Ferocious Story About Middle America Triumphs at Sydney Theatre Awards

The Belvoir Street Theatre's powerful production of August: Osage County achieved remarkable success at the Sydney Theatre Awards held at the Seymour Centre on Monday night.

This compelling interpretation of Tracey Letts' acclaimed tragi-comedy, which tells the story of a family in rural Oklahoma, was awarded best mainstage production. Additionally, Eamon Flack earned the honor of best direction.

Two of the leading stars of August: Osage County, Pamela Rabe and Tamsin Carroll, were jointly recognized for best performance in a leading role in a mainstage production. Rabe portrayed Violet Weston, a drug-addicted wife of a poet-patriarch illustrated by John Howard, while Carroll took on the role of their eldest daughter, Barbara Fordham.

John Shand from the Herald wrote about the production, emphasizing that the play truly came alive in its second act, showcasing its power, ferocity, heart, and humor. He highlighted the essential chemistry between Violet and Barbara, which significantly contributed to the play's dramatic impact as Rabe and Carroll made the tension palpable.

Another strong contender at the awards was the Shane Anthony Seymour Centre's production of Matthew Lopez's The Inheritance. This play explores two generations of New York's gay community, navigating through the early AIDS crisis of the 1980s to the ongoing challenges faced by democracy today.

The Inheritance took home awards for best independent production, best ensemble, and best direction of an independent production, which went to Anthony.

Harriet Cunningham from the Herald praised The Inheritance for its eloquent storytelling and commended the large ensemble cast and creative team's commitment. She described it as a colossal achievement that is ambitious and transformative, with relevant themes that resonate with audiences.

André de Vanny was awarded best leading performance in an independent production for his role in Martin McDonagh's The Lonesome West, directed by Anna Houston at The Old Fitz Theatre in Woolloomooloo.

Overall, 28 awards were distributed among 16 productions that showcased in Sydney over the past year, highlighting the vibrant theatre scene in the city.

In the musical category, Laura Murphy's Zombie! The Musical was awarded best production, with Darren Yap winning best direction, and Chiara Assetta receiving best choreography for the production at Hayes Theatre Co.

Further recognition was given to Michael Paynter, who starred as Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, winning best performance in a leading role in a musical, while Laura Tipoki took home the award for best musical direction.

Emmanuelle Mattana's Trophy Boys was honored as the best new Australian work, and Daniel R. Nixon won best newcomer for his role in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Jim Sharman, known for directing the 1972 production of Jesus Christ Superstar and for co-writing and directing the cult classic film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, was recognized with a lifetime achievement award. His contributions to theatre were celebrated through performances by original cast members from his productions, including Marcia Hines from Jesus Christ Superstar and John Waters from Hair.

Theatre, Awards, Production, Performance