Winners announced of Manchester Theatre Awards

Winners were announced on Friday (13 March 2015) of the Manchester Theatre Awards.

Clare Foster claimed Best Actress, beating competition including Maxine Peake for Hamlet, while Harry McEntire picked up Best Actor for Billy Liar.

Antony Sher was recognised for the RSC's Henry IV Part I and II and Barry Humphries, who last year won a WhatsOnStage Award, claimed Best Special Entertainment for Eat Pray Laugh.

The Lowry, Royal Exchange and new venue Home led the pack, with five, four and three awards respectively.

Full list of winners

Best Actor
Harry McEntire, Billy Liar at the Royal Exchange

Best Actress
Clare Foster, Duet For One and Separation at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton

Best Supporting Actor
David Birrell, Journey's End at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton

Best Supporting Actress
Gillian Bevan, Hamlet at the Royal Exchange

Best Actor in a Visiting Production
Antony Sher, Henry IV Part I and II at The Lowry

Best Actress in a Visiting Production
Katherine Kingsley, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Manchester Opera House

Best Production
Angel Meadow, ANU Productions and Home at the Edinburgh Castle, Ancoats

Best Visiting Production
The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time, National Theatre at The Lowry

The Brynteg Award for Best Musical
Jersey Boys at the Palace Theatre

Robert Robson Award for Dance
Le Corsaire, English National Ballet at the Palace Theatre

Best Opera
Gotterdammerung, Opera North at The Lowry

Best Design
Romeo and Juliet, Home at the Victoria Baths, Manchester

Best Newcomer
Emily Barber, Billy Liar at the Royal Exchange

Best New Play
An August Bank Holiday Lark, Northern Broadsides and New Vic at the Oldham Coliseum

Best Studio Production
He Had Hairy Hands, Kill The Beast Company at the Lowry Studio

Best Studio Performance
Sinead Matthews, Pests at the Royal Exchange Studio

Best Fringe Production
Thick as Thieves, Hard Graft Theatre Company at ReTale, Oldham Mumps

Best Fringe Performance
Kaitlin Howard, The Alphabet Girl at the Kings Arms, Salford

Best Ensemble
Angel Meadow, Home at the Edinburgh Castle, Ancoats

Best Special Entertainment
Barry Humphries, Eat, Pray, Laugh at the Manchester Opera House

Stage Door Foundation Award for Excellence
Monkeywood Theatre

Special Achievement
David Slack, 24:7 Theatre Festival

Youth panel award
A Midsummer Night's Dream at The Lowry