TMA Announces 2010 Regional Theatre Nominees

Dundee Rep’s Sweeney Todd sees David Birrell nominated for Best Performance whilst the show itself is up for Best Musical Production. Also nominated is Kirsk, Bryony Lavery‘s Whatsonstage.com Award-nominated immersive theatrical experience, inspired by the Russian submarine disaster of August 2000, which was co-produced by the Young Vic and pioneering theatre company Sound&Fury.

Unlike most of the UK’s prizes for theatre, the TMA Awards do not focus on London and the West End. They are the only nationwide awards for excellence in regional theatre. Nominations for productions such as Ghost Stories which sees itself nominated in the Best Lighting Design category, therefore stem from the production’s premiere dates at Liverpool Playhouse and the Lyric Hammersmith, prior to its its West End production.

The winners will be announced by director Craig Revel Horwood at an event at the Lyric Hammersmith on Sunday 7 November 2010. He will be joined on stage by Daniel Evans, artistic director of Sheffield Theatres; opera and recently Les Miserables concert star Alfie Boe; Billy Boyd whose recent credits the Proclaimer’s musical Sunshine on Leith and ex-Royal Ballet principal Ivan Putrov who will all present awards.

The full nominations are:

Best Performance in a play

Frances Barber for That Face – a Sheffield Theatres production

Jonathan Pryce for The Caretaker at Liverpool Everyman – a Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse production

Maggie Steed for Hay Fever at West Yorkshire Playhouse – a West Yorkshire Playhouse production.

Best Supporting Performance in a Play

Ayesha Antoine for My Wonderful Day at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough – a Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough production

Ryan Sampson for Brighton Beach Memiors – a Watford Palace Theatre Production

Ray Fearon for A Raisin in the Sun – a Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester production.

Best New Play

Mrs Reynolds and the Ruffian by Gary Owen – a Watford Palace Theatre Production

Spur of the Moment by Anya Reiss at The Royal Court – a Royal Court production.

Punk Rock by Simon Stephens – a Lyric Hammersmith and Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester production.

The Equity Award for Best Show for Children and Young People

The Snail and the Whale – a production by Cahoots NI in association with the Grand Opera House, Belfast

Pobby and Dingan – a Catherine Wheels Theatre Company production, in association with Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh

Toro! Toro! – a Salisbury Playhouse production in the Salberg Studio of the  Salisbury Playhouse

Best Musical Production

Sweeney Todd – a Dundee Rep Ensemble production, at Dundee Rep.

Oh What a Lovely War – Northern Stage’s production on tour.

Britain’s Got Bhangra at Theatre Royal Stratford East – produced by Theatre Royal Stratford East and RIFCO Arts in association with Warwick Arts Centre.

Best Performance in a Musical

The ensemble in The Hired Man – an Octagon Theatre Bolton production.

David Birrell for Sweeney Todd a Dundee Rep Ensemble production, at Dundee Rep.

The ensemble in Oh What a Lovely War – Northern Stage’s production on tour.

Best Supporting Performance in a Musical

Michelle Crook for Oklahoma!  – UK Productions at the Liverpool Empire.

Alex Ferns for The Little Shop of Horrors – a Menier Chocolate Factory production with the Churchill Theatre, Bromley and Jamie Hendry, on tour.

Louise Plowright for Irving Berlin’s White Christmas the Musical. A Michael Rose Limited, Chris Moreno & Mayflower Theatre, Southampton presentation of a Theatre Royal Plymouth Production.

Best Design

Mike Brookes and Simon Banham for The Persians – a National Theatre Wales production.

Lizzie Clachan for Far Away – a Bristol Old Vic production at Bristol Old Vic.

Alex Lowde for The Elephant Man – a Dundee Rep Ensemble production, at Dundee Rep.

Best Lighting Design

Chris Davey for Dial M for Murder – a West Yorkshire Playhouse and Fiery Angel production and for Beyond the Horizon – a Royal & Derngate, Northampton production.

James Farncombe for Ghost Stories – a Lyric Hammersmith and Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Production.

Guy Hoare for A Christmas Carol – a Birmingham Repertory Theatre and West Yorkshire Playhouse co-production.     

Best Director

Michael Buffong for A Raisin in the Sun – a Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester production.

Rachel O’Riordan for the Lyric Theatre, Belfast’s The Absence of Women.

Laurie Sansom for Beyond the Horizon and Spring Storm – Royal & Derngate, Northampton productions.

Best Touring Production

Kursk – A Young Vic and Fuel co-production: Sound and Fury’s KURSK at the Young Vic and on tour.

The Hypochondriac – a Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse and English Touring Theatre production.

The Empire – a Royal Court Theatre and Drum Theatre Plymouth production.

Achievement in Dance

Danza Contemporanea de Cuba for its vibrant performances, especially Mambo 3XX1 by George Cespédes. Mambo 3XX1 was co-commissioned by Dance Consortium, DanceEast and Sadler’s Wells.

The Mark Morris Dance Group for a joyful production of L’Allegro, Il Pensero Ed Il Moderato.

The dancers of Scottish Ballet for their sleek and authoritative performance of William Forsythe‘s Workwithinwork.

Achievement in Opera

Glyndebourne’s production of Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd.

Opera North’s production of Ruddigore.

Welsh National Opera’s production of Die Meistersinger Von Nuenberg.