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drinks Monday 2 June 08
DUBLIN ... Colman Higgins describes the scope and history of Dublin Gay Theatre Festival ... and reviews two of its shows ... Down Dangerous Passes Road ... Confessions of A Mormon Boy /// LONDON ... film on now ... La Question Humaine / Heartbeat Detector /// BRIGHTON ... It's on till 26 May and here's at least 20 Things you might want to know about Brighton Fringe /// PEOPLE ... Who was there at Fringe Report's First Monday 5 May - photographs & article /// CULTURE ... One Culture ... film screening 30 May booking now ... details
FRINGE REPORT AWARDS 2005
Rewarding the Best of the Best of the London Fringe
(2008 Awards)
(2007 Awards)
(2006 Awards)
(2005 Awards)
(2004 Awards)
(2003 Awards)
Key to page:
(top) List of Awards with Citations
(middle) Welcoming Speech
(bottom) List of Guests
The following awards are announced midday Friday 28 January 05 for presentation at London's Canal Café Theatre
Tuesday 15 February 05 by Christopher Richardson, Alison Trower and FR editor John Park:
- OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS: -
(alpha order)
Michael Sarne
Film, Theatre, Music
Mid-Career Award
Citation: 'The award reflects Michael Sarne's genius, shown in a remarkable continuing career as director, writer, actor, singer and producer; from his 1962 Number 1 hit single 'Come Outside' with Wendy Richards; directing the legendary cult movie Myra Breckenridge, commercials, The Punk, and the Portuguese-language Intimidade; directing fringe theatre including Jackie Skarvellis's Understudies, Electra, Clive Evans's The Nunnery, and Wankers!; acting - from the chorus line in Babes in the Wood with Danny La Rue to innumerable roles in TV and film - and fringe, most recently in Scotch & Water.'
Max Stafford-Clark
Theatre Person of the Year
(Presented at Pasha, Thursday 24 March 05)
Citation: 'The award reflects Max Stafford-Clark's astonishing career as stage director and leader of adventurous British theatre. Co-founder of Joint Stock 30 years ago with David Hare and David Aukin, founder of Out of Joint 10 years ago, original commisioner and director of Rita, Sue and Bob Too, he continues to astound and inspire audiences with current work including The Permanent Way and his ground-shattering production of Macbeth.'
- ACTING AWARDS: -
(alpha order)
Frances Barber
Best Actor - Psychological Drama
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
(Citation will follow after presentation of the award)
Joint Award - Angela Clerkin & Amanda Daniels
Best Actor - Social Drama
Third Finger, Left Hand
Citation: 'The award reflects the vital, gifted, witty and compassionate characterisations evoked by the individual excellence and inspired pairing of (alpha order) Angela Clerkin and Amanda Daniels in Adam Canavan's exciting Third Finger, Left Hand.'
Sándor Csányi
Best Actor - Film
Kontroll
(Presented at the Hungarian Cultural Centre, Wednesday 23 February 05 - report)
Citation: 'The award reflects Sándor Csányi’s stunning delivery of central character Bulcsú in Nimród Antal's mesmerising film Kontroll. Sándor Csányi evokes Bulcsú’s journey to the heart of darkness with remarkable subtlety, investing the character with a profound soulfulness, inflected with a light layer of wry humour - all powered by an astonishing on-screen charisma.'
Steve Delaney
Best Actor - Character Comedy
Count Arthur Strong
Citation: 'The award reflects the pinnacle of imagination and comedy genius that is Count Arthur Strong. It recognises Steve Delaney's gifted imagination, originality, acting, writing, and characterisation in the creation of one of comedy's true delights.'
Joanna Neary
Best Actor - Theatrical Comedy
Citation: 'The award recognises the extraordinary range of Joanna Neary's acting, dance, singing, and comedy; its subtlety; and the gentle charm that underlies her astonishing characterisations. Above all it reflects her ability to create sheer theatrical joy.'
Sue Scott Davison
Best Actor - Historical Drama
The Lifeblood
Citation: 'The award reflects Sue Scott Davison's stunning performance as the Mary Stuart. Her delivery of the imprisoned queen as smoulderingly sexy, vulnerable, commanding and tragic is a dramatic triumph.'
Ben Willbond
Best Actor - Sketch Comedy
Citation: 'The award reflects Ben Willbond's outstanding acting, in particular his creation as writer and actor of Jed Simmonds, Julio San Salvatore, Captain Hugh Stroker, and Allbarone aficionado Ed Wellesley-Smith - each a remarkable comedy creation lined with pathos and subtle dramatic depth.'
- DIRECTOR AWARDS: -
(alpha order)
Toni Arthur-Hay
Best Director - Comedy
(Citation will follow after presentation of the award)
Mike Miller
Best Director - Theatre
Sketching Lucian (2004)
Many a Slipped, Twixt Cap and Dick (2004)
Citation: 'The award recognises Mike Miller's astonishing work as theatrical director, in particular his productions of Alison Trower's Sketching Lucian, and her Many a Slipped, Twixt Cap and Dick. It reflects his fresh creative vision, imagination, subtle integration of music, and stimulation of gifted, integrated performances. His ability to make stunning visual spectacle, combined with massive dramatic force, is a theatrical wonder.'
- PROFESSION AWARDS: -
(alpha order)
Husam Asi
Best Film Publication
Publisher - UK Screen
Citation: 'The award reflects Husam Asi's superb work as publisher of UK Screen, establishing it as the prime promotional resource for those involved in UK independent film.'
Van Badham
Best Playwright
(Presented at the MacOwan Theatre, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Tues 22 March 05 following (Van) Vanessa Badham's play Black Hands/Dead Section)
Citation: 'The award reflects the shocking power and dramatic imagination of Van Badham's explosive and penetrating writing about the world as it is now; including Camarilla, her taut study of terrorism; and Nikolina, her harrowing dissection of the personal consequences of war'
James Betts
Best Photographer
Citation: 'For theatre and comedy, James Betts is the master of the iconic image. His photographs have brought shows to life in flyers and posters for artists including Natalie Haynes, Mackenzie Crook, Men In Coats, Ben Willbond, Nicholas Parsons, Gary Le Strange. The award recognises his imagination and power as an artist in work for these and other clients including Menier Chocolate Factory, James Seabright, Karushi, Brown Eyed Boy, It's Alright For Some, Sky, The Pleasance, Time Life, Loaded Magazine and The Guardian.'
Veronica Lee
Best Journalist
Citation: 'The award reflects the excellence and even-handedness of Veronica Lee's writing about theatre and comedy. As an experienced fringe producer, and journalist who admits to being 'passionate about live theatre', she brings a unique perspective and friendly approachability to reviewing the performing arts.'
Eileen O'Reilly
Best Promoter Liaison
(Presented at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe office June 05)
Citation: 'The award reflects Eileen O'Reilly's outstanding work in Promoter Liasion as the calm eye at the centre of the hurricane that is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Eileen's endless patience with and encouragement of performers and promoters has ensured that countless fringe productions have been enjoyed by audiences throughout the world.'
Lynne Parker
Best Producer
Producer - Funny Women
(presented at Funny Women, Thursday 17 March 05, Lowdown At The Albany)
Citation: 'The award reflects Lynne Parker's outstanding work as producer of Funny Women in all its forms: as charity raiser, comedy competition, and major show at the Edinburgh Fringe.'
Penny Sims
Best Venue PR
Venue PR - The Underbelly
Citation: 'The award reflects the extraordinary flair, hard work, imagination and expertise of Penny Sims. Her easy rapport with artistes and journalists; thoughtfulness and kindness; and her creative ability to put The Underbelly across to the media in the best possible way, was an outstanding contribution to The Underbelly's emergence in 2004 as a venue of major innovation.'
Joint Award - James Wren, Felicity Wren, Louie Bayliss
Best Venue Managers
Hen & Chickens Theatre
Lowdown at the Albany
Citation: 'The award reflects the outstanding work of (alpha order) Felicity Wren, James Wren, Louie Bayliss in producing two outstanding venues. Their style is a constant at both, standing for imaginative and excellent work. They have evolved two venues that everyone (artistes and audience alike) wants to go to, for the welcoming and friendly atmosphere, and for the best work in new theatre and comedy.'
- SHOW AWARDS: -
(alpha order)
The Bearded Ladies
Best Sketch Comedy
Susie Donkin, Charlotte McDougall, Oriane Messina, Fay Rusling
Citation: 'The award reflects the wit, originality and all-round comedy brilliance of (alpha order) Susie Donkin, Charlotte McDougall, Oriane Messina, Fay Rusling, individually and together as the Bearded Ladies.'
Lucy Porter
Best Stand-Up
Citation: 'The award reflects Lucy Porter's comedic genius. Part of it is her beguiling ability to appear innocent while being outrageously filthy - but it's much more. An established performer on the national circuit, she stands out in a sea of dull and angry introspection simply by being - brilliantly - funny. The sublime Lucy Porter.'
Howard Read
Best Multimedia Comedy
Citation: 'The award reflects Howard Read's outstanding creative and technical imagination in animating Little Howard, Ziggy the Rifel Squid, Chalkie the Lemon Horse, Ptomek the Wonga-Shitting Panda, H-bot 2000 The Funny Robot From The Future, many other characters, and the magnificent Roger The Pigeon; and using the technology he has developed to create great theatrical comedy. Special Commendation for writing the definitive homage to Northern working-class life 'Wank Me Off, Mrs Scrimshaw'.'
SandMan
Best Play
All Involved - Cast, Crew, Company
Citation: 'SandMan is remarkable in its originality, script, performance, concept and staging, and the interlocking of these elements. The award reflects the excellence of all involved in this outstanding play - which explores the fragile limits of human conciousness.'
Then Again
Best Comedy Drama
All Involved - Cast, Crew, Company
Citation: 'Perhaps the best comedy funeral drama ever staged, Then Again delights with its sharp and perceptive human insights, and the sparkling performances of a magnificent cast. The show's highlight of bemused mourners round the coffin, alternating solos to a jazz karaoke version of The Beatles' Got To Get You Into My Life, is one of the great comedy moments of all time.'
The Wau-Wau Sisters
Best Cabaret
Tanya Gagné & Adrienne Truscott
(award accepted by Alex Gammie, Alex Gammie PR)
Citation: 'The creation by (alpha order) Tanya Gagné & Adrienne Truscott of The Wau-Wau Sisters enables established boundaries of public decency and good taste to be bulldozed. Sister Christian and school uniforms will never be the same again. Nor will a visit to the circus after seeing what The Wau-Waus can do with a trapeze. The award reflects the comedic genius - and the personal warmth that creates the show's feel-good atmosphere - of Tanya Gagné & Adrienne Truscott.'
- (END OF AWARDS) -
Each Fringe Report Award comes with a citation and - thanks to majority sponsor Greens Restaurant and Oyster Bar and Greens Select - rather a nice bottle of champagne.
- THANK-YOU PRESENTATIONS: -
(alpha order):
Richard Dragun
Designing the Certificates
'On behalf of Fringe Report and all award-holders past, present, and to come, thanks to Richard Dragun for his inspired and magnificent graphic design and production of all our award certificates 2003-2005.'
Kim Morgan
Organising the Event
'On behalf of everyone she has organised tonight to attend the Fringe Report Awards 2005, thanks to lovely Kim Morgan for her hard and generous work behind the scenes.'
Paul Sullivan
Organising the Event
(Presented at the Fitzroy Patisserie incorportating Fitzroy Bistro, Thurs 17 Feb 05)
'On behalf of everyone he has organised to attend the Fringe Report Awards 2005, thanks to the charming and debonaire Paul Sullivan, PR and gent, for all his hard work'
David Vickerstaff
Organising the Champagne
(Presented at Greens 22 February 05)
'On behalf Fringe Report and all award-holders past, present, and to come, thanks to David Vickerstaff at Greens for his thoughtfulness, superb organising, selection and majority sponsorship of all our award champagne 2003-2005'
- WELCOMING SPEECH - FRINGE REPORT AWARDS 05 -
Welcome by John Park, Editor, Fringe Report. Awards Ceremony Canal Café Theatre Tuesday 15 February 05 at 9.30 pm (edited):
Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the Fringe Report Awards 2005. I’d like to welcome 2 other members of the Fringe Report Board who will be presenting awards tonight.
There’s an in-depth interview on Fringe Report with our first presenter. He’s the handsome and ever-distinguished gent, director of The Pleasance and all-round good man Christopher Richardson.
If you read today’s
Independent, Evening Standard, or indeed today’s
Fringe Report, you’ll get the details of the fight our other presenter got into on Sunday night. She’s a wonderful poet and playwright of Spread, Many A Slipped Twixt Cap And Dick, and Sketching Lucian, lovely Alison Trower.
Thanks to David Vickerstaff and his colleague Hector Ross at Greens for organising the champagne. Tonight’s event was organised by Paul Sullivan and Kim Morgan. Paul can’t be here, but Kim is, and I’d like to invite her up here to thank her. If you’ve slumped against the Bakerloo Line platform walls at Charing Cross, the fabulous National Gallery mural that stretches the length of north and south platforms is designed by - and bears the signature of - Richard Dragun the charming head of graphic design at BDP. Richard kindly designs our award certificates each year.
Fringe Report has an excellent Board, made up of people each year who receive awards. We’d like one person from each of this year’s awards to join – if you would like to. The Advisory Board runs from 1 April each year, and there’ll be a welcome party – most likely in April. After the year ends the following March, we ask you if you’d like to join our long-term Consultancy Board. I think the only duties last year were two fairly liquid parties. Thanks very much, by the way, to board member Rupert Keenlyside who is here, for sponsoring all the booze for them. The boards are the eyes and ears of Fringe Report, and keeps us all in touch with everything right across the arts that is going on, with members all over the country, and for that matter all over the world.
Tonight I’d like particularly to welcome two friends of Fringe Report who represent leading centres of culture in Europe. Monika Studena is a long-standing member of the Fringe Report Board, and the Cultural Attaché, Czech Embassy. Katalin Bogyay (English readers may want to know that Katalin’s name is pronounced ‘cottelin bodyayee’) is the Cultural Councillor, Hungarian Embassy and Director, Hungarian Cultural Centre.
You may well have met some of our talented team of writers. Thanks to them. They have included over recent months among others: Alana Pryce, Dr Andrew Doyle, Isabel Robinson, Cecilia Holmes, Eloise Emanuel, Hils Jago, Jolanta Jagiello, Katie Warren, Kitty Winter, Lea Harris, Lucy Scott, Rachael Booth, Johnnie Oddball, Tim Passmore, Peter Andrews, Peter Benedict, Wendy Richmond, Samantha Darling, Siobhan Rhodes-Johnson, Holly Davis, Micheline Sedgwick, Ella Lockwood, Annabelle Joyce and our exceptionally vulgar gossip columnist Crystal Clean. I’d like to thank also all members of the two Fringe Report boards.
I’d like to mention two earlier award holders. Incomparable film producer and film contest organiser Johnnie Oddball has been chosen to run the 24 Hour Film Challenge at this year’s Cannes Film Festival on 14/15 May 05 – it’s bound to be memorable. Rohan Acharya is now a comedy developer at the BBC, and his first show is going out exactly now on BBC. It’s 28 Acts in 28 Minutes, featuring several of you here this evening. It’s brilliant news Ro - onwards and upwards.
Big thanks are due to all the people who run venues in London. You’re all wonderful and we love you. And to all the people who make the fringe work in Edinburgh. Thanks to the Canal Café for kindly lending us the venue tonight. To Emma Taylor, artistic director. Louis Brownhill, acting artistic director. Ross McGivern, technical director. And thanks to lovely Tracy Allum who runs The Bridge House pub below the venue. Fringe Report would like to express its gratitude to Chris Gutteridge at APT for much kindness, and so generously letting us use space and facilities in their offices.
And to everyone who is here tonight - thank you for coming to the Awards.
- LIST OF GUESTS - FRINGE REPORT AWARDS 05 -
(guest of person or show in brackets after name):
Zena Barrie (Penny Sims), Veronica Lee (Best Journalist), Toby Clarke (SandMan), Tamsin Jarvis (Steve Delaney), Sue Scott Davison (Best Actor - Historical Drama), Steve Delaney (Best Actor - Character Comedy), Simon Pugh (Sue Scott Davison), Shiona McDougall (James Betts), Rupert Keenlyside (FR Board), Ross McGivern (FR Awards Technical Director), Richard Dragun (FR Board), Richard Daws (Steve Delaney), Ray Spangler Downing (SandMan), Rachael Booth (FR Writer), Penny Sims (Best Venue PR), Oriane Messina (Bearded Ladies), Natalie Ralston (Howard Read), Mike Miller (Best Director - Theatre), Michael Sarne (Outstanding Achievement - Film, Theatre, Music), Margaret Dragun (Richard Dragun), Lydia Fraser-Ward (SandMan), Lucy Porter (Best Stand-Up), Louis Brownhill (FR Board), Kim Morgan (FR Event Organiser), Katalin Bogyay (FR Guest), John Sadlier (Rachael Booth), John Park (FR Editor), Joanna Neary (Best Actor - Theatrical Comedy), Jesse Romain (Then Again), James Wren (Joint Best Venue Manager), James Betts (Best Photographer), Jacqui Bennett (Kim Morgan), Husam Asi (Best Film Publication), Howard Read (Best Multimedia Comedy), Hils Jago (FR Writer), Felicity Wren (Joint Best Venue Manager), Fay Rusling (Bearded Ladies), Emma Horne (SandMan), Val Miner (Mike Miller), Denise Bailey (Press Association), Dan Pursey (FR Guest), Christopher Richardson (FR Board), Christian Knowles (Lynne Parker), Chris Gilling (Sue Scott Davison), Charlotte McDougall (Bearded Ladies), Brian Mitchell (Joanna Neary), Ben Willbond (Best Actor - Sketch Comedy), Ben Ockrent (Then Again), Ben Neale (SandMan), Anne Sarne (Michael Sarne), Angela Clerkin (Joint Best Actor - Social Drama), Andrew Clark (Christian Knowles), Amanda Daniels (Joint Best Actor - Social Drama), Alison Trower (FR Board), Alex Gammie (Wau-Wau Sisters), Alana Pryce (FR Writer), Adrian Bunting (Joanna Neary).
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008
