Theatre News

Come From Away and Small Island casting directors win at the 2nd CDG Casting Awards

The awards recognise important achievements in casting across the creative sector

Come From Away and Small Island
Come From Away and Small Island
© left: Matthew Murphy, right: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

The winners of the 2nd CDG Casting Awards have been revealed.

The awards, which recognise the significant achievements in casting across the creative sector, were once again held at the Ham Yard Hotel in London. Hosted Sanjeev Bhaskar, presenters included Sheila Atim, Rose Leslie, Daniel Mays, Daniel Monks, David Morrissey, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Anne Reid and Susan Wokoma.

Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher, together with casting assistant Katherine Skene, won the Best Casting in Musical Theatre Award (sponsored by LW Theatres) for Come From Away, which is currently playing at the Phoenix Theatre in the West End and recently celebrated a cast change. Other finalists in this category were Will Burton for Evita (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre), Alastair Coomer and Sutton for Company (Gielgud Theatre), Stephen Crockett and David Grindrod for Waitress (Adelphi Theatre), Grindrod for Sweet Charity (Donmar Warehouse) and Sam Jones for Wise Children (The Old Vic).

Isabella Odoffin won the Best Casting in a Theatre Award (sponsored by Independent Talent Group) for Small Island, which played at the National Theatre's Olivier Theatre in spring 2019. Other finalists in this category were Amy Ball for Sweat (Donmar Warehouse), Stuart Burt and Julia Horan for the Pinter at the Pinter Season (Harold Pinter Theatre), Robert Sterne for A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bridge Theatre) and Charlotte Sutton for Death of a Salesman (Young Vic).

The awards were presented in partnership with Spotlight and Identity Agency Group and consist of categories across the TV, film, theatre and commercial sectors. The winners of these awards included the casting directors for Sex Education, Chernobyl, Wild Rose and the John Lewis 2018 Christmas advert, "The Boy and the Piano".