The winners of the eighth annual Tasmanian Theatre Awards were revealed at a ceremony on 5 March, held at Wrest Point in Hobart. The Awards have been presented annually by the Theatre Council of Tasmania (TCT) since 2015 to celebrate excellence and achievement in three main categories: Professional Theatre, Community Theatre and Musical Theatre.

Archipelago Productions was the main winner in the Professional Theatre category, with its production of The Maids being awarded Outstanding Production, Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Lighting or Video/Film Design. The Maids also scored one of the two awards for Outstanding Performance, with Essie Davis being recognised for her role as Claire in the show, while Teddy Dunn also won for his performance in the Tasmanian Theatre Company’s Joan. One Crowded Hour (Tasmanian Theatre Company), Waltzing Matilda (Big Monkey Theatre) and The Bleeding Tree (Archipelago Productions and Blue Cow Theatre) also picked up awards in Professional Theatre.

In Community Theatre it was Acting True and Huon Valley Theatre’s co-production of A View from the Bridge that earned the Outstanding Production award, together with Outstanding Male Leading Performance for Jayson Maxwell Morrison and awards for Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Male Supporting Performance. The Launceston Players’ production of The Bridesmaid Must Die! also picked up four awards, with Tia Landeg winning Outstanding Female Leading Performance and the production getting further nods for Outstanding Female Supporting Performance, Outstanding Original Costume Design and Outstanding Original Set Design.

Encore Theatre Company’s Mamma Mia! won an impressive nine awards in the Musical Theatre category, including Outstanding Production, Outstanding Direction, Outstanding Musical Direction and Outstanding Choreography. However, the leading performance awards were claimed by other productions, with Ezra Shelverton landing Outstanding Male Leading Performance for Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Devonport Choral Society) and Petrea James winning the Outstanding Female Leading Performance award for Heathers (Old Nick Company).

Andy Aisbett was announced as the winner of the Outstanding New Writing award for his original script for The Minister, which had its premiere production last year in Hobart through his own company, The Theatre Closet.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the 2022 Lifetime Achievement award to Robert Jarman, with the capacity audience celebrating Jarman’s enormous contribution to Tasmanian theatre and his profound impact upon the careers of numerous directors, actors and other theatre creatives in the State.

“Saturday night’s Awards were an amazing evening for Tasmanian theatre,” said Theatre Council President Petr Divis. “They really brought people together from around Tasmania, and there’s a sense that after a challenging couple of years our sector can now rebound, re-energise and discover new ways to connect with and enrich the Tasmanian community.”

The full list of award winners can be viewed on the Theatre Council of Tasmania’s website https://theatrecounciltas.org/