It's been a big day for Muriel's Wedding the Musical. Not only has the sold-out smash hit announced a return Sydney season, but it's picked up seven Sydney Theatre Awards, including Best Mainstage Musical and Best Direction of a Musical (Simon Phillips). Pop singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke and her husband and collaborator Keir Nuttall picked up Best Original Score for their work on the show.
The winners of the awards – selected by a panel of Sydney theatre critics including Time Out's Cassie Tongue and Ben Neutze – were announced at a ceremony tonight at the Seymour Centre.
Other big winners include Belvoir's production of Hir, which won four awards including Best Mainstage Production and Best Direction of a Mainstage Production (Anthea Williams), and A View From the Bridge, which won four including Best Independent Production.
The biggest acting awards both went to Shakespearean stars: Kate Mulvany has taken home Best Female Actor in a Leading Role for her performance in the title role of Richard III, and Mitchell Butel's performance as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice won him Best Male Actor in a Leading Role.
The lifetime achievement award went to the prolific designer Brian Thomson, who gained global recognition in the 1970s for designing the original London productions of The Rocky Horror Show and Jesus Christ Superstar.
See the full list of winners below. How many of the productions did you see?
2017 SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS WINNERS
BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION: Hir (Belvoir)
BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION: A View From the Bridge (Red Line Productions)
BEST DIRECTION OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION: Anthea Williams (Hir)
BEST DIRECTION OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION: Kate Gaul (The Ham Funeral)
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION: Kate Mulvany (Richard III)
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION: Mitchell Butel (The Merchant of Venice)
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION: Sarah Meacham (Dry Land)
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION: Ivan Donato (A View From the Bridge)
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION: Elaine Crombie (Barbara and the Camp Dogs)
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION: Michael Whalley (Hir)
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION: Zoe Terakes (A View From the Bridge)
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION: Johnny Nasser (The Ham Funeral)
BEST STAGE DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION: Michael Hankin (Hir)
BEST STAGE DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION: Alicia Clements (Assassins)
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION: Jonathon Oxlade (Mr Burns, A Post-Electric Play)
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION: Alicia Clements (Assassins)
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION: Nick Schlieper (Chimerica)
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION: Alexander Berlage (4:48 Psychosis)
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION: The Sweats (Chimerica)
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION: Benjamin Freeman (4:48 Psychosis)
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION: Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall (Muriel’s Wedding)
BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK: Shit (Patricia Cornelius)
BEST NEWCOMER: Maggie McKenna (Muriel’s Wedding) & Zoe Terakes (A View From the Bridge)
BEST PRODUCTION OF A MAINSTREAM MUSICAL:Muriel’s Wedding (Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures)
BEST PRODUCTION OF AN INDEPENDENT MUSICAL:Calamity Jane (One Eyed Man Productions in association with Neglected Musicals and Hayes Theatre Co)
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL: Simon Phillips (Muriel’s Wedding)
JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL: Virginia Gay (Calamity Jane)
JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL: David Campbell (Assassins)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL: Madeleine Jones (Muriel’s Wedding)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL: Matthew Backer (Only Heaven Knows)
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A MUSICAL: Andrew Hallsworth (Muriel’s Wedding)
BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL: Isaac Hayward (Muriel’s Wedding)
BEST CABARET PRODUCTION: Hot Brown Honey
BEST PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN: Junk (Flying Fruit Fly Circus)
BEST PRODUCTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE: Dignity of Risk (atyp/Shopfront Arts)
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Brian Thomson
SPECIAL AWARD: Eva Di Cesare, Sandra Eldridge and Tim McGarry, Monkey Baa Theatre Company for 20 years of excellence and extraordinary service to the children and young people of Australia