The 47th Annual Robert Finley Award Results
Held on 14th January 2023 at the Marist Auditorium at Newman College. For the performance year of December 2021 to November 2022.
Featuring performances from 42nd Street — Wanneroo Repertory Club, Things I Know To Be True — Melville Theatre Company, Singin’ in the Rain — Koorliny Arts Centre, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest — Darlington Theatre Players, Curtains — Koorliny Arts Centre
Where nominees are listed, the winners are marked in bold.
Special Awards
ITA Committee
Hall of Fame
Michael Hart
Brian Mahoney
Bree Hartley
Kent Acott
Adjudicators
The Shiela Buchanan Achievement Award
Kieran Ridgway
The Yvonne Hough Neilsen Award
Ursula Kotara
The Yvonne Lynch Breakthrough Award
Ellis R Kinnear for Directing for Radium Girls — Old Mill Theatre
Aimee-Rose Keppler for acting in The Grand Duke — The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of WA
Samantha Ashman for Musical Directing Freaky Friday — Stirling Players
Lea Latham for acting in Ladies in Black — Goldfields Repertory Club
Jordan Jones for acting in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest — Darlington Theatre Players
The Hywell Williams Award for Technical Achievement
The Ghost Train — Murray Music and Drama Club
The Fully Monty — Wanneroo Repertory Club
The Ladykillers — Harbour Theatre
The Tempest — Roleystone Theatre
Frankenstein — Stage Left Theatre Troupe
The Pauline Lawrence Award for Excellence in Lighting Design
John Woolrych for Radium Girls — Old Mill Theatre
Lars Jensen for Things I Know To Be True — Melville Theatre Company
Shelly Miller for One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest — Darlington Theatre Players
Chloe Palliser for School of Rock — Koorliny Arts Centre
Fiona Reid for My Mother Said I Never Should — Playlovers
The Elizabeth Crewes Award for Front of House
Female Transport — Goldfields Repertory Club
Singin’ in the Rain Jr — Bel Canto Performing Arts
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest — Darlington Theatre Players
Dracula: A Comic Thriller — Garrick Theatre Club
Heroes — Darlington Theatre Players
The Terry Hackett Award for Best Ensemble
Pack of Lies — Wanneroo Repertory Club
In Sight of the Sea — Harbour Theatre
Radium Girls — Old Mill Theatre
Ghosts — Melville Theatre Company
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest — Darlington Theatre Players
Youth Productions
Top Five Youth productions (In No Particular Order)
Chicago — Wanneroo Secondary College
Getting to Know Oklahoma! — Primadonna Productions
Heroes — Darlington Theatre Players
Anne of Green Gables — Stirling Players
Singin’ in the Rain Jr — Bel Canto Performing Arts
The Ailsa Travers Award for Best Youth Production
Heroes — Darlington Theatre Players
One Acts
Adjudicator Certificates
For creative and realistic makeup to make young people look old, Aunt Leaf — Garrick Theatre
For innovative and realistic makeup to make old people look young, A Long Trip — Darlington Theatre Players
For promoting and encouraging first-time directors during its one-act season — Garrick Theatre
For promoting and encouraging first-time directors during its one-act season — Darlington Theatre Players
Top Five One Act Productions (In No Particular Order)
No Boarding — Darlington Theatre Players
Fluff — Stirling Players
Dilate — Irish Theatre Players
A Long Trip — Darlington Theatre Players
The Dumb Waiter — Irish Theatre Players
The Mike Binns Award for Best Director of a One Act
Jane Sherwood for Fluff — Stirling Players
Dale James for Pulling Weeds — Stirling Players
Dales James for Dilate — Irish Theatre Players
The Rob De Vaack Award for Most Innovative One Act
Aunt Leaf — Garrick Theatre
Don’t Fear the Reaper — Garrick Theatre
No Dying in the House — Darlington Theatre Players
The Peter Kemeny Encouragement Award in a One Act
Rebecca McRae
The Jenny McNae Adjudicators Award in a One Act
Sean Wcislo
The Beryl Silvester Award for Best New Writing in a One Act
Yvette Wall for Pulling Weeds — Stirling Players
Yvette Wall for Dilate — Irish Theatre Players
Sean Byrne for The Plan — Irish Theatre Players
The Peter Mann Award for Best Costumes in a One Act
Fluff — Stirling Players
A Long Trip — Darlington Theatre Players
Kirsten Harron and Claire Wynne for The Dumb Waiter — Irish Theatre Players
Best Actor in a One Act
Shivas Lindsay as Gus in The Dumb Waiter — Irish Theatre Players
Adrian Mills as Ben in The Dumb Waiter — Irish Theatre Players
Michael Balmer as Joe in Pulling Weeds — Stirling Players
Best Actress in a One Act
Candice Preston as Passenger in Now Boarding — Darlington Theatre Players
Lara Brunini as Sally in Fluff — Stirling Players
Nikitta Poplar as Marnie in Dilate — Irish Theatre Players
Best Supporting Actor in a One Act
Christopher Steicke as Younger Man in A Long Trip — Darlington Theatre Players
Mason Allen as Uncle Leaf in Aunt Leaf — Garrick Theatre
Chris McRae as Friend in No Dying in the House — Darlington Theatre Players
Best Supporting Actress in a One Act
Riane Lake as Bec in Dilate — Irish Theatre Players
Ellien van Heerwaarden as Satan in Don’t Fear the Reaper — Garrick Theatre
Kate Elder as Alice in Fluff — Stirling Players
The Dorothy Barber Award for Best One Act Production
Fluff — Stirling Players
Musicals
Top Five Musicals (In No Particular Order)
School of Rock — Koorliny Arts Centre
Curtains — Koorliny Arts Centre
The Marvellous Wonderettes — Primadonna Productions
My Fair Lady — Alexandra Theatre
42nd Street — Wanneroo Repertory Club
The Mary Webb Award for Best Director of a Musical
Drew Anthony for 42nd Street — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Stephen Carr for School of Rock — Koorliny Arts Centre
Natalie Husk for My Fair Lady — Alexandra Theatre
Carole Dhu for The Marvellous Wonderettes — Primmadonna Productions
Kimberley Shaw for Curtains — Koorliny Arts Centre
Best Musical Director
Taui Pinker and Tara Oorjitham for Curtains — Koorliny Arts Centre
Samantha Ashman for Freaky Friday — Stirling Players
Shaun Davis and Maddison Moulin for The Spongebob Musical — Alexandra Theatre
Megan Anne for School of Rock — Koorliny Arts Centre
Taui Pinker and Madeleine Innes for My Fair Lady — Alexandra Theatre
Best Choreographer
Drew Anthony for 42nd Street — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Alysha Cheetham-Taylor for Chicago — Wanneroo Secondary College
Ashleigh Winter for School of Rock — Koorliny Arts Centre
Connie Wetherilt for Curtains — Koorliny Arts Centre
Chloe Palliser for My Fair Lady — Alexandra Theatre
Best Actor in a Musical
Mark Thompson as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady — Alexandra Theatre
Callum Presbury as Dewey Finn in School of Rock — Koorliny Arts Centre
Joshua Hollander as Spongebob Squarepants in The Spongebob Musical — Alexandra Theatre
Timothy Tyrie as Lieutenant Frank Cioffi in Curtains — Koorliny Arts Centre
David Wallace as Julian Marsh in 42nd Street — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Best Actress in a Musical
Grace Edwards as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady — Alexandra Theatre
Rachel Monamy as Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Belinda Butler as Julia Jellicoe in The Grand Duke — The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of WA
Grace Johnson as Rosalie Mullins in School of Rock — Koorliny Arts Centre
Lucy Eyre as Carmen Bernstein in Curtains — Koorliny Arts Centre
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical
Christopher Alvaro as Christopher Belling in Curtains — Koorliny Arts Centre
Riley Merrigan as Patrick Star in The Spongebob Musical — Alexandra Theatre
Thomas Matthews as Adam in Freaky Friday — Stirling Players
Artemis Lockyer as Terk in Tarzan – The Stage Musical — Laughing Horse Productions
Jamie Rolton as Andy Lee in 42nd Street — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
Natasha Cove as Anytime Annie in 42nd Street — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Renee Bickford as Kala in Tarzan – The Stage Musical — Laughing Horse Productions
Alyssa Burton as Chorn in Firebringer — Melville Theatre Company
Grace Johnson as Georgia Hendricks in Curtains — Koorliny Arts Centre
Asha Perry as Patty Di Marco in School of Rock — Koorliny Arts Centre
The Veronica Overton-Low Award for Youth in a Musical
Mary Carter as Lina Lamont in Singin’ in the Rain Jr — Bel Canto Performing Arts
Kyan Matthews as Bily Lawlor in 42nd Street — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Jennifer Wright as Anne in Anne of Green Gables — Stirling Players
Jorja Austin as Roxie Hart in Chicago — Wanneroo Secondary College
Chris Walker as Amos Hart in Chicago — Wanneroo Secondary College
The Terry McAuley Award for Best Costumes in a Musical
Lyn Hutcheon for Curtains — Koorliny Arts Centre
Katie Williams for 42nd Street — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Sheryl Gale and Emma-lee Sinclair for Tarzan – The Stage Musical — Laughing Horse Productions
Carole Dhu for The Marvellous Wonderettes — Primmadonna Productions
Veronica Hudson and Gail Reading for The Grand Duke — The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of WA
The Kevan Hook Award for Best Set in a Musical
Stephen and Peter Carr for School of Rock — Koorliny Arts Centre
Adam Salathiel for Tarzan – The Stage Musical — Laughing Horse Productions
Dene Jones for The Spongebob Musical — Alexandra Theatre
George Boyd for Singin’ in the Rain Jr — Bel Canto Performing Arts
Dave Browning, Roger Oakes and Richard Tudge for 42nd Street — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Third-placed Musical
My Fair Lady — Alexandra Theatre
Second-placed Musical
42nd Street — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Robert Finley Award for Best Musical
Curtains — Koorliny Arts Centre
PLAYS
Top Ten Plays (In No Particular Order)
Beautiful Thing — Old Mill Theatre
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest — Darlington Theatre Players
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? — Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia
Radium Girls — Old Mill Theatre
Pack of Lies — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Ghosts — Melville Theatre Company
My Mother Said I Never Should — Playlovers
In Sight of the Sea — Harbour Theatre
Things I Know to be True — Melville Theatre Company
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot — Irish Theatre Players
The Susan Hayward Award for Best Director of a Play
Chris McRae for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest — Darlington Theatre Players
Vanessa Jensen for Things I Know To Be True — Melville Theatre Company
Thomas Dimmick for Ghosts — Melville Theatre Company
Brendan Ellis for The Last Days of Judas Iscariot — Irish Theatre Players
Alida Chaney for My Mother Said I Never Should — Playlovers
Best Actor in a Play
Brett Hamilton as Arthur Roeder in Radium Girls — Old Mill Theatre
Brian O’Donovan as Judas in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot — Irish Theatre Players
Grant Malcom as Pastor Manders in Ghosts — Melville Theatre Company
Matthew Jones as George in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? — Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia
Luke Miller as Randle P. McMurphy in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest — Darlington Theatre Players
Best Actress in a Play
Natalie Burbage as Fran Price Things I Know to be True — Melville Theatre Company
Emily Howe as Jackie in My Mother Said I Never Should — Playlovers
Stacey Broomhead as Sandra in Beautiful Thing — Old Mill Theatre
Shirley Toohey as Mrs Wilberforce in The Ladykillers — Harbour Theatre
Kate O’Sullivan as Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest — Darlington Theatre Players
Best Supporting Actor in a Play
Thomas McCracken as Mark Price in Things I Know to be True — Melville Theatre Company
Grant Malcolm as Butch in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot — Irish Theatre Players
Felix Malcolm as Osvald Alving in Ghosts — Melville Theatre Company
Sean Wcislo as Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest — Darlington Theatre Players
Ben Adcock as Ariel in The Tempest — Roleystone Theatre
Best Supporting Actress in a Play
Jennifer McGrath as Fury in When Dad Married Fury — Garrick Theatre
Orla Poole as Leah in Beautiful Thing — Old Mill Theatre
Esté Breytenbach as Kenny Carter in The Removalists — Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia
Connie Wetherilt as Regine Engstrand in Ghosts — Melville Theatre Company
Kate Manson as Satan in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot — Irish Theatre Players
The Brian Maddocks Award for Youth in a Play
Steven Jones as Teddie Deakin in The Ghost Train — Murray Music and Drama Club
Max Ernest Hingston in The Importance of Being Ernest — Roxy Lane Theatre
Lewis Wagstaff in A Christmas Carol — Harbour Theatre
Felix Steinwandel in Heroes — Darlington Theatre Players
Keaton Humphreys in Heroes — Darlington Theatre Players
The Brenda Stanley Award for Best Costumes in a Play
Marjorie DeCaux for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest — Darlington Theatre Players
Margaret Wilson, Natalie Burbage and Alida Chaney for My Mother Said I Never Should — Playlovers
Jane Tero for Romeo and Juliet — GRADS
Michelle Sharp for Ghosts — Melville Theatre Company
Merri Ford for French Without Tears — GRADS
The David Crewes Award for Best Set in a Play
Alex McLennan and Alida Chaney for My Mother Said I Never Should — Playlovers
Gordon Park for Pack of Lies — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Phil Bedworth for The Full Monty — Wanneroo Repertory Club
Luke and Shelly Miller for Heroes — Darlington Theatre Players
Gary Wetherilt for One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest — Darlington Theatre Players
Third-placed Play
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest — Darlington Theatre Players
Second-placed Play
My Mother Said I Never Should — Playlovers
The Robert Finley Award for Best Play
Things I Know To Be True — Melville Theatre Company
Adjudicator Certificates
For choreographing aggressive and realistic fight scenes, Nastassja Kruger in Romeo and Juliet — GRADS
For his sensitive, yet significant didgeridoo playing, Bradley Jeffrey in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest — Darlington Theatre Players
For writing a poignant and effective play that proved as insightful as it was entertaining, Lis Hoffman and Phil Jeng Kane for In Sight of the Sea — Harbour Theatre
For the richness of his set design that paid appropriate homage to legendary local director Raymond Omodei, Jake Newby for Three Tall Women — Garrick Theatre
For being convincingly unconscious for most of the show, Carole Dhu in The Ghost Train — Murray Music and Drama Club.
For being convincingly dead for most of the show, Michael Rogers in Lucky Stiff —Primadonna Productions.
For playing long-term asylum residents who added to the creative authenticity of the setting, Michael Hart and Ray Egan in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest —Darlington Theatre Players
For their convincing and nuanced partnership as troubled housemates Adam and Tobey, Henry Freeman-Dick and Joe Haworth in In Sight of the Sea — Harbour Theatre
For creating a believable and intimate on-stage courtship and romance despite very limited preparations and rehearsals, Cooper Gray and Felix Malcolm in Beautiful Thing — Old Mill Theatre.
For using skill, commitment and deftness to ensure a 140-year-old play had contemporary audience appeal, Ghosts — Melville Theatre Company
For the high quality of their singing, interactions and characterisations, Caris Reid, Sian Wake, Bella Lambert and Gemma Little in The Marvellous Wonderettes — Primadonna Productions
For his creative and impressive sound design that included voices from notable community theatre identities, Alan Gill for The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race — Melville Theatre Company
For perfect blocking and staging to accommodate “dead people” who could be seen by some characters but not by others, director Carryn McLean for Rose & Walsh — Stirling Players
For an extraordinarily mesmerising monologue as the heartbroken Butch, Grant Malcolm in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot — Irish Theatre Players
For the creative use of film to enhance the imaginative stories of a young boy, Heroes — Darlington Theatre Players
For using simple techniques to create a set with the look and feel of an apartment, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? — Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia
For her acting growth across multiple roles, Orla Poole
For being able to combine great musical skills with an ability to act and sing, Jack Dudek, Tuppence Cornelius, Ash Brady and Logan Bin Bakar in School of Rock — Koorliny Arts Centre
For using a QR-code to provide audiences with additional information about this engrossing real-life story, Pack of Lies — Wanneroo Repertory Club
For exceptional harmonies that belied their age, the ensemble in Oklahoma Jr — Primadonna Productions
Best Pantomime
Cinderella – The Slightly Deviated Version — Irish Theatre Players
Humpty Dumpty: The Egg’s Files — Bunbury Musical Comedy Group
Dick Whittington — GRADS
The Wizard of Oz — Roxy Lane Theatre