The Wellington Theatre Awards 2017

6:30pm Sunday 10 December

St James Theatre Wellington

Wellington’s theatre industry gathered on the stage of St James Theatre on Sunday 10 December to celebrate theatrical achievements and artistic excellence in 2017, and to honour the 25th anniversary of the awards.

The evening began with a mihi led by Taki Rua’s Tānemahuta Gray and the announcement of the Wellington Theatre Awards’ name in Te Reo Māori, Ngā Whakarākei o Whātaitai (the adornment of Whātaitai), by Theatre Awards Trustee Richard Cathie.

Whātaitai is the taniwha who in his ambition to follow Ngake out of Wellington harbor, got trapped and became the isthmus between Miramar Peninsular (Motukairangi), and Mount Victoria (Matairangi) where is soul aspired to and is known as tangi te keo. This area is currently known as Hātaitai.

Whātaitai is also about the movement of the earth, as the performing arts in Wellington make significant changes on the local cultural and artistic landscape.

Stepping in as MC for his third and final year, James Nokise kept the jokes flowing and spoke to the importance of respect for our theatre kaumatua.

The Mayoral Award for Significant Contribution to Theatre went to Laughton Pattrick, whose decades of work in theatre, as a composer and as a music teacher have enriched the lives of thousands of students, theatre makers and theatre goers. Pattrick is also the former head of the music department at Wellington College of Education and the singing tutor at Toi Whakaari, New Zealand Drama School. Friends, family and colleagues joined Pattrick on stage to sing Bread and Roses and If I Had Words in his honour. Mayor Justin Lester was in attendance to present the award.

Major winners on the night included Borderline Arts Ensemble’s Lobsters who took out The Campion Accolade for Outstanding Performance (Carmel McGlone), Sound Designer of the Year (Lucien Johnson) and the Excellence Award for Ensemble Performance.

The Jack Jeffs Charitable Trust Production of the Year was awarded to STAB Commission Body Double from Zanetti Productions, which was also acknowledged for lighting design with Lighting Designer of the Year Marcus McShane for The Father, Body Double and A Doll’s House, and Karin McCracken for The George Webby Most Promising Newcomer Award for both Body Double and Wine Lips.

The Wellington Theatre Awards congratulates all nominees and creatives on an excellent year of theatre. We can’t wait to see what you create in 2018!

The Theatre Awards Trust would like to sincerely acknowledge the incredible support of: Wellington City Council, Jack Jeffs Charitable Trust, The Lion Foundation, Four Winds Foundation, NW Group, The Dominion Post, BATS Theatre, Capital E, Circa Theatre, Emerging Artists Trust, Hannah Play House, Park Road Post, Playmarket, Showcast, Sileni Estates, Taki Rua, Toi Whakaari, Victoria University of Wellington, and WETA Workshop.

Wellington Theatre Awards 2017 Winners

The George Webby Most Promising Newcomer Award

Karin McCracken - Wine Lips, Body Double

The Willem Wassenaar Most Promising Newcomer Award

Lucas Neal - Galathea, Yellow Face, Marine Snow

Lighting Designer of the Year

Marcus McShane - The Father, Body Double, A Doll’s House

Sound Designer of the Year

Lucien Johnson, Lobsters

The Constance Scott Kirkaldie Outstanding Composer of Music

Alex Taylor, Dido and Aeneas: Recomposed

Set Designer of the Year

Ian Harman, A Doll’s House, Hand to God

The Paul Jenden Costume Designer of the Year

Cara Louise Waretini - The Night Mechanics

The Peter Harcourt New Playwright of the Year

Natano Keni and Sarita So - Riverside Kings

Outstanding new New Zealand Play of the Year

Emma Kinane – Anahera

The Absolutely Positively Most Original Production of the Year

Dido and Aeneas: Recomposed – UnstuckOpera

The Grant Tilly Actor of the Year

Tom Clarke - Wine Lips/Hand to God

The Dorothy McKegg Actress of the Year

Neenah Dekkers-Reihana - Anahera, The Mooncake and the Kūmara

The Campion Accolade for Outstanding Performance

Carmel McGlone – Lobsters

The Michele Amas Accolade for Outstanding Performance

Dawn Cheong - The Night Mechanics

Excellence Award for Full Production Design

Tānemahuta Gray, Nathan McKendry, Gillie Coxhill, Tiki Taane, Sam Trevethick, Guy Benfield, Rowan Pierce, David Strong, David Spark, Matthew Knight for Tiki Taane Mahuta

Excellence Award for Ensemble Performance

Lobsters - Borderline Arts Ensemble

Excellence Award - for Innovative Contribution to the Industry and/or Community

Te Haukāinga - Taki Rua Productions, Tawata Productions, The Conch

Director of the Year

Jane Yonge - The Basement Tapes

The Jack Jeffs Charitable Trust Production of the Year

Body Double - Zanetti Productions

The Mayoral Award for Significant Contribution to Theatre

Laughton Pattrick