Sydney Theatre Company's starry revival of Martin McDonagh's The Beauty Queen of Leenane will be facing off Belvoir's landmark production of Counting and Cracking at this year's Sydney Theatre Awards. The two productions have dominated the nominations for mainstage plays at the critic-voted awards, recognising the best shows across the city in 2019.
Both are up for Best Mainstage Production, against two shows from Griffin Theatre Company: First Love is the Revolution and Prima Facie. Beauty Queen's Yael Stone and Noni Hazlehurst – who go head-to-head every night on stage – are both up for Best Female Actor in a Mainstage Production, alongside two actors who turned in spectacular performances in solo plays: Sheridan Harbridge for Prima Facie and Shakira Clanton for The Weekend.
Inventive small-scale productions of American Psycho and HMS Pinafore (both of which played the Hayes Theatre) scored the most nominations of any musicals, while Angels in America is the show to beat in the independent theatre categories. It's competing for Best Independent Production against The Happy Prince, John and Krapp's Last Tape.
Read our reviews of the shows that scored the most nominations:
The Beauty Queen of Leenane - 10 nominations
Counting and Cracking - 9 nominations
American Psycho - 9 nominations
HMS Pinafore - 8 nominations
First Love is the Revolution - 7 nominations
Angels in America - 7 nominations
Who votes for the Sydney Theatre Awards? Time Out's national arts and culture editor Ben Neutze is on the panel, alongside regular critic Cassie Tongue. The other members are: Elissa Blake (Audrey Journal), Jason Blake (Audrey Journal), Jade Kops (BroadwayWorld), Deborah Jones (The Australian), Jo Litson (Limelight), John McCallum (The Australian), John Shand (Sydney Morning Herald), Diana Simmonds (Stagenoise) and Suzy Wrong (Suzy Goes See).
The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Seymour Centre on January 20.
NOMINATIONS FOR 2019 SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS
BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Sydney Theatre Company)
Counting and Cracking (Belvoir and Co-Curious)
First Love is the Revolution (Griffin Theatre Company)
Prima Facie (Griffin Theatre Company)
BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Angels in America (Apocalypse Theatre Company in association with Red Line Productions)
The Happy Prince (Little Ones Theatre)
John (Outhouse Theatre Co and Seymour Centre)
Krapp’s Last Tape (Red Line Productions)
BEST DIRECTION OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Eamon Flack (Counting and Cracking)
Lee Lewis (First Love is the Revolution)
Lee Lewis (Prima Facie)
Paige Rattray (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)
BEST DIRECTION OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Craig Baldwin (John)
Dino Dimitriadis (Angels in America)
Gale Edwards (Krapp’s Last Tape)
Stephen Nicolazzo (The Happy Prince)
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Shakira Clanton (The Weekend)
Sheridan Harbridge (Prima Facie)
Noni Hazlehurst (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)
Yael Stone (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Johnny Carr (The Real Thing)
Josh McConville (Packer & Sons)
Shiv Palekar (Counting and Cracking)
Meyne Wyatt (City of Gold)
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Catherine Văn-Davies (The Happy Prince)
Belinda Giblin (John)
Kate Skinner (Anatomy of a Suicide)
Janine Watson (The Happy Prince)
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Justin Amankwah (Good Dog)
Jonathan Biggins (Krapp’s Last Tape)
Jamie Oxenbould (Trevor)
Sam Wang (Skyduck: A Chinese Spy Comedy)
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Amy Hack (First Love is the Revolution)
Bessie Holland (Cosi)
Shari Sebbens (City of Gold)
Vaishnavi Suryaprakash (Counting and Cracking)
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Brandon McClelland (Packer & Sons)
Robert Menzies (Cosi)
Hamish Michael (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)
Shiv Palekar (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Maggie Blinco (John)
Catherine Văn-Davies (Angels in America)
Jude Gibson (Angels in America)
Georgina Symes (Gloria)
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Joseph Althouse (Angels in America)
Mansoor Noor (Omar and Dawn)
Timothy Wardell (Angels in America)
Rowan Witt (Gloria)
BEST STAGE DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Ella Butler (First Love is the Revolution)
Dale Ferguson (Counting and Cracking)
Renée Mulder (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)
Eugyeene Teh (Titus Andronicus)
BEST STAGE DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Jeremy Allen (John)
Shane Anthony and Gus Murray (Anatomy of a Suicide)
Isabel Hudson (American Psycho)
Melanie Liertz (HMS Pinafore)
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Dale Ferguson (Counting and Cracking)
Renée Mulder (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)
Mel Page (Mary Stuart)
Eugyeene Teh (Titus Andronicus)
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Mason Browne (American Psycho)
Melanie Liertz (HMS Pinafore)
Siobhan Jett O’Hanlon (Anatomy of a Suicide)
Eugyeene Teh (The Happy Prince)
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Benjamin Brockman (Splinter)
Verity Hampson (Titus Andronicus)
Paul Jackson (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)
Paul Jackson (Mary Stuart)
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Veronique Bennett (John)
Alexander Berlage (American Psycho)
Benjamin Brockman (Coram Boy)
Benjamin Brockman (Herringbone)
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
David Bergman (First Love is the Revolution)
Steve Francis (The Beauty Queen of Leenane)
Stefan Gregory (Counting and Cracking)
Max Lyandvert (Titus Andronicus)
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Michael Askill with Hamed Sadeghi (The Iliad Out Loud)
Yve Blake (Fangirls)
Stefan Gregory (Counting and Cracking)
Max Lyandvert (Mary Stuart)
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Nate Edmondson (Coram Boy)
Nate Edmondson (HMS Pinafore)
Jessica James-Moody (Herringbone)
Nicholas Walker (American Psycho)
BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK
City of Gold (Meyne Wyatt)
Counting and Cracking (S. Shakthidharan)
First Love is the Revolution (Rita Kalnejais)
Prima Facie (Suzie Miller)
The Weekend (Henrietta Baird)
White Pearl (Anchuli Felicia King)
BEST NEWCOMER
Joseph Althouse (Angels in America/ Lord of the Flies)
Nyx Calder (Jess and Joe Forever/ Lord of the Flies)
Chika Ikogwe (The Wolves/ Fangirls)
Billie Palin (HMS Pinafore)
Stephanie Somerville (A Little Piece of Ash/ Slaughterhouse)
BEST ENSEMBLE
Anatomy of a Suicide (Old Fitz Theatre)
Coram Boy (bAKEHOUSE Theatre Company)
First Love is the Revolution (Griffin)
White Pearl (National Theatre of Parramatta and Sydney Theatre Company)
BEST PRODUCTION OF A MAINSTREAM MUSICAL
Fangirls (Belvoir, Queensland Theatre and Brisbane Festival in association with ATYP)
Once (Darlinghurst Theatre Company)
School of Rock (GWB Entertainment in association with KHAM Inc)
West Side Story (HOSH/ Opera Australia)
BEST PRODUCTION OF AN INDEPENDENT MUSICAL
American Psycho (BB Arts Entertainment and Two Doors Productions in association with Hayes Theatre Co)
Caroline, or Change (Hayes Theatre Co)
Herringbone (Squabbologic)
HMS Pinafore (Hayes Theatre Co)
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Alexander Berlage (American Psycho)
Mitchell Butel (Caroline, or Change)
Kate Gaul (HMS Pinafore)
Jay James-Moody & Michael Ralph (Herringbone)
JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Natalie Abbott (Muriel’s Wedding)
Natalie Bassingthwaighte (Chicago)
Stefanie Caccamo (Once)
Elenoa Rokobaro (Caroline, or Change)
JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Ben Gerrard (American Psycho)
Brent Hill (School of Rock)
Jay James-Moody (Herringbone)
Jake Speer (Catch Me If You Can)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Karli Dinardo (West Side Story)
Amy Hack (Caroline, or Change)
Stefanie Jones (Muriel’s Wedding)
Amy Lehpamer (School of Rock)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Simon Burke (Catch Me If You Can)
Thomas Campbell (HMS Pinafore)
Mark Hill (West Side Story)
Justin Smith (Billy Elliot)
BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION
Lucy Bermingham (Caroline, or Change)
Victoria Falconer (Once)
Zara Stanton (HMS Pinafore)
Andrew Worboys (American Psycho)
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A MUSICAL
Amy Campbell (Once)
Yvette Lee (American Psycho)
Leonard Mickelo (Fangirls)
Cameron Mitchell (Catch Me If You Can)
BEST CABARET PRODUCTION
Love is a Drag (Tim Draxl)
Hayes at the Hayes (Nancye Hayes)
A Celebration of Ella Fitzgerald (Alison Jiear)
Hayden Tee: Up Close and Intimate (Hayden Tee)
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
To be revealed at the Awards ceremony