There’s no place like HOME as centre is big winner at awards
SHERIDAN Smith and Danny Mac were among the winners as the annual Manchester Theatre Awards were revealed at a glittering ceremony held at The Lowry in Salford.
Presented by comedian Justin Moorhouse, the annual awards – the biggest theatrical prize-giving outside London – honoured productions seen in Greater Manchester during 2017.
HOME led the way with five awards, with the rest of the honours largely even among the area’s other venues including two for Oldham Coliseum, two for the Royal Exchange Theatre and other awards going to productions and performers at The Lowry, the Palace Theatre and Opera House, Hope Mill Theatre, Contact, Royal Northern College of Music and Greater Manchester Fringe festival.
Janet Suzman was named Best Actress for Rose at HOME while Kenneth Alan Taylor won Best Actor for The Father at Oldham Coliseum – which also won the Best Production prize.
Best New Play was won by Rosie Fleeshman for Narcissist in the Mirror, part of Greater Manchester Fringe. Rosie is the daughter of fellow awardwinning actors David Fleeshman and Sue Jenkins who proudly cheered her on at the ceremony.
The big shows on the touring circuit visiting Manchester in 2017 were also honoured at the awards, held in association with Target Live, with Michael Harrison, David Ian and Curve’s production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard winning Best Musical, and its star Danny Mac scooping Best Actor in a Visiting Production for his role as Joe Gillis.
Sheridan Smith was named Best Actress in a Visiting Production for her star turn as Fanny Brice in the West Endturned touring production of Funny Girl.
Special Achievement Awards were given to Barrie Rutter, founder and former artistic director of Northern Broadsides, and Anne Hornsby of Mind’s Eye audio describers which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year.