Results of the 46th Annual Robert Finley Awards
Held on 15th January 2022 at Marist Auditorium at Newman College. For the performance year of December 2019 to November 2021.
Featuring performances from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr — Bel Canto Performing Arts, Bette and Joan — Garrick Theatre, Next to Normal — Melville Theatre Company, Into the Woods — Stirling Players, Little Women — Old Mill Theatre
Where nominees are listed, the winners are marked in bold.
Youth Productions
Top Six Youth Productions (In No Particular Order)
The Addams Family Musical: Young@Part — Stirling Players
Oliver Jr — Primmadonna Productions
Oliver Twist — Holy Cross College
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. — Bel Canto Performing Arts
Joesph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat — Bel Canto Performing Arts
Fiddler on the Roof Jr — Primmadonna Productions
The Ailsa Travers Award for Best Youth Production
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. — Bel Canto Performing Arts
Dramafest
Top Six Productions (In No Particular Order)
A Dame Remembers — Melville Theatre Company
Oh, What a Tangled Web! — Wanneroo Repertory
Taking Sides — Melville Theatre Company
Bockey’s Bridge — Irish Theatre Players
These are the Isolate — Darlington Theatre Players
Still Lives — Irish Theatre Players
The Mike Binns Award for Best Director
Suzannah Churchman for Taking Sides — Melville Theatre Company
Denice Byrne for Bockey’s Bridge — Irish Theatre Players
Alan Kennedy for Still Lives — Irish Theatre Players
Jacqui Warner for These Are The Isolate — Darlington Theatre Players
The Rob De Vaack Award for Most Innovative Production
Bockey’s Bridge — Irish Theatre Players
Chinamen — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Oh, What a Tangled Web! — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Taking Sides — Melville Theatre Company
The Peter Kemeny Encouragement Award
Jack Churchman and Bella Freeman in Taking Sides — Melville Theatre Company
The Jenny McNae Adjudicators Award
Noel O’Neill for writing of all six plays in A View From the Park — OId Mill Theatre
The Beryl Silvester Award for Best New Writing
Shirley Toohey for The Heist — Melville Theatre Company
Noel O’Neill for One for Sorrow — Old Mill Theatre
James Forte for Impossible Crime Trainees — Darlington Theatre Players
Sean Byrne for Bockey’s Bridge — Irish Theatre Players
Best Actor
Luke Miller for These Are The Isolate — Darlington Theatre Players
Malcolm Douglas for Daddy’s Little Girl — Old Mill Theatre
Phil Bedworth for Chinamen — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Niall O’Toole for Still Lives — Irish Theatre Players
Best Actress
Marian Byrne for Still Lives — Irish Theatre Players
Susan Lynch for Fourteen — Melville Theatre Company
Mary Del Casale for Bockey’s Bridge — Irish Theatre Players
Jenny Wrenn for A Dame Remembers — Melville Theatre Company
Best Supporting Actress
Madeleine Breheny for Still Lives — Irish Theatre Players
Sarah Christiner for Little Angels — Melville Theatre Company
Candice Preston for Harry’s Bounty — Darlington Theatre Players
Indiana Powell for Taking Sides — Melville Theatre Company
Best Supporting Actor
Jason Crane for A Dame Remembers — Melville Theatre Company
John McPherson for Oh, What a Tangled Web! — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Jason Wall for Taking Sides — Melville Theatre Company
Chris Northover for The Heist — Melville Theatre Company
The Peter Mann Award for Best Costumes
Oh, What a Tangled Web! — Wanneroo Repertory Club
A Dame Remembers — Melville Theatre Company
Fourteen — Melville Theatre Company
Impossible Crime Trainees — Darlington Theatre Players
The Dorothy Barber Award for Best Overall Production
Still Lives — Irish Theatre Players
Adjudication Certificates
For their gentle, layered and beautifully created on-stage relationship, Gail Palmer and Michael Hart in Harry’s Bounty — Darlington Theatre Players
For her impressive directorial debut, Carmen Dohle for Fourteen — Melville Theatre Company
For their adorable and amusing ensemble work as elderly bridge players, Marsha Holt, Julie Holmshaw, Kate Nosworthy and Ellie Cutbush in The Heist — Melville Theatre Company
For two memorable and distinctive characterisations, one as a dying friend and the other as an arrogant playboy director, James Hagan in A View From the Park — Old Mill Theatre
For their all-Australian collection of plays that proved different, insightful and entertaining — Darlington Theatre Players
For cleverly playing multiple characters, Sueanne McCumstie and Phil Bedworth in Chinamen — Wanneroo Repertory
For their magical, almost naïve chemistry, Mary Del Casale and Curig Jenkins in Bockey’s Bridge — Irish Theatre Players
For real-life partners who managed to create different and engaging on-stage relationships:
Luke and Shelly Miller in These Are The Isolate — Darlington Theatre Players
Niall O’Toole and Marian Byrne in Still Lives — Irish Theatre Players
Musicals
Top Six Musicals (In No Particular Order)
Next to Normal — Melville Theatre Company
Mamma Mia! — Koorliny Arts Centre
The Producers — Alexandra Theatre
Twisted — Darlington Theatre Players
Shout — Koorliny Arts Centre
Into the Woods — Stirling Players
The Mary Webb Award for Best Director of a Musical
Kimberley Shaw for Into the Woods — Stirling Players
Stephen Carr for The Producers — Alexandra Theatre
Neroli Sweetman for Little Women — Old Mill Theatre
Brad Tudor for Shout — Koorliny Arts Centre
Brad Tudor for Mamma Mia — Koorliny Arts Centre
Craig Griffen for Next to Normal — Melville Theatre Company
Best Musical Director
Liam House for Into the Woods — Stirling Players
Tara Oorjitham and Grace Johnson for Next to Normal — Melville Theatre Company
Shanica Tudor for Shout — Koorliny Arts Centre
Tara Oorjitham for Footloose — Art in Motion Theatre Company
Kate McIntosh for Mamma Mia — Koorliny Arts Centre
Megan McDonald for The Producers — Alexandra Theatre
Best Choreographer
Ashleigh Winter for The Producers — Alexandra Theatre
Allen Blachford for Mamma Mia — Koorliny Arts Centre
Allen Blachford for Shout — Koorling Arts Centre
Jessica Fowles for The Spongebob Musical — Art in Motion Theatre Company
Tess Howieson for Suessical — Laughing Horse Productions
Ariannah Davis for Twisted — Darlington Theatre Players
Best Actor in a Musical
Matthew Arnold as Leopold Bloom in The Producers — Alexandra Theatre
Laurence Williams as Johnny O’Keefe in Shout — Koorliny Arts Centre
Krispin Maesalu as Horton in Suessical — Laughing Horse Productions
Alex White as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in Jekyll and Hyde — Laughing Horse Productions
Rp van der Westhuizen as Jack in Into the Woods — Stirling Players
Tadhg Lawrence as The Baker in Into the Woods — Stirling Players
Best Actress in a Musical
Elethea Santorelli as Diana in Next to Normal — Melville Theatre Company
Matilda Jenkins as Jo Marsh in Little Women — Old Mill Theatre
Sian Dhu as Bettina Bitjakokov in Song Contest, The Almost Eurovision Experience — Primmadonna Productions
Maree Cole as The Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods — Stirling Players
Lukas Perez as Princess in Twisted — Darlington Theatre Players
Cathy Woodhouse as Donna in Mamma Mia — Koorliny Arts Centre
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical
Tate Bennet as Laurie Laurence in Little Women — Old Mill Theatre
Charlie Darlington as Plankton in The Spongebob Musical — Art in Motion Theatre Company
Paul Treasure as The Narrator and the Mysterious Man in Into the Woods — Stirling Players
Max Gipson as Carmen in The Producers — Alexandra Theatre
Chris Gerrish as Sam Carmichael in Mamma Mia! — Koorliny Arts Centre
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
Samantha Robb as Mother Gotohell in Rapunzel Gets Tangled — Stage Left Theatre Troupe
Gabriella Munro as Ulla in The Producers — Alexandra Theatre
Candice Preston as Achmed in Twisted — Darlington Theatre Players
Erin Craddock as Heather McNamara in Heathers — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Jane Anderson as Thelma O’Keefe in Shout — Koorliny Arts Centre
Grace Johnson as Heather Chandler in Heathers — Wanneroo Repertory Club
The Veronica Overton-Low Award for Youth in a Musical
Cadence Smythe as Amy in Little Women — Old Mill Theatre
Steven Jones as Frederick in Pirates of Penzance Jr — Primmadonna Productions
Joshua Aston as Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr — Bel Canto Performing Arts
James Platel as Baron Bomburst in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr — Bel Canto Performing Arts
Jacob Miles as Gomez Addams in The Addams Family Musical: Young@Part — Stirling Players
Perri Hinton as Morticia Addams in The Addams Family Musical: Young@Part — Stirling Players
The Terry McAuley Award for Best Costumes in a Musical
Marjorie DeCaux for Alice in Wonderland — Darlington Theatre Players
Brad Tudor for Mamma Mia! — Koorliny Arts Centre
Kiri Siva for The Producers — Alexandra Theatre
Lyn Hutcheon for Into the Woods — Stirling Players
Marjorie DeCaux for Twisted — Darlington Theatre Players
Jacinda Jordan for Happy Days — The Murray Music and Drama Club
The Kevan Hook Award for Best Set in a Musical
Wayne Herring for Into the Woods — Stirling Players
Stephen Carr and Peter Carr for The Producers — Alexandra Theatre
Owen Davis for Twisted — Darlington Theatre Players
Brad Tudor for Mamma Mia! — Koorliny Arts Centre
Steven Correia and Peter Bloor for Next to Normal — Melville Theatre Company
George Boyd for Little Women — Old Mill Theatre
Third-placed Musical
The Producers — Alexandra Theatre
Second-placed Musical
Next to Normal — Melville Theatre Company
Robert Finley Award for Best Musical
Into the Woods — Stirling Players
Plays
Top Twelve Plays (In No Particular Order)
Lizzie’s a Darlin’ — Irish Theatre Players
Managing Carmen — Garrick Theatre
The Comedy of Errors — GRADS
The Odd Couple — Old Mill Theatre
Holding the Man — Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia
Incognito — Melville Theatre Company
The Trappe Family — Irish Theatre Players
Old Love — Melville Theatre Company
William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged) — Melville Theatre Company
Bette and Joan — Garrick Theatre
To Kill a Mockingbird — Stirling Players
When the Rain Stops Falling — Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia
The Susan Hayward Award for Best Director of a Play
Brendan Ellis for Incognito — Melville Theatre Company
Vanessa Jensen for William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged) — Melville Theatre Company
Lynne Devenish for Bette and Joan — Garrick Theatre
Hannah Quaden for When the Rain Stops Falling — Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia
Siobhan Vincent for Managing Carmen — Garrick Theatre
Jane Sherwood for To Kill a Mockingbird — Stirling Players
Best Actor in a Play
Tim Claxton as John Caleo in Holding the Man — Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia
Grant Malcolm in Incognito — Melville Theatre Company
Thomas McCracken as Brent Lyall in Managing Carmen — Garrick Theatre
Thomas Dimmick as Mick Thomason in William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged) — Melville Theatre Company
Matthew Jones as Gabriel Law in When the Rain Stops Falling — Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia
Brian O’Donovan as Freddie in The Trappe Family — Irish Theatre Players
Best Actress in a Play
Suzannah Churchman in Incognito — Melville Theatre Company
Caroline McDonnell as Kay in Little Gem — Irish Theatre Players
Sarah House as Joan Crawford in Bette and Joan — Garrick Theatre
Denice Byrne as Kitty in Lizzie’s a Darlin’ — Irish Theatre Players
Siobhan Vincent as Bette Davis in Bette and Joan — Garrick Theatre
Grace Johnson as Eddy Graceton in William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged) — Melville Theatre Company
Best Supporting Actor in a Play
Matthew Jones as Madame Arcarti in Blithe Spirit — Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia
Callum O’Mara as Younger Bud in Old Love — Melville Theatre Company
Aaron O’Neill as Mr Teatime in Hogfather — Roleystone Theatre
Patrick Downes as Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream — Roleystone Theatre
Ashvath Singh Kunadi as Valentine Coverly in Arcadia — Harbour Theatre
Ben Adcock as Lucentio in The Taming of the Shrew — Roleystone Theatre
Best Supporting Actress in a Play
Nichola Renton as Luciana in The Comedy of Errors — GRADS
Nyree Hughes as Elaine Navazio in Last of the Red Hot Lovers — Old Mill Theatre
Elise Kelly as Grumio in The Taming of the Shrew — Roleystone Theatre
Siobhan Vincent as Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest — Garrick Theatre
Louise Moran as Lizzie in Lizzie’s a Darlin’ — Irish Theatre Players
Connie Wetherilt as Jackie Coryton in Hay Fever — Old Mill Theatre
The Terry Hackett Award for Best Ensemble in a Play
When the Rain Stops Falling — Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia
The Comedy of Errors — GRADS
A Midsummer’s Night Dream — Roleystone Theatre
William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged) — Melville Theatre Company
Lizzie’s a Darlin’ — Irish Theatre Players
Quartet — Wanneroo Repertory Club
The Brian Maddocks Award for Youth in a Play
Jennifer Wright as Jean Louise (Scout) Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird — Stirling Players
Therese Topliss in Oliver Twist — Holy Cross College
Josh Peckover in Drinking Habits — Murray Music and Drama Club
Jackson Lucas as Prince John in Robin Hood — Darlington Theatre Players
Lucy Wiese as Thomasina Coverly in Arcadia — Harbour Theatre
Paris Romano Jenner in Trap — Garrick Theatre
The Brenda Stanley Award for Best Costumes in a Play
Marjorie DeCaux for Robin Hood — Darlington Theatre Players
Siobhan Wright for Lizzie’s a Darlin’ — Irish Theatre Players
Marjorie DeCaux for The Importance of Being Ernest — Garrick Theatre
Nicole George for Cosi — Roleystone Theatre
Joan Baskic and Julia Gobbert for Quartet — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Penny Ramsell and Joanne Padgett for The Taming of the Shrew — Roleystone Theatre
The David Crewes Award for Best Set in a Play
Sarah Christiner for Incognito — Melville Theatre Company
Luke Miller for Robin Hood — Darlington Theatre Players
Virginia Moore Price for Dinner — Stirling Players
George Boyd for Lizzie’s a Darlin’ — Irish Theatre Players
Rob Walker for The Sunshine Boys — Rockingham Theatre Company
Peter Neaves for Accidental Death of an Anarchist — Kalamunda Amateur Dramatic Society
Third-placed Play
William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged) — Melville Theatre Company
Second-placed Play
Bette and Joan — Garrick Theatre
Robert Finley Award for Best Play
Incognito — Melville Theatre Company
Special Awards
Adjudicators
The Shiela Buchanan Achievement Award
Harbour Theatre for their response to COVID-19
The Yvonne Hough Neilsen Award
Thomas Dimmick for a series of diverse performance at theatres around Perth
The Yvonne Lynch Breakthrough Award
Brittany Isaia for directing Twisted — Darlington Theatre Players
Jessica Fowles for choreographing The Spongebob Musical — Art in Motion Theatre Company
Ben Adcock for acting in The Taming of the Shrew — Roleystone Theatre
Shanice Tudor for musical directing in Shout — Koorliny Arts Cente
Eve Kennedy for acting in Lizzie’s a Darlin’ — Irish Theatre Players
John McCarthy for acting in The Trappe Family — Irish Theatre Players
The Hywell Williams Award for Technical Achievement
Let the Right One In — Harbour Theatre
Incognito — Melville Theatre Company
Nanna’s Naughty Knickers — The Murray Music and Drama Club
Dinner — Stirling Players
The Naked Truth — Kalamunda Amateur Dramatic Society
Accidental Death of an Anarchist — Kalamunda Amateur Dramatic Society
The Elizabeth Crewes Award for Front of House
Trap — Garrick Theatre
Gasp — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Nanna’s Naughty Knickers — The Murray Music and Drama Club
The Addams Family — Stirling Players
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas — Harbour Theatre
Managing Carmen — Garrick Theatre
The Pauline Lawrence Award for Excellence in Lighting Design
Sarah Connolly for Hogfather — Roleystone Theatre
Robert Tagliaferri for Let the Right One In — Harbour Theatre
Bailey Fellows for Trap — Garrick Theatre
Cat Acres for When the Rain Stops Falling — Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia
John Woolrych for Into the Woods — Stirling Players
Jacob Jensen and Lars Jensen for Incognito — Melville Theatre Company
Adjudicator Certificates
For promoting audience participation with the inventive use of clackers, Song Contest: The Almost Eurovision Experience — Primadonna Productions
For her comic sensibilities and perfect timing as the awkward assistant host, Gemma Little as Katarina Vogbogalov in Song Contest: The Almost Eurovision Experience — Primadonna Productions
For the creative contraptions that helped turn an elderly woman’s apartment into a sexy lingerie boutique, Nana’s Naughty Knickers — Murray Music and Drama Club
For his scene-stealing performance, King the cat Breakfast at Tiffany’s — Harbour Theatre
For helping deliver a musical where the performers showed creative vocal strength, both as individuals and as an ensemble, Jodie Mars Jekyll and Hyde — Laughing Horse Productions
For writing the music that add such emotion and drama, Myles Wright for The Boys in the Band — GRADS
For his versatility playing five significant different characters, Chris McCafferty in Annie — Wanneroo Repertory Club
For their environmentally friendly decision to introduce on-line programs — Irish Theatre Players
For his deftness, endurance and ethereal presence, on stage throughout the entire performance, Paul Treasure as Pete in Almost, Maine — Roleystone Theatre
For their well-drilled and efficient stage crew, Oliver Twist — Holy Cross College
For the innovative construction and design of the quintessential flying car, Mark Lawson for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. — Bel Canto Performing Arts
For his energetic and charismatic performance, Bailey Bridgeman Peters in Mamma Mia — Koorliny Arts Centre
For an impressive debut season in community theatre with a distinctive talent of playing appreciably older women, Ellie Cutbush
For the creativity and sense of fun that underpinned the creation of a flying carpet, Twisted — Darlington Theatre Players
For the theatrical debut of one of the youngest performers in community theatre over the last year, the genetically-rich under one year old Idris Wake
For the splendid and imposing Headless Horseman creation, Jacinda Gordon for Sleepy Hollow — Murray Music and Drama Club
For the scary and provocative atmosphere created throughout, Trap — Garrick Theatre
For including pronouns in their program, Twisted — Darlington Theatre Players
For their engaging interactions with the audience, The Comedy of Errors — GRADS
For her imaginative and immersive portrayal, Tara Talbot as Kaa in Jungle Book — Laughing Horse Productions
For co-writing a full musical from either side of the planet, Bunbury’s Tony Cary and the Netherlands’ Bart Donkers — Bunbury Musical Comedy Group
On-stage Partnerships:
For their engaging and enthralling portrayals of two legends of the Silver Screen, Sarah House and Siobhan Vincent as Joan Crawford and Bette Davis in Bette and Joan — Garrick Theatre
For their ability to create a warm, intimate and intricate relationship without any meaningful direct interactions, Jarrod Buttery and Meredith Hunter as Andy and Melissa in Love Letters — Harbour Theatre
For their restrained and deftly considered on-stage relationship, Callum O’Mara and Sarah Harris as the younger Bud and Molly in Old Love — Melville Theatre Company
For their perfect comedic delivery in depicting a much-loved television partnership, Karen Godfrey and Suzy June Wakeling as the Vicar and Alice in The Vicar of Dibley — Laughing Horse Productions
For building strong and distinctive characters while still nurturing an important on-stage partnership, Robrecht Herfkens and Benjamin Small as Felix Ungar and Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple — Old Mill Theatre
For the rich, sensitive and layered relationship they developed, Matthew Jones and Tim Claxton as Timothy Conigrave and John Caleo in Holding the Man — Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia
For their commitment and genuine on-stage relationship to each other, Siobhan Vincent and Nigel Goodwin as Lily Harrison and Michael Minetti in Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks — Kalamunda Amateur Dramatic Society
Best Pantomime
Robin Hood — Darlington Theatre Players
Rapunzel Gets Tangled — Stage Left Theatre Troupe
Snow White and the Seven Christmas Elves — Roxy Lane Theatre
Jack and the Beanstalk — Wanneroo Repertory Club
A Christmas Wish — Irish Theatre Players
Treasure Island — Garrick Theatre