‘Remarkable’ year of performances

By The Star | Posted: Tuesday Feb 18, 2025

A "remarkable" year of quality theatre in the midst of hard times will be celebrated at the 13th Otepoti Dunedin Theatre Awards this month.

‘Remarkable’ year of performances | Otago Daily Times Online News

Presented by the Otepoti Dunedin Theatre Reviewers’ Collective, the awards were founded in 2010 and have been held annually since then, apart from two Covid 19-affected years in 2020 and 2021.

Collective members Barbara Frame, Terry MacTavish, Helen Watson White and Brenda Harwood, who are all professional reviewers, spend the year taking in as many theatre shows as possible before making their selections of finalists and winners.

In a statement this week, the Otepoti Dunedin Theatre Reviewers Collective announced the finalists for the 13th Otepoti Dunedin Theatre Awards, to be held on Monday, February 17, from 5.30pm at Te Whare o Rukutia, 20 Princes St.

The awards will celebrate theatrical achievement in 2024 across a broad range of categories, including technical achievement in set and costume design, lighting and technology; outstanding performance by individuals and ensembles; outstanding direction; and the overall award for production of the year.

There will also be special awards for outstanding contributions to the Dunedin theatre community and emerging artists, as well as tributes and commendations.

Ms MacTavish said the collective had been impressed by the passion, skill and work ethic of Dunedin’s theatre community, who had made "extraordinary efforts" to create shows despite the ongoing challenges of accessing funding and venues.

"We are so proud of our local theatre community for carrying on and achieving a remarkable year of quality theatre during a difficult time," she said.

"We want to congratulation them and acknowledge their mahi with an awards ceremony."

Ms Frame said the awards remained true to their original purpose of acknowledging the contribution of performers, directors, writers, designers and creatives to the performing arts sector, locally and nationally.

"It is a wonderful chance to bring our theatre community together for a well-deserved celebration, and to remind everyone of the incredible things they achieved in 2024."

The Otepoti Dunedin Theatre Awards event is supported by a Dunedin City Council Community Events grant.

There will be an entry fee for the awards ceremony to help cover costs.

Finalists in 13th Dunedin Theatre Awards:

Outstanding performance: female role

• Serena Cotton as Tessa in Prima Facie

• Rosella Hart for her role in Constellations

• Tessa Romano as Circus Woman in The Trapeze Artists

• Grace Turipa as Patahi in Wahine Matatoa

Outstanding performance: male role

• Thomas Makinson as Richard Hannay in The 39 Steps

• Simon O’Connor in Company

• Craig Storey as Caliban in The Tempest

• Don Townsend as Malvolio in Twelfth Night

• Matt Wilson for his role in Constellations

Outstanding performance: duo /ensemble

• Josh Black and Daniel Cromer as Sir Toby Belch and Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night

• Brent Caldwell and Aimee Freeman as Trincolo and Stephano in The Tempest

• Gregory Cooper, Sara Georgie and Nick Tipa in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

• Marama Grant and Cheyne Jenkinson in A Man Walked into a Bar

• Rosella Hart and Simon Anderson in Wahine Matatoa

• Sacha McConnon, William Larkins and Alexander Julian as the three Ariels in The Tempest

Outstanding design: set and technology

• Jess Keogh and Calum Beck for the set of Yellow Hut

• Matt Morgan for imagery, sound and graphic design in Constellations

• Marty Roberts, Matt Morgan, Nick Tipa for lighting, sound and set of Wahine Matatoa

• Marty Roberts and Matt Morgan for lighting and sound in Prima Facie

• Sofie Welvaert for the set of Twelfth Night

• Jordan Wichman for lighting and graphic design in The Trapeze Artists and Alabaster

• Josh Wiegman and Milla Swanson-Dobbs for use of performance space combined with music, silks and storm effects in The Tempest

Outstanding design: costume / makeup / props

• Zoe Armstrong for makeup in Alabaster

• Rochelle Brophy for costumes for Skylark and Midwinter Carnival

• Alice Karetai for costumes for Wahine Matatoa

• Matt Morgan for costumes, sound and props for Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

• Charmian Smith for costumes for The Trapeze Artists

• Sofie Welvaert for costumes for The Tempest

Outstanding script / libretto

• Marea Colombo and Bronwyn Wallace for Baroness

• Cindy Diver for Wahine Matatoa

• Patty Klinpibul for Patty with a Y, dramaturgy by Emily Duncan

• Louise Petherbridge and Anthony Ritchie for libretto and score of The Trapeze Artists

• Ella West for Yellow Hut

Outstanding direction

• Blaise Barham for The Tempest

• Brent Caldwell for Twelfth Night

• Cindy Diver and Hilary Halba for Wahine Matatoa

• Richard Huber and Stuart Young for Company

• Lara Macgregor for Prima Facie

• Rosemary Manjunath for The 39 Steps

• Kim Morgan Constellations

Production of the year

• Company — produced by afterburner

• Constellations — produced by Hic Sunt Dracones

• Prima Facie — produced by Birds of a Feather

• The Tempest — produced by SaharaBreeze

• Twelfth Night — produced by The Globe Theatre

• Wahine Mātātoa — produced by Wow! Productions