into a major regional theatre and to Frances Mayhew of Wilton's Music Hall for restoring the theatre to its former glory.

Previous winners include the Unicorn Theatre (2014) the National Theatre's Temporary Theatre (2013) and West London's Finborough Theatre (2012).