It has been an unusual time, to say the least, for the arts over the past two years. The local theatre scene has been marked by devastation, postponements and cancellations. But amongst all that, there have also been some incredible achievements, and Sydney’s theatre community has come together to celebrate the wins overnight at the 2021 Sydney Theatre Awards. Some 29 awards were presented, shared between 18 productions which played on Sydney stages during 2020 and 2021.
Sydney Theatre Company’s The Picture of Dorian Gray dominated the mainstage production category, taking out the awards for Best Mainstage Production, Best Direction of a Mainstage Production (Kip Williams), Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Mainstage Production (Eryn Jean Norvill) and Best Stage Design of a Mainstage Production (Marg Horwell and David Bergman). The production returns to the stage for a postponed encore this year (Mar 28-May 7) so you can see for yourself why this show, created at the intersection between the cinematic and theatrical, earned a five-star review from Time Out.
The award for Best Musical went to Hamilton (Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman, the Public Theater and Michael Cassel), which also took home the Judith Johnson Award for Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Musical (Lyndon Watts) and Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical (Marty Alix). You still have a short amount of time to see the incredible local cast of Hamilton in Sydney (or see it again), with the show closing on February 27.
Best Independent Production went to the psychedelic queer Sydney Fringe show Symphonie Fantastique from Little Eggs Collective in association with KXT, which also took home Best Ensemble, Best Lighting Design of an Independent Production (Benjamin Brockman) and Best Sound Design and Composition of an Independent Production (Oliver Shermacher). Best Direction of an Independent Production went to Tasnim Hossain for Yellow Face. Best New Australian Work was presented to The Visitors by Jane Harrison, while the Best Newcomer Award went to Kiana Daniele (Six).
You can see the full list of Sydney Theatre Awards winners below, and if that whets your appetite, check out the best shows to see in Sydney this week.
BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
The Picture of Dorian Gray (Sydney Theatre Company)
BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Symphonie Fantastique (Little Eggs Collective in association with KXT)
BEST DIRECTION OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Kip Williams (The Picture of Dorian Gray)
BEST DIRECTION OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Tasnim Hossain (Yellow Face)
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Eryn Jean Norvill (The Picture of Dorian Gray)
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Shan-Ree Tan (Yellow Face)
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Aaron Tsindos (No Pay? No Way!)
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Alfie Gledhill (The Removalists)
BEST STAGE DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Marg Horwell and David Bergman (The Picture of Dorian Gray)
BEST STAGE DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Charles Davis (Happy Days)
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Genevieve Blanchett (Home, I’m Darling)
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Esther Zhong (Three Fat Virgins Unassembled)
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Matt Scott (Fun Home)
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Benjamin Brockman (Symphonie Fantastique)
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
David Bergman (Green Park)
BEST SOUND DESIGN AND COMPOSITION OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Oliver Shermacher (Symphonie Fantastique)
BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK
The Visitors (Jane Harrison)
BEST NEWCOMER
Kiana Daniele (Six)
BEST ENSEMBLE
Symphonie Fantastique
BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
Hamilton (Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman, The Public Theater and Michael Cassel)
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Dean Bryant (Fun Home)
JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Lyndon Watts (Hamilton)
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Marty Alix (Hamilton)
BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION
Carmel Dean (Fun Home)
BEST CABARET PRODUCTION
Is This All Then? (Philip Quast)
BEST PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge (Sydney Opera House and Australian Chamber Orchestra)
BEST PRODUCTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You (The Good Room, Critical Stages Touring, ATYP and Riverside Theatres)
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Gale Edwards
Tony Sheldon