Results of the 45th Annual Robert Finley Awards
Held on the 18th January 2020 at the Heath Ledger Theatre as the State Theatre Centre. For the performance year of December 2018 to November 2019.
Featuring performances from Kinky Boots — Wanneroo Repertory, August: Osage County — Playlovers, Fiddler on the Roof Jr — Bel Canto Performing Arts, Ladies in Black — Playlovers, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe — Koorliny Arts Centre, The Boy from Oz — Koorliny Arts Centre.
Where nominees are listed, the winners are marked in bold.
Youth Productions
Top Five Youth Productions (In No Particular Order)
Agatha Rex — Garrick Theatre
Fiddler on the Roof Jr — Bel Canto Performing Arts
The Snow Queen — Art in Motion Theatre Company
Spamalot Jr — Primmadonna Productions
Guys and Dolls — Peter Carnley Anglican Community College
The Ailsa Travers Award for Best Youth Production
Fiddler on the Roof Jr — Bel Canto Performing Arts
DramaFest
The Mike Binns Award for Best Director
Kim Angus for Kinetics — BobbleHead Nanna Productions
Dale James for A Yearning for Home — Irish Theatre Players
Chris McRae for At Ten the Time Will Be — Darlington Theatre Players
The Rob De Vaack Award for Most Innovative Production
At Ten the Time Will Be — Darlington Theatre Players
Kinetics — BobbleHead Nanna Productions
Brothers Grimm Spectacular — Darlington Theatre Players
The Peter Kemeny Encouragement Award
Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia
The Jenny McNae Adjudicators Award
Ursula Johnson
The Beryl Silvester Award for Best New Writing
James Forte for At Ten the Time Will Be — Darlington Theatre Players
Sean Byrne for A Yearning for Home — Irish Theatre Players
Bob Charteris for Lady Willpower — Stirling Players
Best Actor
Matthew Manning in Kinetics — BobbleHead Nanna Productions
Sean Wcislo as Assistant in At Ten the Time Will Be — Darlington Theatre Players
Michael Allen in A Talk at the Park — Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia
Best Actress
Natalie Burbage in Kinetics — BobbleHead Nanna Productions
Irma McCullen as Maddie in Blood on Canvas — Kalamunda Amateur Dramatic Society
Christine Gribble as Stella in Blood on Canvas — Kalamunda Amateur Dramatic Society
Best Supporting Actress
Audrey Poor in Between Mouthfuls — Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia
Rachel Caltrone as Anna in Lady Willpower — Stirling Players
Karin Stafflund in Kinetics — BobbleHead Nanna Productions
Best Supporting Actor
Elias Cuzens as Tim in The Greening of Grace — Stirling Players
Mark Tilly as Stephen in No Room to Party — Irish Theatre Players
Peter Shaw in Kinetics — BobbleHead Nanna Productions
The Peter Mann Award for Best Costumes
Brothers Grimm Spectacular — Darlington Theatre Players
Grace and Willpower — Stirling Players
No Room To Party — Irish Theatre Players
The Dorothy Barber Award for Best Overall Production
Kinetics — BobbleHead Nanna Productions
Musicals
The Mary Webb Award for Best Director of a Musical
Brad Tudor for The Boy from Oz — Koorliny Arts Centre
Katherine Freind for Elf Jr — Old Mill Theatre
Tyler Eldridge for John and Jen — Stirling Players
David Nelson and Jane Anderson for Kinky Boots — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Joe Isaia for Les Misérables — Darlington Theatre Players
Best Musical Director
Taui Pinker for The Boy from Oz — Koorliny Arts Centre
Liam Gobbert for John and Jen — Stirling Players
Tara Oorjitham for Les Misérables — Darlington Theatre Players
Chadwick Beins for Band Geeks — Black Box Performing Arts
Maddy Innes and Taui Pinker for Kinky Boots — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Best Choreographer
Allen Blachford for The Boy from Oz — Koorliny Arts Centre
Ashleigh Winter for Clue the Musical — Phoenix Theatre Company
Dixie Johnston for Kinky Boots — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Matilda Jenkins for Fiddler on the Roof Jr — Bel Canto Performing Arts
Madeleine Shaw for Ladies in Black — Playlovers
Best Actor in a Musical
Manuao TeAotonga as Lola in Kinky Boots — Koorliny Arts Centre
Paul Hayward as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables — Darlington Theatre Players
Mark Thompson as Fagin in Oliver! — Laughing Horse Productions
Jesse Angus as Peter Allen in The Boy from Oz — Koorliny Arts Centre
Chris Gerrish as Javert in Les Misérables — Darlington Theatre Players
Best Actress in a Musical
Georgia McGivern as Nancy in Oliver! — Laughing Horse Productions
Claudia van Zeller as Magda in Ladies in Black — Playlovers
Tayah Crothers as Laura in Band Geeks — Black Box Performing Arts
Stephanie Hickey as Jen in John and Jen — Stirling Players
Elethea Sartorelli as Liza Minnelli in The Boy from Oz — Koorliny Arts Centre
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical
Thomas Dimmick as Enjolras in Les Misérables — Darlington Theatre Players
Lincoln Tapping as Snail in A Year With Frog and Toad — Mind the Change
Callum Presbury in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee — Roleystone Theatre
Nic Millar as Marius in Les Misérables — Darlington Theatre Players
George O’Doherty as Franz Kilinemann in Rock of Ages — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
Marli van der Bijl as Cosette in Les Misérables — Darlington Theatre Players
Natalie Burbage as Marion Woolnough in The Boy from Oz — Koorliny Arts Centre
Helen Kerr as Patty in Ladies in Black — Playlovers
Sian Dhu in Snow White — Primmadonna Productions
Dixie Johnston as Lauren in Kinky Boots — Wanneroo Repertory Club
The Veronica Overton-Low Award for Youth in a Musical
Patrick O’Donoghue as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof Jr — Bel Canto Performing Arts
Mia Duploc as Golde in Fiddler on the Roof Jr — Bel Canto Performing Arts
Blake Jenkins as Elliot Goodman in Band Geeks — Black Box Performing Arts
Angus Thompson as Young Peter Allenin The Boy from Oz — Koorliny Arts Centre
Stephanie Shaw as Lisa in Ladies in Black — Playlovers
The Terry McAuley Award for Best Costumes in a Musical
Kinky Boots — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Ladies in Black — Playlovers
Les Misérables — Darlington Theatre Players
Clue the Musical — Phoenix Theatre Company
The Boy from Oz — Koorliny Arts Centre
The Kevan Hook Award for Best Set in a Musical
Kinky Boots — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Clue the Musical — Phoenix Theatre Company
Les Misérables — Darlington Theatre Players
Beauty and the Beast — Ellenbrook Theatre
John and Jen — Stirling Players
Third-placed Musical
Les Misérables — Darlington Theatre Players
Second-placed Musical
Kinky Boots — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Robert Finley Award for Best Musical
The Boy from Oz — Koorliny Arts Centre
Plays
The Susan Hayward Award for Best Director of a Play
Barry Park for August: Osage County — Playlovers
Siobhan Vincent for Popcorn — Garrick Theatre
Craig Griffen for The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe — Koorliny Arts Centre
Geoffrey Leeder for Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks — Melville Theatre
Jon Lambert for Driving Miss Daisy — Koorliny Arts Centre
Best Actor in a Play
Judd Milner as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice — The Graduate Dramatic Society
Alan Kennedy as William in The Night Watchman — Melville Theatre Company
Geoff Miethe as Frederick Delius in Delius — Kalamunda Amateur Dramatic Society
Peter Clark as Garry Essendine in Present Laughter — Old Mill Theatre
Manuao TeAotonga as Michael Minetti in Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks — Melville Theatre Company
Best Actress in a Play
Chandra Wyatt as Violet Weston in August: Osage County — Playlovers
Suzannah Churchman as Miss Daisy in Driving Miss Daisy — Koorliny Arts Centre
Grace Edwards as Portia in The Merchant of Venice — The Graduate Dramatic Society
Marian Byrne as Ma in Da — Irish Theatre Players
Suzannah Churchman as Lily Harrison in Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks — Melville Theatre Company
Best Supporting Actor in a Play
Tim Presant as Wayne Hudson in Popcorn — Garrick Theatre
Ben Small as Boolie Werthan in Driving Miss Daisy — Koorliny Arts Centre
David Cotgreave as Charlie in August: Osage County — Playlovers
Craig Menner as Sir John Middleton in Sense and Sensibility — Melville Theatre Company
Thomas Dimmick as Roland Maule — Old Mill Theatre
Best Supporting Actress in a Play
Susan Lynch as Mrs Jennings in Sense and Sensibility — Melville Theatre Company
Sjaan Lucas as Scout in Popcorn — Garrick Theatre
Siobhan Vincent in Salonika — Garrick Theatre
Sally Barendse as Barbara in August: Osage County — Playlovers
Nyree Hughes as Liz in Present Laughter — Old Mill Theatre
The Brian Maddocks Award for Youth in a Play
Jacob Miles as Peter in The Man Who Was Peter Pan — Old Mill Theatre
Steven Ozanne as Chuck in After You’ve Gone — Old Mill Theatre
Felix Malcolm as Troy in Hotel Sorrento — Harbour Theatre
Nicola Kinnane as Dr Creon in Agatha Rex — Garrick Theatre
James Ford as Tom Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie — The Graduate Dramatic Society
The Brenda Stanley Award for Best Costumes in a Play
Present Laughter — Old Mill Theatre
Sense and Sensibility — Melville Theatre Company
Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks — Melville Theatre Company
House of Dracula — Garrick Theatre
Managing Carmen — Harbour Theatre
The David Crewes Award for Best Set in a Play
August: Osage County — Playlovers
Picnic at Hanging Rock — Darlington Theatre Players
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe — Koorliny Arts Centre
Sense and Sensibility — Melville Theatre Company
Arsenic and Old Love — Darlington Theatre Players
Third-placed Play
Popcorn — Garrick Theatre
Second-placed Play
Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks — Melville Theatre Company
Robert Finley Award for Best Play
August: Osage County — Playlovers
Special Awards
The Shiela Buchanan Achievement Award
Primadonna Productions
The Yvonne Hough Neilsen Award
Myles Wright, musical creativity in August: Osage County and TheGlass Menagerie
The Hywell Williams Award for Technical Achievement
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe — Koorliny Arts Centre
Ghost Train — Harbour Theatre
The Glass Menagerie — The Graduate Dramatic Society
Popcorn — Garrick Theatre
John and Jen — Stirling Players
The Elizabeth Crewes Award for Front of House for a Musical
Popcorn — Garrick Theatre
The Terry Hackett Award for Best Ensemble
Picnic at Hanging Rock — Darlington Theatre Players
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee — Roleystone Theatre
The Glass Menagerie — The Graduate Dramatic Society
Agatha Rex — Garrick Theatre
Puss in Boots — Garrick Theatre
The Yvonne Lynch Breakthrough Award
Erik Bibaeff for Driving Miss Daisy — Koorliny Arts Centre
Jon Lambert for Driving Miss Daisy — Koorliny Arts Centre
Emillie Rivalland for Cinderella — Murray Music and Drama Club
Jessica Brooke for Shrine — Melville Theatre
Matthew Jones for Present Laughter — Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia
Adjudicators Certificates
For on stage partnership, Kerry Goode and Jacque Warner in Arsenic and Old Lace — Darlington Theatre Players
For onstage monologue to start, Martyn Churcher in August: Osage County — Playlovers
For the Beavers, Aaron O’Neil and Katie E Williams in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe — Koorliny Arts Centre
For creating a villain to be the perfect image of Donald Trump, Puss in Boots — Garrick Theatre
For the security guard, Rowan Marley in Elf Jr — Old Mill Theatre
For the theatrical style, The Glass Menagerie — The Graduate Dramatic Society
For on stage chemistry, Tim Presant and Sjaan Lucas in Popcorn — Garrick Theatre
For his trilogy of roles in the year, George O’Doherty
The Chorus in Sense and Sensibility — Melville Theatre Company
For continuing to perform with a broken arm, Guy Jackson in Chorus of Disapproval — Darlington Theatre Players
For stepping in as late replacement, John Taylor as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables — Darlington Theatre Players
For his work designing three sets, Owen Davis
Lara Brunini and Peter Neaves in Ten Quid — Stirling Theatre
The Greek Chorus in Agatha Rex — Garrick Theatre
For their management of a small stage, Da — Irish Theatre Players
For maintaining character, Flynn Creelman as Lurch in The Addams Family Musical: Young@Part — Primmadonna Productions
For community engagement, Althea Gordon for A Year With Frog and Toad — Mind the Change
For their ensemble performance, Michael Nichols, Alec Federer, Charlie Young and Jacob Miles in The Man Who Was Peter Pan — Old Mill Theatre
For their cup routine, The cast of Puss in Boots — Garrick Theatre
For successfully coping with costume and character, Declan Waters in Managing Carmen — Garrick Theatre