Results of the 44th Annual Robert Finley Awards
Held on Saturday 19th January 2019 at the Subiaco Arts Centre. For the performance year of December 2017 to November 2018.
Where nominees are listed, the winners are marked in bold.
Youth Productions
Top Five Youth Productions (In No Particular Order)
Robin Hood: Babes in the Wood — Primmadonna Productions
Charlotte’s Web — Stirling Players
Oklahoma Jr — Bel Canto Performing Arts
Suessical Jr — Lutheran Living Waters College
Bring It On — Black Box Theatre
The Ailsa Travers Award for Best Youth Production
Bring It On — Black Box Theatre
Musicals
The Mary Webb Award for Best Director of a Musical
Craig Griffen for Urinetown — Melville Theatre Company
Tyler Eldridge for Annie — Roleystone Theatre
Carole Dhu for Downtown: The Mod Musical — Murray Music and Drama Club
Stephen Carr for Rock of Ages — Koorliny Arts Centre
Katherine Freind for Bring It On — Black Box Performing Arts
Best Musical Director
Taui Pinker for Urinetown — Melville Theatre Company
Kate McIntosh for Rock of Ages — Koorliny Arts Centre
Liam Gobbert for Annie — Roleystone Theatre
Tara Oorjitham for Little Miss Sunshine — Stirling Players
Liam House for Fame — Laughing Horse Productions
Best Choreographer
Shanice-Kalina Thompson for Bring it On — Black Box Theatre
Carole Dhu for Downtown: The Mod Musical — Murray Music and Drama Club
Matthew Manning for HONK — Murray Music and Drama Club
Allen Blachford and Claire Bell-Matthews for Rock of Ages — Koorliny Arts Centre
Connie Wetherilt and Ebony Uetake for Annie — Roleystone Theatre
Best Actor in a Musical
Tim How as Lonny in Rock of Ages — Koorliny Arts Centre
Kai Thorpe in Urinetown — Melville Theatre Company
Mitch Lawrence in Little Miss Sunshine — Stirling Players
Matthew Arnold in Rock of Ages — Koorliny Arts Centre
Charlie Darlington in Bare: A Pop Opera — Hand in Hand Theatre
Best Actress in a Musical
Shanee Osborne as Penelope Pennywise in Urinetown — Melville Theatre Company
Sian Dhu for Once Upon A Mattress — Primmadonna Productions
Rachel Monamy for End of the Rainbow — Koorliny Arts Centre
Elysia Miller for Downtown: The Mod Musical — Primmadonna Productions
Nerida Mangano for The Phantom of the Opera — South West Opera Company
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical
Max Gipson as Franz in Rock of Ages — Koorliny Arts Centre
Mark Thompson in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying — Murray Music and Drama Club
Daniel Burton in Urinetown — Melville Theatre Company
Darren Bilston in HONK — Murray Music and Drama Club
Harry Stacey in Urinetown — Melville Theatre Company
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
Erin Craddock as Little Sally in Urinetown — Melville Theatre Company
Lori Anders for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying — Murray Music and Drama Club
Samantha Ferguson for HONK — Murray Music and Drama Club
Sian Dhu for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying — Murray Music and Drama Club
Samantha Ferguson for Fame — Laughing Horse Productions
The Veronica Overton-Low Award for Youth in a Musical
Tahli Redgwell as Olive Hoover in Little Miss Sunshine — Stirling Players
Blake Jenkins for Bring it On — Black Box Theatre
Bella Freeman for Annie — Roleystone Theatre
Sarah Gannon for Oklahoma Jr — Black Box Theatre
Matilda Jenkins for Bring It On — Black Box Theatre
The Terry McAuley Award for Best Costumes in a Musical
The Phantom of the Opera — Southwest Opera Company
Urinetown — Melville Theatre
Downtown: The Mod Musical — Primmadonna Productions
End of the Rainbow — Koorliny Arts Centre
Suessical Jr — Lutheran Living Waters College
The Kevan Hook Award for Best Set in a Musical
Urinetown — Melville Theatre Company
Charlotte’s Web — Stirling Players
Annie — Roleystone Theatre
The Phantom of the Opera — South West Opera Company
End of the Rainbow — Koorliny Arts Centre
Third-placed Musical
Downtown: The Mod Musical — Primadonna Productions
Second-placed Musical
Rock of Ages — Koorliny Arts Centre
Robert Finley Award for Best Musical
Urinetown — Melville Theatre Company
Plays
The Susan Hayward Award for Best Director of a Play
Vanessa Jensen for Mr. Bailey’s Minder — Melville Theatre Company
Geoff Leeder for Wonderful World — Melville Theatre Company
Barry Park for A View from the Bridge — The Graduate Dramatic Society
Brendan Ellis for Constellations — Irish Theatre Players
Gino Cataldo for ‘Night Mother — Old Mill Theatre
Best Actor in a Play
Alan Kennedy as Leo Bailey in Mr Bailey’s Minder — Melville Theatre Company
Peter Clark in Marble — Darlington Theatre Players
Paul Davey in Wonderful World — Melville Theatre Company
Paul Davey in Constellations — Irish Theatre Players
Dean McAskil in A View from the Bridge — The Graduate Dramatic Society
Best Actress in a Play
Susannah Churchman as Thelma Cates in ‘Night Mother — Old Mill Theatre
Jacqui Warner in The Anniversary — Darlington Theatre Players
Siobhan Vincent in The Lion in Winter — Darlington Theatre Players
Caroline McDonnell in ‘Night Mother — Old Mill Theatre
Grace Edwards in A View from the Bridge — The Graduate Dramatic Society
Best Supporting Actor in a Play
Jethro Pidd as Barry in Wonderful World — Melville Theatre Company
Michael Dornan for Cash on Delivery — Melville Theatre Company
Mike Anthony Sheehy for Dear Frankie — Gromurph Productions
David Cotgreave for A View from the Bridge — The Graduate Dramatic Society
Andre Victor for Henry V — Blak Yak
Best Supporting Actress in a Play
Beccy Garlett as Polly in The Last Cab to Darwin — Old Mill Theatre
Ellin Sears in One Night, One Day — Blak Yak
Pip Thomson in Cash on Delivery — Melville Theatre Company
Jess Lally in Henry V — Blak Yak
Lis Hoffmann in Murder on the Nile — Koorliny Arts Centre
The Brian Maddocks Award for Youth in a Play
Steven Ozanne as Trev in The Return — Kalamunda Amateur Dramatic Society
Nathan Holland in Kalamunda Here I Come — Kalamunda Amateur Dramatic Society
Isaac McCann in Macbeth — The Graduate Dramatic Society
Felix Malcolm in Macbeth — The Graduate Dramatic Society
Georgia Varis in Spring Storm — Performing Arts Associate of Notre Dame Australia
The Brenda Stanley Award for Best Costumes in a Play
The Lion in Winter — Darlington Theatre Players
Murder on the Nile — Koorliny Arts Centre
Improbable Fiction — Busselton Repertory
Mr Bailey’s Minder — Melville Theatre Company
One Night, One Day — Blak Yak
The David Crewes Award for Best Set in a Play
Romeo and Juliet — Wanneroo Repertory Company
Venus in Fur — Melville Theatre Company
The Return — Kalamunda Amateur Dramatic Society
‘Night Mother — Old Mill Theatre
Mr Bailey’s Minder — Melville Theatre Company
Third-placed Play
Constellations — Irish Theatre Players
Second-placed Play
A View From The Bridge — The Graduate Dramatic Society
Robert Finley Award for Best Play
Mr. Baileys Minder — Melville Theatre Company
Special Awards
Adjudicators
The Shiela Buchanan Achievement Award
Blake Jenkins
The Yvonne Hough Neilsen Award
Sian Dhu
The Hywell Williams Award for Technical Achievement
Lighting and AV for Constellations — Irish Theatre Players
Make up effects for Macbeth — The Graduate Dramatic Society
Orphanage bedroom set piece for Annie — Roleystone Theatre
Foley artists for It’s a Wonderful Life — Stirling Players
Orchestra mapping and amplification for Urinetown — Melville Theatre Company
The Elizabeth Crewes Award for Front of House
Murray Music and Drama Club
The Yvonne Lynch Breakthrough Award
Tara Oorjitham for musical directing Little Miss Sunshine — Stirling Players
Kai Thorpe for Urinetown — Melville Theatre Company
Sarah Gannon for Oklahoma Jr — Bel Canto Performing Arts
Gina Cataldo for ‘Night Mother — Old Mill Theatre
Callum O’Mara for Romeo and Juliet — Wanneroo Repertory
The Terry Hackett Award for Best Ensemble
Downtown: The Mod Musical — Primadonna Productions
The Anniversary — Darlington Theatre Players
Mr Bailey’s Minder — Melville Theatre Company
Oklahoma Jr — Bel Canto Performing Arts
Wonderful World — Melville Theatre Company
Adjudicators Certificates
For an excellent “well” character, Liam McCormack in Robin Hood and The Babes in the Wood
For a beautifully constructed set piece, the spider’s web in Charlottes Web — Stirling Players
For commitment to character, the band in Rock Of Ages — Koorliny Arts Centre
For commitment to character “the babes”, Indi Thompson and Bella Lambert in Robin Hood and The Babes in the Wood — Primadonna Productions
For attention to characterization in all minor roles, Macbeth — The Graduate Dramatic Society
For the “Paris Original” dresses, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying — Murray Music and Drama Club
For the very clever posters, Side by Side by Sondheim — Playlovers
For the beautiful flowers in the set, Suessical Jr — Living Waters Lutheran College
For commitment to a show above and beyond, playing 3 characters and the stage manager, Val Henry in The Last Cab to Darwin — Old Mill Theatre
For two very different roles in a year and challenging himself, Matthew Jones
For dedication and commitment to character over a sustained 3.5 hour performance, Declan Waters as Henry V in Henry V — Blak Yak Theatre
For a great sense of timing and excellent reactions and rapport, Anita Bound in Silver Linings — Garrick Theatre
For the costumes and wigs in the pageant scene, Lynda Stubbs for Little Miss Sunshine — Stirling Players
For an ‘In the moment’ performance, Matilda Jenkins in Bring It On — Black Box
For its creative solution to a challenging and unconventional venue in its production, Dear Frankie — Grompurph Productions
For a directorial debut that showed skill and promise, Kathleen Del Casale for Death of a Salesman — Wanneroo Repertory Club
For his inspired and effective use of the stage revolve, Les Lee for 100 Lunches — Garrick Theatre
For his sensitive and emotional rendition of Beautiful City, Edan Frazer in Godspell — Harbour Theatre
For their charismatic and engaging performance, the pageant girls in Little Miss Sunshine — Stirling Players
For creating a powerful and engaging on-stage brotherly relationship, Daniel Moxham and Jason Wall Death of Salesman — Wanneroo Repertory Club
For its bold and creative staging and the powerful commitment of its cast to the storyline, A View from the Bridge — The Graduate Dramatic Society