Traverse Gains Seven Stage Award Nominations

The awards, now in their 15th year, are adjudicated by The Stage newspaper’s festival reviewing team and aim to recognise outstanding work by individuals and companies as a whole in the field of acting. Also included, for the fourth time, is the Best Solo Performance category, which recognises one-person shows.

Stage Edinburgh team head William McEvoy said: “This is undoubtedly the strongest set of nominations I have seen since being a reviewer for the paper at Edinburgh. This year’s festival has been exceptional in terms of the range and depth of the acting on display. We were particularly impressed by the presence of young companies this year, the emphasis on storytelling, and the definite return of physical, character-based theatre to the Fringe.”

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THE STAGE AWARDS FOR ACTING EXCELLENCE SHORTLISTS

BEST ACTOR

Joe Armstrong for Orphans (Traverse)

Simon Ginty for Precious Little Talent (Bedlam)

Billy Mack for The Sound of My Voice (Assembly)

Neil Grainger for Crush (Gilded Balloon Teviot)

Matthew Pidgeon for Midsummer (A Play With Songs) (Traverse)

BEST ACTRESS

Cora Bissett for Midsummer (A Play With Songs) (Traverse)

Claire Dargo for Crush (Underbelly)

Anna Francolini for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Assembly)

Emma Hiddleston for Precious Little Talent (Bedlam)

Anita Reeves for Little Gem (Traverse)

Gail Watson for Barflies (Traverse)

BEST ENSEMBLE

Camden People’s Theatre for Icarus 2.0 (Pleasance Courtyard)

DogOrange for Ward No 6 (C)

Grid Iron for Barflies (Traverse)

Green Shoot Productions for Chronicles of Long Kesh (Assembly)

Ontroerend Goed and Richard Jordan Productions Ltd for Internal (Traverse)

Stellar Quines and Assembly for The Girls of Slender Means (Assembly)

BEST SOLO PERFORMER

Joe Bone for Bane (Pleasance)

Laurie Brown for Up (The Vault)

David Calvitto for The Event (Assembly)

Lucy Ellinson for Land Without Words (Just the Tonic @The Caves)

Nicola Haydn for Janis (Gilded Balloon)

Caroline Horton for Almost 10 (Pleasance)

George Mann for Odyssey (Pleasance)

Winners are announced in Edinburgh on Sunday 30 August 2009.

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