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.
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
