Outlander star O’Rourke scoops best actor award as halt to arts funding cutbacks urged

OUTLANDER star Gr a nt O’Rourke has been announced as the critics’ choice as Best Actor at a prestigious ceremony as a passionate call to halt arts funding cuts was delivered.

The actor who plays Rupert in the popular television drama series won the Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland (Cats)accolade for his role in the Venetian Twins at the gala event at Glasgow’s Tron Theatre.

The Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh dominated the 2015 Cats awards with three different productions recognised and its director Mark Thomson criticised cuts in Scottish Government funding in his acceptance speech.

The Venetian Twins and Bondagers picked up one award each while The Caucasian Chalk Circle garnered four awards.

O’Rourke won his first Cats award, while Bondagers picked up the Best Design Award.

Best Female Performance went to Amy Manson, Best director to Thomson and the supreme award, Best Production, went to The Caucasian Chalk Circle. They were presented by acclaimed comedian and actor Karen Dunbar and Tron artistic director Andy Arnold, the original force behind the troubled Arches. The critics said in a remarkable season at the Lyceum, Thomson’s production of Brecht’s great play stood out for its scale, ambition and unabashed theatricality.

Herald critic Neil Cooper said the Cats awards are “an important celebration of everything that is great in Scottish theatre, from the technical genius of Stewart Laing’s production of Slope to the sheer theatrical bravura of Thomson’s production of The Caucasian Chalk Circle, both worthy winners.

“But beyond the celebrations, there was also cause for concern, regarding both the tragic closure of The Arches and the shortsighted funding cuts by Creative Scotland that have already damaged Laing’s Untitled Projects, the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh and new writing powerhouse the Traverse.

“The mood was summed up by Royal Lyceum director Mark Thomson, who, on picking up the day’s final award for Best Production for The Caucasuan Chalk Circle, argued passionately for the power of theatre, and how, rather than receiving less funding, should receive more.”