The Glugs have announced the nominees of the 2015 Glugs Theatre Awards to be presented at Sydney’s Castlereagh Boutique Hotel on Monday 1 February 2016.
This year marks the Glugs’ 50th anniversary since their first meeting. In 1966 a group of theatre lovers – critics, journalists, actors and theatre-goers, met weekly for lunch to discuss theatre and welcome international touring actors. Founding members included theatre critic Norman Kessell, Bill Fenn, JCW’s PR man John Love, and ABC producer Allan Kendall.
In 1969, Barry Morse (star at the time of TV’s The Fugitive and touring Broadway show Hadrian VII in Sydney) christened the group inspired by C.J.Dennis’s tongue in cheek poems, The Glugs of Gosh. The Glugs still hold bi-monthly luncheons to help overseas performers feel at home and grow a local theatre-appreciating community in Sydney to this day, meeting on the first Monday of the month.
Hosted by Chief Glug Bill Winspear, the Awards will be presented on Monday 1 February 2016 at Sydney’s Castlereagh Boutique Hotel. Guests include Lorraine Bayly, Nancye Hayes, Shaun Rennie, Gael Ballantyne, Mitchell Butel, Marika Aubrey and Debora Krizak.
The 2015 Glug Awards Nominations are:
NORMAN KESSELL MEMORIAL AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR – FEMALE
Paula Arundell – The Bleeding Tree (Griffin)
Cate Blanchett – The Present (STC)
Jeanette Cronin – The House on the Lake (Griffin)
Andrea Demetriades – Arms and the Man (STC)
Amanda Muggleton – The Book Club (Ensemble)
NORMAN KESSELL MEMORIAL AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR – MALE
Huw Higginson – The House on the Lake (Griffin)
Richard Roxburgh – The Present (STC)
Sean Taylor – My Zinc Bed (Ensemble)
James Wright – The Credeaux Canvas (Lambert House & BH Prod)
JEFFRY JOYNTON-SMITH MEMORIAL AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – FEMALE
Gael Ballantyne – Ladies in Lavender (Ensemble)
Carmen Duncan – The Credeaux Canvas (Lambert House & BH Prod)
Anna Houston – Of Mice and Men (Sport for Jove)
Deborah Kennedy – Arms and the Man (STC)
Matilda Ridgway – Cock (Red Line Productions)
JEFFRY JOYNTON-SMITH MEMORIAL AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – MALE
John Bell – Ivanov (Belvoir)
Kit Brookman – A Rabbit for Kim Jong-Il (Griffin)
Tim Draxl – Mothers and Sons (Ensemble)
Benjamin Hoetjes – Ladies in Lavender (Ensemble)
COLLEEN CLIFFORD MEMORIAL AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN MUSIC THEATRE – FEMALE
Marika Aubrey – Man of La Mancha (Squabbalogic)
Helen Dallimore – Blood Brothers (Enda Markey/HTC)
Jaz Flowers – Heathers (Showqueen Prod/Working Mgt/HTC)
Amy Lehpamer – High Society (HTC)
Caroline O’Connor – Anything Goes (Opera Australia/John Frost)
COLLEEN CLIFFORD MEMORIAL AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN MUSIC THEATRE – MALE
Simon Gleeson – Les Miserables (Cameron Macintosh Aust)
Alex Rathgeber – Anything Goes (Opera Australia/John Frost)
Tony Sheldon – Man of La Mancha (Squabbalogic)
Hayden Tee – Les Miserables (Cameron Macintosh Aust)
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN MUSIC THEATRE – FEMALE
Marika Aubrey – Matilda (RSC)
Kerrie-Anne Greenland – Les Miserables (Cameron Macintosh Aust)
Debora Krizak – Anything Goes (Opera Australia/John Frost)
Lucy Maunder – Heathers (Showqueen Prod/Working Mgt/HTC)
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN MUSIC THEATRE – MALE
Trevor Ashley – Les Miserables (Cameron Macintosh Aust)
Blake Bowden – Beyond Desire (Neil Rutherford Prod/HTC)
Blake Bowden – Blood Brothers (Enda Markey/HTC)
Laurence Coy – High Society (HTC)
James Millar – Matilda (RSC)
STUART WAGSTAFF MEMORIAL AWARD FOR MOST OUTSTANDING DIRECTION
Trevor Ashley – Heathers (Showqueen Prod/Working Mgt/HTC)
Eamon Flack – Ivanov (Belvoir)
Jay James Moody – Man of La Mancha (Squabbalogic)
Iain Sinclair – Of Mice and Men (Sport for Jove)
AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING MAINSTAGE MUSICAL
Anything Goes – Opera Australia/John Frost
Les Miserables – Cameron Macintosh Aust.
Matilda – RSC
AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT MUSICAL
Blood Brothers – Andrew Pole (Enda Markey/HTC)
Heathers – Trevor Ashley (Showqueen Prod/Working Mgt/HTC)
Man of La Mancha – Jay James-Moody (Squabbalogic)
Rent – Shaun Rennie (Highway Run Prod/HTC)
ROBERT DAVIS MEMORIAL AWARD FOR MOST OUTSTANDING MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Arms and the Man – Richard Cottrell (STC)
Ivanov – Eamon Flack (Belvoir)
The Bleeding Tree – Lee Lewis (Griffin)
The Present – Andrew Upton (STC)
JOHN WEST MEMORIAL AWARD FOR MOST OUTSTANDING NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK
Beyond Desire – Book & lyrics Neil Rutherford; Music Kieran Drury (Neil Rutherford Prod/HTC)
Blood Bank – Christopher Harley (Ensemble)
Ivanov – adaption Eamon Flack from Chekhov (Belvoir)
The Bleeding Tree – Angus Cerini (Griffin)
TAFFY DAVIES MEMORIAL AWARD FOR MOST OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Cock (Red Line Prod)
Of Mice and Men (Sport for Jove)
The Credeaux Canvas (Lambert House/BH Prod)
The Dapto Chaser (Apocalypse/Griffin Ind)
MOST OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN – sponsored by Rose Petersen
Masquerade (Griffin/ STC of SA)
Shellshock (Riverside Theatres)
Snugglepot & Cuddlepie (CDP/Monkey Baa)
The Unknown Soldier (Monkey Baa)
MOST OUTSTANDING CABARET PERFORMANCE
Mitchell Butel – Killing Time
Bobby Fox – Four Seasons in One Night
Rob Mills – Rob Mills Is Surprisingly Good
Phil Scott – Reviewing the Situation
MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A NEWCOMER
Gary Clementson – Caress/Ache (Griffin)
Linden Furnell – Rent (Highway Run Prod/HTC)
Kerrie Anne Greenland – Les Miserables (Cameron Macintosh Aust)
Benjamin Hoetjes – Ladies In Lavender (Ensemble)
Lauren McKenna – Heathers (Showqueen Prod/Working Mgt/HTC)
For more information, visit: www.glugs.com.au for details.
Image: Les Miserables – photo by Matt Murphy