Traverse Leads CATS Nominations 2010

For the first time, the shortlist
also includes a show rooted in the visual arts as much as in theatre with The Darktown Cakewalk: Celebrated from the House of
FAME, performed as part of the Glasgow International Festival of
Visual Art, nominated for Best Ensemble and Best Use of Music and Sound.

Another
CATS first is the addition of an all-inclusive company with Lung Ha’s
nominated in the Best Ensemble category for Huxley’s
Lab, a collaboration with Grid Iron.

Although theatre
companies in Edinburgh and Glasgow dominate the shortlist it has also been a
good year for Dundee Repertory Theatre with six nominations, while Pitlochry
Festival Theatre, Perth Theatre and Fife Arts Trust have each appeared in at
least one category.

Co-convenor Mark Fisher said: “It has been a bumper year
for great theatre in Scotland
and we were spoilt for choice when it came to making our selections. It means
the 2010 shortlists represent a truly impressive range of talent, whether it is
the most intimate one-person show or, as is the case with Huxley’s Lab, a
production with a cast of 30. It’s sure to make for a lively ceremony on
13 June.”

As well as topping the
awards list this year the Traverse Theatre also received the largest number of
nominations for any one show, with The Dark
Things appearing in six categories. Artistic director Dominic Hill
appears twice on the shortlist for Best Director for The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? and The Dark Things, with both plays competing for Best
Production.

Dundee Repertory Theatre
also has plenty to celebrate with A
Christmas Carol and The Elephant
Man each receiving three nominations, while the Tron Theatre in Glasgow appears in four
different categories for The Government
Inspector, a co-production with Communicado Theatre Company.

CATS newcomers this year
include playwrights Alan Bissett for Turbo
Folk (A Play, a Pie and a Pint) and Kieran Hurley for Hitch (The Arches), while Lung Ha’s
Theatre Company, Theatre Modo, the Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art
and Giant have also appeared on the shortlist for the first time.

Now in its eighth year, the CATS has become a highlight of the theatrical calendar in Scotland,
celebrating the actors, directors, playwrights and other artists who have made
the most thrilling contributions to the industry over the past 12 months. This
year the ceremony will be held for a second time at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh on Sunday 13
June at 3pm.

The event is open to
members of the public and offers a unique opportunity for audiences to come
together with the cream of the Scottish theatre community and celebrate the
contribution that work produced in Scotland makes to the cultural life
of the country.

Tickets cost £15
(including live entertainment, entry to the awards ceremony, drinks and light
refreshments) and can be purchased through the Festival Theatre box office. For
further information on the CATS visit www.criticsawards.theatrescotland.com.