Winners Announced for Manchester\’s 2008 Awards

The Manchester Evening News today announced the winners of its 27th annual MEN Theatre Awards. This year’s ‘Oliviers of the North’ were hosted by actress Denise Welch and singer Jane McDonald at the Manchester Midland hotel, as more than 20 category winners were announced encompassing both local and visiting productions.

In the performance categories, Maxine Peake picked up best actress for her part in The Children’s Hour at the Royal Exchange, while David Fielder picked up best actor for Waiting for Godot at the Library theatre (pictured), which also won the coveted best production award.

Out-of-town companies had a strong year, the National Theatre of Scotland adding another accolade to its already significant hoard by picking up best visiting production for Black Watch. Best musical went the 50th anniversary tour of West Side Story at the Lowry.

The Lowry also took the honours for best dance production, for Don Quixote by the Kirov Ballet, and the Salford venue also claimed the best opera award for Opera North’s production of Macbeth.

Among the other winners, the 24:7 Theatre Festival, a local festival dedicated to new one-act plays, was represented by wins in two categories – best new play for Matthew Landers’ A Dog Called Redemption by and best fringe performance for Ruth Evans in Ways To Look At Fish.

– By Theo Bosanquet

The Manchester Evening News 2008 award winners are:

INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION
Chinese Acrobatic Swan Lake, from the Guandong Acrobatic Company at The Lowry

VISITING PRODUCTION
Black Watch, from the National Theatre of Scotland at the Pie Factory for The Lowry

NEWCOMER
Kate O’Flynn, in The Children’s Hour at the Royal Exchange

ACTOR IN A VISITING PRODUCTION
Andrew Buchan, in The Man Who Had All The Luck at The Lowry

DANCE
Don Quixote, from Kirov Ballet at The Lowry

ACTRESS IN A VISITING PRODUCTION
Michelle Terry, in The Man Who Had All The Luck at The Lowry

NEW PLAY
A Dog Called Redemption, by Matthew Landers at 24:7 Theatre Festival

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Denise Black, in Roots at the Royal Exchange

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Paul Simpson, in Road & Spring And Port Wine at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton.

FRINGE PERFORMANCE
Ruth Evans, in Ways To Look At Fish at 24:7 Theatre Festival

MUSICAL
West Side Story, at The Lowry

OPERA
Macbeth, from Opera North at The Lowry

BIZA (formerly Alpha) AWARD
The Company Music Theatre

DESIGN
Oh What A Lovely War at the Octagon Theatre Bolton

CITYLIFE.CO.UK SPECIAL ENTERTAINMENT
Afrika! Afrika! at Trafford Centre

PERFORMANCE IN A STUDIO PRODUCTION
Willliam Ash, in You Can See The Hills at the Royal Exchange Studio

STUDIO PRODUCTION
Doctor Korczak’s Example, at the Royal Exchange Studio

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Maxine Peake, in The Children’s Hour at the Royal Exchange

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
David Fielder, in Waiting For Godot at the Library Theatre & The Merchant Of Venice at the Octagon Theatre Bolton

BEST PRODUCTION
Waiting For Godot, at the Library Theatre

HORNIMAN AWARD FOR A UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION TO THEATRE
The Green Room.

For further coverage, visit Whatonstage.com/Manchester