Reviewers ‘filled with admiration’

By The Star | Posted: Thursday Feb 20, 2025

Dunedin’s theatre community members came out in force on Monday night to celebrate the achievements of their peers at the 13th Ōtepoti-Dunedin Theatre Awards.

Originally published: Reviewers ‘filled with admiration’ | Otago Daily Times Online News

Presented by the Ōtepoti-Dunedin Reviewers’ Collective, comprising Barbara Frame, Terry MacTavish, Helen Watson-White and Brenda Harwood, the awards recognised the best Dunedin theatre in 2024.

About 100 local theatre practitioners packed into performance space Te Whare o Rukutia to cheer the finalists and winners across a broad range of categories, including performance, writing, technology, costumes, emerging artist, director and Production of the Year.

Welcoming the audience, Harwood said the reviewers’ collective had been "filled with admiration for the calibre of work produced by the Dunedin theatre community in 2024".

"Given the current funding constraints and the tough economic situation, the sheer volume and quality of work we have seen is a testament to the passion, skill and dedication of our theatre community," she said.

The collective welcomed Dunedin theatre stalwart Rosemary Beresford to the stage to present the certificates and congratulate the winners.

The most-awarded production of the night was courtroom-based drama Prima Facie, which won Production of the Year for recently-formed theatre company Birds of a Feather, outstanding direction for Lara Macgregor, outstanding performance/female role for Serena Cotton, outstanding sound design for Matthew Morgan and outstanding lighting design for Martyn Roberts.

Two special awards for outstanding contribution to theatre were awarded to veteran Dunedin actors Ross Johnston and Barry Dorking. 

Winners

The 13th Ōtepoti-Dunedin Theatre Awards, for 2024

Outstanding performance, male role — Simon O’Connor in Company

Outstanding performance, female role — Serena Cotton in Prima Facie

Outstanding performance, ensemble — Gregory Cooper, Sara Georgie and Nick Tipa in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

Outstanding performance, duo — Josh Black and Daniel Cromar in Twelfth Night

Outstanding writing, script — Cindy Diver for Wahine Mātātoa

Outstanding writing, libretto/score — Louise Petherbridge and Anthony Ritchie for The Trapeze Artists

Emerging artist — Sam Meikle for music and musical direction in The Tempest and Twelfth Night

Emerging artist — Jackson Rosie, actor and writer in Artist Descending a Staircase, Yellow Hut and Shot Glass Shorts

Outstanding design, set/technology — Matthew Morgan for imagery, sound design and graphics in Constellations, sound design in Wahine Mātātoa and sound design in Prima Facie

Outstanding design, set/technology — Martyn Roberts for lighting design in Wahine Mātātoa and Prima Facie

Outstanding design, costume/makeup/props — Sofie Welvaert for costume design in The Tempest

Outstanding direction — Lara Macgregor for Prima Facie

Production of the Year — Prima Facie, produced by Birds of a Feather

Outstanding contribution to theatre — Ross Johnston, actor/director

Outstanding contribution to theatre — Barry Dorking, actor/MC