Diane Page wins this year's JMK Award
The prize was established in memory of James Menzies-Kitchin, a young theatre director who died suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 28, to encourage others to fulfil their potential as he had promised to do.
Diane Page picked up the award for her proposal for Statements after an Arrest under the Immorality Act by Athol Fugard, working with designer Niall McKeever on her production. Page has credits including co-directing Out West at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, as well as associate directing Ghost Stories, Leave to Remain, and Dick Whittington, each also at the Lyric.
Page said today, "I am beyond thrilled to be the recipient of the JMK Award. It is such an incredible feeling to have the opportunity to stage Statements after an Arrest under the Immorality Act by Athol Fugard – a brilliant and poignant play that is in dialogue with the world now – and I'm overjoyed to be able to do it at the Orange Tree Theatre. I want to thank the JMK Trust for their support and keeping this award going – especially at this time. My creative team and I cannot wait to share the production with you."
Stephen Fewell, Chair of the JMK Trust, also commented, "I'm really thrilled to see Diane and her team receive the JMK Award of £25,000, and cannot wait to be sat in the Orange Tree Theatre this autumn to see her production spark into life. As theatre audiences, like the lovers in Fugard's play, meet together once more in the darkness, I'm anticipating what modern parallels may be drawn from his account of life under a corrupt, immoral and racially prejudiced government regime.
"Today sees theatre audiences beginning to return, and I hope audiences will come along to see Diane's show, and support all our shortlisted directors' future projects. They represent the future, and as we all decide what we want to regain and what to reimagine, who to mourn and how to rebuild, they deserve every opportunity that theatre can provide."
You can watch the winner being revealed in our specially hosted video here:
Statements after an Arrest under the Immorality Act will be presented at the south London venue from 28 August to 2 October, with two live-stream shows on 23 and 24 September.
This year's runner ups, and the recipients of £2000, are Rafaella Marcus and designer Anna Reid for their proposal for Peggy Pickett Sees the Face of God by Roland Schimmelpfennig.
