Tim Finn, WOMADelaide, Tim Minchin’s Matilda win Helpmann Awards
Tim Minchin’s stage musical of Roald Dahl’s Matilda took home a record 13 Helpmann Awards last night.
The 16th AnnualHelpmann Awards, which recognises excellence in Australia’s theatre and live performance industry, saw Matilda the Musical win the night across 13 categories, including best original score, best direction, choreography, music direction, male actor (James Millar), lighting design and sound design.
Adelaide’s annual world music and dance festival WOMADelaidebeat out Bluesfest, St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival and Tasmania’s MOFO for Best Contemporary Music Festival.
Taking outBest Australian Contemporary Concertwas Kate Miller-Heidke & The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra for their performance at Mofo 2016. Heidke’s pre-recorded acceptance speech was played during the ceremony. Heidke was up against State Of Grace: The Music of Tim and Jeff Buckley, Flight Facilities with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Vance Joy’sFire And The Flood Tourin April.
The winner of Best International Contemporary Concert was Prince’sPiano & Microphone Tour,which marked the superstar’s last visit to Australia two months before his death.During Paul Dainty’s pre-recorded speech he said he accepted the award with great sadness.
Music legend Tim Finn(Crowded House, Split Enz) was a multi-award nominee. Finn, along with writer Carolyn Byrne and director Simon Phillipstook out the Best New Australian WorkHelpmann for their production ofLadies in Black; Finn wrote the music and lyrics for the production.
Among the performances on the night were Sarah Blasko, who performed Luxurious, the full cast from Singin’ in the Rain, and the eight ‘Matildas’ who collectively took out the Best Female Actor Helpmann.
The Helpmann Awards were presented by Live Performance Australia and held at Sydney Lyric Theatre, was broadcast live on Foxtel Arts and webcast for free via foxtelarts.com.au.
Helpmann Award winners of 2016:
Best Male Actor in aSupporting Role in aPlay
Mark Leonard Winter,King Lear,Sydney Theatre Company
Best Female Actor in aSupporting Role in aPlay
SarahPeirse,The Golden Age,Sydney Theatre Company
Best Male Actor in aSupporting Role in aMusical
DanielFrederiksen,Matilda the Musical,The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, MichaelCoppeland Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch
Best Female Actor in aSupporting Role inaMusical
Elise McCann,Matilda The Musical,The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, MichaelCoppeland Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch
BestInternational Contemporary Concert
Prince,Piano andaMicrophoneTour 2016, Prince, Dainty Group and ICO ApS
Best Contemporary Music Festival
Womadelaide, 2016WomadelaideFoundation
Best Australian Contemporary Concert
Kate Miller-Heidke and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra with visuals by AmyGebhardt,MOFO2016, Kate Miller-Heidke and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra with visuals by AmyGebhardt
Best Costume Design
Rob Howell,Matilda the Musical,The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, MichaelCoppeland Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch
Best Scenic Design
Rob Howell,Matilda the Musical, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, MichaelCoppeland Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch
Best Lighting Design
Hugh Vanstone,Matilda theMusical,The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, MichaelCoppeland Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch
Best Sound Design
Simon Baker,Matilda the Musical, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, MichaelCoppeland Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch
Best Individual Classical Music Performance
Pierre-LaurentAimard,Pierre-LaurentAimard, Melbourne Recital Centre and Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Best Chamber and/or Instrumental Ensemble Concert
French Baroque with Circa,Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
Best Symphony Orchestra Concert
Sir Simon Rattle Conducts the Australian World Orchestra, Australian World Orchestra
Best Original Score
Tim Minchin,Matilda the Musical,The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, MichaelCoppeland Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch
Best Music Direction
Stephen Amos,Matilda the Musical,The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, MichaelCoppeland Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch
Best Presentation for Children
Bambert’sBook of Lost Stories,Barking Gecko Theatre Company
Best Regional Touring Production
Sugarland, Australian Theatre for Young People and Performing Lines
Best Cabaret Performer
Michael GriffithsCole,Adelaide Festival Centre’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival
Best Comedy Performer
Tom Ballard,The World Keeps Happening,Token Events
Best Visual or Physical TheatreProduction
IlRitorno, Brisbane Festival and Circa
Best Choreography in aDance or Physical Theatre Work
Frances Rings,Sheoak,BangarraDance Theatre
Best Choreography in aMusical
Peter Darling,Matilda the Musical, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, MichaelCoppeland Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch
Best Male Dancer inaDance or Physical Theatre Work
Kimball Wong,Habitus,Australian Dance Theatre
Best Female Dancer in aDance or Physical Theatre Work
YolandaLowatta,Sheoak,BangarraDance Theatre
Best Male Performer in aSupporting Role in an Opera
JoãoFernandes,Agrippina, Brisbane Baroque in association withQPAC
Best Female Performer inaSupporting Role inan Opera
KeriFuge,Agrippina,Brisbane Baroque in association withQPAC
Best Male Performer in an Opera
CarloVistoli,Agrippina,Brisbane Baroque in association withQPAC
Best Female Performer in an Opera
Nicole Car,LuisaMiller,Opera Australia
Best Direction of an Opera
Sir David McVicar,The Marriage of Figaro, Opera Australia
Best Male Actor inaPlay
Mark Leonard Winter,Birdland,Melbourne Theatre Company
Best Female Actor inaPlay
Paula Arundell,The Bleeding Tree, Griffin Theatre Company
Best Male Actor in aMusical
James Millar,Matilda the Musical, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, MichaelCoppeland Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch
Best Female Actor in aMusical
MollyBarwick, DustyBursill,TianaMirra,AlannahParfett, Sasha Rose, Georgia Taplin, Bella Thomas And IngridTorelli, Matilda The Musical, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, MichaelCoppeland Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch
Best Direction of aPlay
Lee Lewis,The Bleeding Tree,Griffin Theatre Company
Best Direction of aMusical
MatthewWarchus,Matilda the Musical,The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, MichaelCoppeland Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch
Best New Australian Work
Carolyn Burns and Tim Finnwith Simon Phillips,Ladies in Black,Queensland Theatre Company
Best Opera
Agrippina, Brisbane Baroque andQPAC
Best Ballet or Dance Work
Sheoak,BangarraDance Theatre
Best Play
The Bleeding Tree,Griffin Theatre Company
Best Musical
Matilda the Musical,The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, MichaelCoppeland Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch