Break a leg! The Manchester Theatre Awards nominations are announced.

So, 'break a leg'. One of the most over-used phrases in this business we call 'show'. It gets bandied about as soon as anyone goes anywhere near a stage. But where's it from and why do we say it?

Here at Time Out Manchester central, where there's a bit of a theatrical bent, we think we know. In fact we're SURE we know. Probably. 

We'll post our theory on Facebook later today and you can tell us if you have some opposing etymology...

Anyway, each year, the Manchester Theatre Awards celebrates the best in our stage bound, site specific, locally produced, touring theatre productions in the city region over an award-ceremony bum-numbing 20 categories.

2014 saw some brilliant stuff come our way and this round of nominations sees the Royal Exchange and Octagon Theatre in Bolton doing very well indeed, with all nominations in the Supporting Actress category going to Royal Exchange productions.

Great to see the initial productions for HOME getting nods, with Angel Meadow in strong contention for Best Production. 

The awards are voted for by the region's top critics, 11 of them in all, and the ceremony will be at the RNCM on Fri Mar 13. Tickets for the public are limited but can be booked at via the venue here.

The nominations in the main categories are:

Best Actor
Rob Edwards - Duet For One and Separation at the Bolton Octagon Theatre 
Michael Hugo - Around The World In 80 Days at the Royal Exchange
Harry McEntire - Billy Liar at the Royal Exchange
Dan Parr - Britannia Waves The Rules, at the Royal Exchange
Michael Shelford - Early One Morning at the Bolton Octagon Theatre

Best Actress
Clare Foster - Duet For One and Separation at the Bolton Octagon Theatre 
Natalie Grady - Hobson’s Choice at the Bolton Octagon Theatre
Suranne Jones - Orlando at the Royal Exchange
Maxine Peake - Hamlet at the Royal Exchange
Lauren Samuels - Love Story at the Bolton Octagon Theatre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
David Birrell - Journey’s End at the Bolton Octagon Theatre
Colin Connor - Early One Morning at the Bolton Octagon Theatre
Daragh O’Malley - Cat On A Hot Tin Roof at the Royal Exchange
Michael Shelford - Hobson’s Choice at the Bolton Octagon Theatre
Nuno Silva -  Little Shop Of Horrors at the Royal Exchange

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Claire Benedict - Hamlet at the Royal Exchange
Gillian Bevan - Hamlet at the Royal Exchange
Molly Gromadzki - Orlando at the Royal Exchange
Katie Moore - Billy Liar at the Royal Exchange

Best Actor in a Visiting Production
Joshua Jenkins - The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time at The Lowry
Robert Lindsay - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Opera House
Cassidy Little -  The Two Worlds Of Charlie F at the Opera House
Steven Miller - Shakespeare’s Othello at The Lowry
Antony Sher - Henry IV Parts I and II at The Lowry
Al Weaver - The Pride at the Opera House

Best Actress in a Visiting Production
Jane Asher - Moon Tiger at The Lowry
Emily Butterfield - An August Bank Holiday Lark at Oldham Coliseum
Lisa Dwan - Not I, Footfalls and Rockaby at The Lowry
Katherine Kingsley - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Opera House
Emma Williams - Annie Get Your Gun at the Opera House

Best Production
Angel Meadow, directed by Louise Lowe and company for ANU Productions and HOME, at Edinburgh Castle, Ancoats
Around The World In 80 Days, directed by Theresa Heskins, for the Royal Exchange
Close The Coalhouse Door, directed by Kevin Shaw for Oldham Coliseum
Journey’s End, directed by David Thacker for Bolton Octagon Theatre
Romeo And Juliet, directed by Walter Meierjohann for HOME, at Victoria Baths
Separation, directed by Elizabeth Newman for Bolton Octagon Theatre

Best Visiting Production
The Curious Incident Of the Dog In The Night-Time, from the National Theatre at The Lowry
The Events, from Actors Touring Company, at Number One First Street
Not I, Footfalls and Rockaby, from the Royal Court Theatre at The Lowry
The Pride, from Jamie Lloyd Productions at the Opera House
Shakespeare’s Othello, from Frantic Assembly at The Lowry

The Brynteg Award for Best Musical
20th Century Boy at the Opera House
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Opera House
Jersey Boys at the Palace Theatre
Little Shop Of Horrors at the Royal Exchange
Love Story at the Bolton Octagon Theatre

Opera
Götterdämmerung, from Opera North at The Lowry
Life On The Moon, from English Touring Opera at Buxton Opera House
The Coronation Of Poppea, from Opera North at The Lowry
The Girl Of The Golden West, from Opera North at The Lowry
The Jacobin, from Buxton Festival at Buxton Opera House

Best Ensemble
Alice In Wonderland at the Bolton Octagon Theatre
Angel Meadow at HOME, the Edinburgh Castle, Ancoats
Close The Coalhouse Door at Oldham Coliseum
Romeo And Juliet at HOME, Victoria Baths
This May Hurt A Bit by Out Of Joint Theatre Company at the Bolton Octagon Theatre

Best Special Entertainment
Barry Humphries, in Eat, Pray, Laugh at the Opera House
Best of BE Festival, at Number One First Street
Cirque Berserk, at The Lowry
In The Night Garden, at the Trafford Centre
Robin Cousins’ Ice, at The Lowry

Any of your favourites missed out? Rufus Hound in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels? Did Little Shop of Horrors deserve more? Did Maxine Peake your interest as Hamlet? (enough!).

See Time Out's list of Best Theatres in Manchester.