Angels in America takes top prize

Stephen Lovatt and Alison Bruce in Angels in America.

Silo director’s swansong production and veterans of the stage honoured in the Auckland Theatre Awards.

Director Shane Bosher and the Silo Theatre team behind the staging of Tony Kushner's epic Angels in America last night won top prize for excellence at the sixth annual Auckland Theatre Awards.

The awards, staged at the Wintergarden in the Civic Theatre, were the first time recognition of excellence has been included.

They were judged by a panel of six: theatre-maker Marie Adams, actor-director Rachel House, playwright Sam Brooks, actor Sam Snedden, Auckland Arts Festival director Carla von Zon and theatre manager Gilli Sutton.

Director Shane Bosher.

The awards event also included a less formal People's Choice section.

Angels in America, Bosher's swansong at the Silo after 13 years of leading the company, was staged in two three-hour parts at Q Theatre in March. The judging panel praised it for achieving excellence "across all aspects of this ambitious production".

Its cast included Stephen Lovatt, who won an award for "achieving excellence in a wide range of performances".

Jane Hakaraia took the award for excellence in lighting design for various projects; The Basement theatre for fostering new and emerging artists in Auckland; and actor Trygve Wakenshaw for his physical performance in various productions.

Two small theatre companies were also acknowledged for their exceptional work on two shows: 360: A Theatre of Recollections won Theatre Stampede and Nightsong Productions the award for "original concept and execution", and Bullet Heart Club for excellence in "all aspects of producing their debut", Daffodils.

Trygve Wakenshaw.

Long-serving theatre practitioners were awarded Service Honour medals for their work on 25, 50 or 100 productions, with Silo Theatre director Sophie Roberts winning for 25, playwright Roger Hall for 50 and actor Jennifer Ward-Lealand for 100.

Actor and vocal coach Linda Cartwright was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award, while Newcomer Awards went to producer-actor Lavinia Uhila, actor-writer Jess Sayer and actor-writer Amanaki Prescott.

Excellence Awards

*

All aspects of an ambitious production:

Angels in America

.

*

Original concept and execution:

360: A Theatre of Recollections.

*

Physical performance:

Trygve Wakenshaw.

*

Fostering new and emerging artists in Auckland:

The Basement

.

People's Choice Award winners

*

Best Ensemble

: The cast of

Luncheon

.

*

Best Death:

The cast of

Lies

.

*

Best Poster:

A Boy Wonder

.

*

Best Viral Marketing Campaign:

Sin

.

*

Best Entrance:

Fasitua Amosa in

Black Faggot

.

*

Best Technical F***-up:

"Cookiegate" during

Jesus Christ Superstar

, an in-joke relating to cast and crew not allowed to bring food into Q Theatre.

*

Best Line in a Kiwi Play:

"He's my type. Type 1 diabetes", from

Tongan Morris Men

.

*

Best Nudity:

Geordie Holibar in

Wine Lips

.

*

Best Pash:

Beulah Koale and Lauren Gibson in

Sons

.