Results of the 43rd Annual Robert Finley Awards 2017
Held on Sunday 17th December 2017 at the State Theatre Centre. For the performance year of December 2016 to November 2017.
Where nominees are listed, the winners are marked in bold.
Youth Productions
Top Five Youth Productions (In No Particular Order)
Title of Show — Wanneroo Secondary College
Mulan Jr — Stirling Players
Calvin Berger — Roleystone Theatre
Camp Rock — Black Box Performing Arts
Shrek Jr the Musical — Primadonna Productions
The Ailsa Travers Award For Best Youth Production
Calvin Berger — Roleystone Theatre
Musicals
The Mary Webb Award for Best Director of a Musical
Kim Angus for Chicago — Koorliny Arts Centre
David Nelson and Jen Edwards for The Wedding Singer — Wanneroo Repertory
Katherine Freind for The Secret Garden — Melville Theatre Company
Mary Ellen Sutherland for Fiddler on the Roof — South West Opera Company
Kate McIntosh and Allen Blachford for Ruthless — Koorliny Arts Centre
Best Musical Director
Ross Burford and Justin Freind for The Secret Garden — Melville Theatre Company
John McPherson for Title of Show — Wanneroo Secondary College
Andrew Dobosz for Chicago — Koorliny Arts Centre
Taui Pinker for Ruthless — Koorliny Arts Centre
Maddy Innes for The Wedding Singer — Wanneroo Repertory
Best Choreographer
Alan Blachford for Chicago — Koorliny Arts Centre
Claire Harley and John McPherson for Greenwicks — Wanneroo Repertory
Mary Ellen Sutherland for Fiddler on the Roof — South West Opera Company
Shanice-Kalina Thompson for Camp Rock — Black Box Performing Arts
Aleisha Archer, Jen Edwards and Dixie Johnstone for The Wedding Singer — Wanneroo Repertory
Best Actor in a Musical
Justin Freind as Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden — Melville Theatre Company
Tom Hutton in First Date — Blak Yak Theatre
Rob Hill in Fiddler on the Roof — South West Opera Company
David Wallace in Chicago — Koorliny Arts Centre
Matthew Arnold in Carrie — Phoenix Theatre/Dark Psychic Productions
Best Actress in a Musical
Genevieve Newman as Judy Denmark in Ruthless — Koorliny Arts Centre
Cassie Skinner in First Date — Blak Yak
Elethea Satorelli in Chicago — Koorliny Arts Centre
Steph Hickey — The Wedding Singer — Wanneroo Repertory
Helen Kerr in Chicago — Koorliny Arts Centre
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical
Jon Lambert as Amos Hart in Chicago — Koorliny Arts Centre
Emerson Brophy in The Wedding Singer — Wanneroo Repertory
Callan Kneale in Chicago — Koorliny Arts Centre
Mitch Lawrence in First Date — Blak Yak Theatre
Ross Burford in The Secret Garden — Melville Theatre Company
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
Dixie Johnstone as Holly in The Wedding Singer — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Gloria Rogerson in Fiddler on the Roof — South West Opera Company
Kimberley Harris in Heathers — Hand In Hand Theatre Company
Rachel Monamy in Chicago — Koorliny Arts Centre
Rebecca Dilley in Heathers — Hand in Hand Theatre Company
The Veronica Overton-low Award for Youth in a Musical
Bella Freeman as Tina Denmark in Ruthless — Koorliny Arts Centre
Christie McGarrity in The Secret Garden — Melville Theatre Company
Matthew Manning in Calvin Berger — Roleystone Theatre Company
Nicholas Parsonage in Title of Show — Wanneroo Secondary College
Seamus Harrison in Calvin Berger — Roleystone Theatre Company
Best Costumes in a Musical
Deb Prentice for Fiddler on the Roof — South West Opera Company
The Jungle Book — Darlington Theatre Players
Greenwicks — Wanneroo Repertory
Oklahoma — Roleystone Theatre
Ruthless — Koorliny Arts Centre
The Kevan Hook Award for Best Set in a Musical
Jungle Book — Darlington Theatre Players
Mulan Jr — Stirling Players
The Secret Garden — Melville Theatre Company
Chicago — Koorliny Arts Centre
Ruthless — Koorliny Arts Centre
Third-placed Musical
Fiddler on the Roof — South West Opera Company
Second-placed Musical
The Secret Garden — Melville Theatre Company
Robert Finley Award for Best Musical
Chicago — Koorliny Arts Centre
Plays
The Susan Hayward Award for Best Director of a Play
Carryn McLean for Moonlight and Magnolias — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Barry Park for Other Desert Cities — Playlovers
Andrew Baker for Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me — Irish Theatre Players
Ryan Taaffe for Factory Girls — Irish Theatre Players
Siobhan Vincent for The Glass Menagerie — Garrick Theatre Club
Best Actor in a Play
Paul Davey as Edward in Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me — Irish Theatre Players
Oliver Kaiser in Cloudstreet — Old Mill Theatre
Richard Hadler in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf — Darlington Theatre Players
Tim Fraser in Moonlight and Magnolias — Wanneroo Repertory
Nathan Hambly in Cloudstreet — Old Mill Theatre
Best Actress in a Play
Susan Lynch as Ellen in Factory Girls — Irish Theatre Players
Sally Barendse as Brooke in Other Desert Cities — Playlovers
Cate Jennings as Polly in Other Desert Cities — Playlovers
Alide Chaney as Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? — Darlington Theatre Players
Nyree Hughes in Design for Living — Old Mill Theatre
Best Supporting Actor in a Play
Grant Malcolm as Michael in Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me — Irish Theatre Players
Manuao TeAotonga in Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me — Irish Theatre Players
Oliver Bourne in It Runs in the Family — Wanneroo Repertory
Justin Freind — The Sunshine Boys — Harbour Theatre
Chris Juckes in Moonlight and Magnolias — Wanneroo Repertory
Best Supporting Actress in a Play
Kath Jones in Life After George — Garrick Theatre
Chandra Wyatt as Silda in Other Desert Cities — Playlovers
Krysia Wiechecki in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf — Darlington Theatre Players
Suzannah Churchman for The Witches — Koorliny Arts Centre
Caroline McDonnell for The Factory Girls — Irish Theatre Players
The Brian Maddocks Award for Youth in a Play
Kael McGrechan as Jim O’Connor in The Glass Menagerie — Garrick Theatre
Jack Churchman in The Witches — Koorliny Arts Centre
Liam Crevola in The Railway Children — Harbour Theatre
Brittany Isaia in Gentleman Incorporated — Darlington Theatre Players
Leo Rimmer in James and the Giant Peach — Kalamunda Amatuer Dramatic Society
The Brenda Stanley Award for Best Costumes in a Play
Stepping Out — Koorliny Arts Centre
Other Desert Cities — Playlovers
Moonlight and Magnolias — Wanneroo Repertory
Mort — Roleystone Theatre
Don Quixote — Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia
The David Crewes Award for Best Set in a Play
Other Desert Cities — Playlovers
Cinderella — Garrick Theatre Club
It Runs in the Family — Wanneroo Repertory
Design for Living — Old Mill Theatre
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf — Darlington Theatre Players
Third-placed Play
Other Desert Cities — Playlovers
Second-placed Play
Moonlight and Magnolias — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Robert Finley Award for Best Play
Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me — Irish Theatre Players
Special Awards
Adjudicators
The Shiela Buchanan Achievement Award
Irish Theatre Players
The Yvonne Hough Neilsen Award
Matthew Manning
The Terry Hackett Award for Best Ensemble
Life After George — Garrick Theatre
The Elizabeth Crewes Award for Front of House
Irish Theatre Players
Murray Music and Drama
Darlington Theatre Players
Harbour Theatre
Garrick Theatre Club
The Hywell Williams Award for Technical Achievement
Design for Living — Old Mill Theatre
The Yvonne Lynch Breakthrough Award
Suzie Maratea for Fiddler on the Roof — South West Opera company
Siobhan Vincent for The Glass Menagerie — Garrick Theatre
Jesse Hislop for Cosi — What’s My Line Theatre
Kael McGrechan in The Glass Menagerie — Garrick Theatre Club
Nicholas Parsonage for Title of Show — Wanneroo Secondary College
ITA
ITA Hall of Fame
Don Allen
Carole Dhu
Justin Freind
Adjudicators Certificates
For a fantastic male ensemble, Chicago — Koorliny Arts Centre
For stepping in at the last minute, Emily Gelineau in Calvin Berger — Roleystone Theatre
For lighting, Wally Fry for Moonlight and Magnolias — Wanneroo Repertory Club
For lighting, John Woolrych for That Face — Stirling Players
For lighting, John Spurling for Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me — Irish Theatre Players
For lighting, Mark Owen and Geoff Holt for Cinderella — Garrick Theatre
For comic performances, Leo Rimmer, Jai Tarr, Cameron Clear in Mulan Jr — Stirling Players
For energy and enthusiasm, Oliver Bourne in Greenwicks and It Runs In The Family — Wanneroo Repertory Club
For local writing, John McPherson and James Marczec for Greenwicks — Wanneroo Repertory Club
For the iconic boat scene, Cloudstreet — Old Mill Theatre
For characterization and puppetry skills, Charlie Young in The Jungle Book — Playlovers
Star of the Future, Eden Coffey in Fiddler on the Roof — South West Opera Company
Best Dead Body, Dominic Masterson in Out of Order —Darlington Theatre Players
For his drive, energy and commitment to role, Patrick Cordwell in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest — Murray Music and Drama Club
For seamless set change, Ruthless — Koorliny Arts Centre
For a touching well acted and beautifully crafted scene, Laura Goodlet, Kael McGrechan and Siobhan Vincent in The Glass Menagerie — Garrick Theatre
For effective use of music by local artist before and during the show, Let the Sunshine — Wanneroo Repertory
For creating a sense of family and the realistic bonds of three siblings – Nikk DiCamillo, Kaitlin Okely and Lam Crevola in The Railway Children — Harbour Theatre
For nnimble manoeuvres on a hoverboard, Sam Barnett as Death in Mort — Roleystone Theatre
For a clever, well executed and well thought out design, the floor projection, Macbeth — Roleystone Theatre
For a clever and very well designed and working prop, the water box, The Wedding Singer — Wanneroo Repertory Club