REVIEW | 40th Annual Green Room Awards

40th Annual Green Room Awards

A Night of Glamour and Artistry as the Green Room Awards Turns 40!

Reviewed by Brendan Daynes

The 41st Annual Green Room Awards dazzled audiences with a night filled with celebration and recognition of outstanding talent across various performing arts genres.

The Cabaret category showcased exceptional talent and creativity, with standout productions recognised for their excellence. Spunk Daddy, presented by Autonomous Inventions and The Butterfly Club as part of Melbourne Fringe, shone as the Outstanding Production, captivating audiences with its energy and innovation. Notably, Casey Gould’s direction in Spunk Daddy earned recognition, highlighting her skill in bringing the performance to life. Gillian Cosgriff’s outstanding original songs in Actually, Good added depth and charm to the production, contributing to its success. Miss Friby’s showstopping performance in Galah. stood out as an exemplary display of artistry, earning her the title of Outstanding Artiste.

In the realm of Dance, creativity and talent flourished, with remarkable productions honoured for their artistic merit. “Triptych,” presented by Phillip Adams BalletLab and Temperance Hall as part of FRAME: A biennial of Dance, emerged as a standout, garnering praise for its choreography, ensemble performance, and set/costume design. Antony Hamilton’s choreography in Forever and Ever captivated audiences with its innovative movements and expression. Lucy Guerin’s “NEWRETRO” mesmerised with its outstanding creation, showcasing her distinctive choreographic style.

The Commercial Musical Theatre category dazzled audiences with its stellar productions and performances, highlighting the talent and creativity of the musical theatre industry. Once, presented by Darlinghurst Theatre Company, showcased the artistry and skill of its ensemble cast, earning praise for its captivating performances. Seann Miley Moore’s outstanding portrayal as the Engineer in Miss Saigon, presented by Opera Australia in association with Cameron Mackintosh, left a lasting impression, while Guy Simpson and Anthony Barnhill’s direction in The Phantom of the Opera, presented by Opera Australia and The Really Useful Group in association with Cameron Mackintosh, contributed to its theatrical magic.

Independent Musical Theatre productions showcased creativity and talent, with standout works earning recognition for their artistic achievements. Kinky Boots, presented by James Terry Collective, impressed with its ensemble performances, highlighting the collective talent of The Angels. Charmaine Gorman’s standout performance in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, presented by Watch This, showcased her versatility and skill as a leading artist. Veronica Beattie George’s choreography in La Cage aux Folles, presented by David M. Hawkins in association with Arts Centre Melbourne, added flair and excitement to the production.

The awards are not just a celebration of the present, but also a tribute to the luminaries whose contributions have shaped the Australian performing arts landscape. Among them, Phillip Adams was recognised as a beacon of innovation and excellence, receiving two prestigious association awards for his monumental impact on the industry. As the founder and Artistic Director of Phillip Adams BalletLab, he has been a driving force in contemporary dance since the company’s inception in 1998.

One of the evening’s most unforgettable moments came with a breathtaking contemporary dance performance from Cuddle, captivating the audience with its technical brilliance. As the night unfolded, it became clear that the 41st Annual Green Room Awards not only celebrated the achievements of the past year but also served as a testament to the ongoing vibrancy and innovation of Melbourne’s performing arts community.

For more information about the Green Room Awards Association, this year’s winners and the other awards presented head over to https://www.greenroom.org.au/

See below for a full list of award winners in each category:

CABARET

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION

Spunk Daddy presented by Autonomous Inventions and The Butterfly Club as part of Melbourne Fringe

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE

Ella Ganza in association with Joshua Taliani for BLAKOUT commissioned by YIRRAMBOI Festival and presented by Arts Centre Melbourne

OUTSTANDING MUSICAL DIRECTION

Greg Lavell for Cabaret Unscripted presented by Melbourne Unscripted and The Butterfly Club as part of Melbourne Fringe

OUTSTANDING DIRECTION

Casey Gould for Spunk Daddy presented by Autonomous Inventions and The Butterfly Club as part of Melbourne Fringe

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SONGS

Gillian Cosgriff for Actually, Good presented by Gillian Cosgriff and The Butterfly Club as part of Melbourne International Comedy Festival

OUTSTANDING WRITING

Darby James for Spunk Daddy presented by Autonomous Inventions and The Butterfly Club as part of Melbourne Fringe

OUTSTANDING ARTISTE

Miss Friby for Galah. presented by Miss Friby Productions

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN

Elizabeth Dawson-Smith and Louise Purcell for Galah. (stage) presented by Miss Friby Productions

CONTEMPORARY AND EXPERIMENTAL (CEP)

CONTRIBUTION TO SECTOR AND COMMUNITY

Kianna Oricci, Lay The Mystic and Efren Pamilacan for GENESIS presented by Arts House and Cypher Culture & Bukjeh

OUTSTANDING WORK

Betty Grumble for Enemies of Grooviness Eat Sh!t produced by Performing Lines and presented by Arts House and Melbourne Fringe

PERFORMANCE BY A PERFORMER OR ENSEMBLE

Dan Daw for The Dan Daw Show presented by Arts House and RISING & Heather Cull, Sandy Daly, Marilyn Davies, Sally Goldner, Clare Larman, Terri Seddon, Jo Walker and Sandy Wood for WAKE produced by Performing Lines and presented by The Substation, Melbourne Fringe and THE RABBLE

DESIGN / TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

Design Team for ~~~~~ “…derelict in uncharted space…” by Fayen d’Evie, Benjamin Hancock, Rebecca Bracewell, Luke D. King,  Georgina Kleege, Nelly Kate, Andy Slater, Lloyd Mst, Jon Tjhia, Alex Craig, Anastasia La Fey, Aaron McPeake, Ashley Buchanan, Marco Cher-Gibard, Anna Seymour, Sheereen Perrin, George Thomas, Lorena Zapiain and Sheri Wells-Jensen presented by Chunky Move and Melbourne Fringe

DANCE

BEST SOUND DESIGN

Alisdair Macindoe for 4/4 presented by Chunky Move

BEST VISUAL / DIGITAL DESIGN

Lighting Design: Alex Nguyen and Marco Cher-Gibard for MOHINI presented by Raina Peterson and Arts House as part of FRAME: A biennial of Dance

BEST SET / COSTUME DESIGN

Set Design: Paul Yore and Devon Ackermann, Costume Design: Toni Maticevski for Triptych presented by Phillip Adams BalletLab and Temperance Hall as part of FRAME: A biennial of Dance

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

Antony Hamilton for Forever and Ever presented by Antony Hamilton and Sydney Dance Co.

BEST ENSEMBLE

Harrison Hall, Samuel Harnett-Welk, Benjamin Hurley, Oliver Savariego and Alexandra Dobson for Triptych presented by Phillip Adams BalletLab and Temperance Hall as part of FRAME: A biennial of Dance

BEST PERFORMER (2 recipients)

Jesse Scales for Forever and Ever presented by Antony Hamilton and Sydney Dance Co.

Raghav Handa for TWO presented by Raghav Handa and Arts House as part of FRAME: A biennial of Dance and produced by Performing Lines

BREAKING GROUND AWARD

Jackie Sheppard for The Honouring presented by Jackie Sheppard and Arts House as part of FRAME: A biennial of Dance

OUTSTANDING CREATION

Lucy Guerin for NEWRETRO presented by Lucy Guerin Inc.

INDEPENDENT THEATRE

BEST NEW WRITING

Liv Satchell with Chanella Macri and Emily Tomlins for i sat and waited but you were gone too long presented by VIMH in association with La Mama Theatre

BEST DIRECTION

Cassandra Fumi for The Crocodile presented by Spinning Plates Co. in association with fortyfivedownstairs

BEST PERFORMER

Cait Spiker for The Crocodile presented by Spinning Plates Co. in association with fortyfivedownstairs & Lily Fish for Rakali presented by Fish and Duncan as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

BEST ENSEMBLE

Clare Bartholomew, Nicci Wilks and Mozes for The Long Pigs presented by WE3 and Cluster Arts and Theatre Works

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

Bronwyn Pringle for Prophet presented by Poiesis and Theatre Works

BEST SET AND COSTUME

Dann Barber for The Crocodile presented by Spinning Plates Co. in association with fortyfivedownstairs

BEST SOUND DESIGN AND COMPOSITION

Meena Shamaly and Camille El Feghali for Zaffé presented by Stéphanie Ghajar & Collaborators as part of Melbourne Fringe Festival

BEST PRODUCTION

Animal Farm presented by Bloomshed and Darebin Arts Speakeasy

MUSICAL THEATRE COMMERCIAL/FUNDED

ARTISTS ENSEMBLE (INCLUDING FEATURED ENSEMBLE)

The Company for Once presented by Darlinghurst Theatre Company

ARTISTS (LEADING)

Seann Miley Moore for Miss Saigon presented by Opera Australia in association with Cameron Mackintosh

ARTISTS (SUPPORTING)

Jack Chambers for Mary Poppins presented by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh in association with Michael Cassel Group

NEW AUSTRALIAN MUSIC THEATRE WRITING

Tom Gleisner (Book and Lyrics) and Katie Weston (Music) for Bloom presented by Melbourne Theatre Company

DESIGN

Silicon Theatre Scenery implement by Cam Balfour (Automation) for  Miss Saigon presented by Opera Australia in association with Cameron Mackintosh

CHOREOGRAPHY

Michael Ralph for Elvis: A Musical Revolution presented by David Venn Enterprises

DIRECTION (MUSIC)

Guy Simpson (Supervisor) and Anthony Barnhill (Musical Director) for The Phantom of the Opera presented by Opera Australia and The Really Useful Group in association with Cameron Mackintosh

DIRECTION (STAGE AND TECHNICAL)

Laurence Connor and Jean-Pierre Van Der Spuy (Stage) for Miss Saigon presented by Opera Australia in association with Cameron Mackintosh

OUTSTANDING MUSIC THEATRE PRODUCTION

Mary Poppins presented by Disney, Cameron Mackintosh and Michael Cassel Group

MUSICAL THEATRE INDEPENDENT/FRINGE

ARTISTS ENSEMBLE (INCLUDING FEATURED ENSEMBLE)

The Angels (Carter Rickard, Cody Green, Jayden Prelc, Lochlan Erard, Samuel Allsop) for Kinky Boots presented by James Terry Collective

ARTISTS (LEADING)

Charmaine Gorman for A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum presented by Watch This

ARTISTS (SUPPORTING)

Javon King for Guys and Dolls presented by Antipodes Theatre Company

NEW AUSTRALIAN MUSIC THEATRE WRITING

Sarah Wynen for Blue to the Horizon presented by Sevenfold Theatre Company

DESIGN

Sidney Younger (Lighting) for BODY OF WORK – Parade, Songs for a New World

CHOREOGRAPHY

Veronica Beattie George for La Cage aux Folles presented by David M. Hawkins in association with Arts Centre Melbourne

MUSIC DIRECTION

David Butler for Guys and Dolls presented by Antipodes Theatre Company

DIRECTION

Martin Croft for Kinky Boots presented by James Terry Collective

OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT MUSIC THEATRE PRODUCTION

Kinky Boots presented by James Terry Collective

OPERA

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A LEAD ROLE

Antoinette Halloran for Götterdämmerung presented by Melbourne Opera & Adrian Tamburini Götterdämmerung presented by Melbourne Opera

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Timo Riihonen for Tannhäuser presented by Opera Australia & Dimity Shepherd for Galileo presented by Victorian Opera

DESIGN

Dann Barber (Sets), Sabina Myers (Costumes) and Lisa Mibus (Lighting) for Melbourne Cheremushki presented by Victorian Opera

MUSICAL ACHIEVEMENT

Conducting: Richard Mills for Galileo presented by Victorian Opera

NEW AUSTRALIAN OPERA

Richard Mills and Malcolm Angelucci for Galileo presented by Victorian Opera

BEST DIRECTION

Constantine Costi for Melbourne, Cheremushki presented by Victorian Opera

OUSTANDING SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT

The Ring Cycle presented by Melbourne Opera

BEST PRODUCTION

Idomeneo presented by Victorian Opera

THEATRE COMPANIES

OUTSTANDING NEW AUSTRALIAN WRITING

Declan Furber Gillick for Jacky presented by Melbourne Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING COMPOSITION & SOUND DESIGN

Joe Paradise Lui for Is God Is presented by Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN

Rachel Burke for My Sister Jill presented by Melbourne Theatre Company and Wittenoom presented by Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre

DIRECTON

Susie Dee for My Sister Jill presented by Melbourne Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

Marg Horwell for Bernhardt/Hamlet presented by Melbourne Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN

Marg Horwell for Escaped Alone and What If If only presented by Melbourne Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE

My Sister Jill presented by Melbourne Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION

My Sister Jill presented by Melbourne Theatre Company

OUTSTANDING PERFORMER

Danny Ball for Loaded presented by Malthouse Theatre & Chika Ikogwe for seven methods of killing kylie jenner presented by Malthouse Theatre in association with Darlinghurst Theatre Company and Green Door Theatre Company.

ASSOCIATION AWARDS

Work for Young Audiences (CEP)

The By Kids For Kids Collective for Don’t Panic, Everything Is Urgent presented by ArtPlay and House of Muchness

Betty Pounder Award for Original Australian Choreography (MT)

Michael Ralph for Elvis: A Musical Revolution presented by David Venn Enterprises

Geoffrey Milne Award (CEP)

Phillip Adams

Lifetime Achievement Award

Phillip Adams

Technical Achievement Award

Peter John Sidney Pettet

The 41st Green Room Awards continued the tradition of showcasing the vibrant and dynamic Melbourne arts scene, building upon the success of previous years. The exceptional talent displayed across various categories, from performers to directors, designers to writers, underscored the depth and diversity of the industry. This year’s ceremony heralded a new era of innovation and creativity, inspiring anticipation and excitement for the future of the performing arts. Congratulations to all the deserving winners and nominees who have enriched Melbourne’s cultural landscape with their outstanding contributions. As we look ahead, it’s clear that the Green Room Awards Association and the wider performing arts community are poised for an even brighter and more promising future.

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