Last year marked the first ever Theatre Critics in Wales awards and saw members of Wales’ drama community honoured for their contributions to the cultural scene in 2012.
Organisers are hoping to build on the inaugural event’s success this year and have just published the nominations.
This year the panel was not only made up of members of the Young Critics Scheme but some professional critics and members of the new Third Age Critics Scheme.
This body was set up last year in conjunction with Age Cymru to reflect the critical views of people aged over 50 keen to review productions in Wales.
Together both bodies and the professional theatre critics drew up the latest shortlist from the variety of productions they saw by Welsh companies in Wales during 2013.
Among those leading the charge is Gagglebabble’s musical horror show The Bloody Ballad, which is nominated for a total of four awards – Production in the English Language, Ensemble, Music and Sound and Male Performance (Oliver Wood). The show was described as being “part-gig, part slasher movie”, featured the band Mary and her Missing Fingers and proved popular at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
The farming drama Tir Sir Gar, created by Marc Rees and Roger Williams for Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, is also shortlisted in an impressive five categories- Production in the Welsh Language, Music and Sound, Playwright (Roger Williams), Best female (Rhian Morgan) and Best Male (Sion Ifan).
Praxis Makes Perfect. Image: Farrows Creative / National Theatre Wales.
The interactive gig performance starring Neon Neon, Praxis Makes Perfect, which was created for National Theatre Wales, written by Tim Price and directed by Wils Wilson has also scooped four nominations, including Best Director for Wils.
And Tonypandemomium, the debut play by Rhondda writer and Dylan Thomas prize-winner Rachel Trezise is also shortlisted in three categories, including Best Playwright. Another NTW production, it was staged as part of a month-long residency at the Park and Dare in Treorchy to mark the venue’s centenary year.
Baritone Gary Griffiths, who won the Male Opera Singer award last year, is shortlisted once more for his role in Welsh National Opera’s Roberto Deveraux. His co-stars, Leah-Marion Jones and Alexandra Deshorties, are in the running for Female Opera Singer.
The event hopes to raise the profile of Wales’ young critics while congratulating its actors, directors, lighting designers and sound technicians on their achievements over the past year.
The Theatre Critics of Wales Awards ceremony will be held at Sherman Cymru in Cardiff on 25 January where all the winners will be announced.
Guy O'Donnell, the Paul Hamlyn Club coordinator for Sherman Cymru, told me: “We were really pleased with the reception the awards got last year and the fact that it raised awareness of the talent we have here in Wales, particularly in Welsh-language drama, which sadly seems overlooked by so many of the UK-wide theatre critics.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate what’s going on in theatre in Wales and give a bit of publicity to all those hard-working companies and groups, be it an emerging company or a national set-up.
“The awards aim to reflect the depth and breadth of talent in all four corners of Wales and also show what an important voice young critics have.”
The Theatre Critics Wales is also running two people’s votes this year, so members of the public can choose their favourite performances in both languages.
The poll for Best Production in the English Language is being coordinated by Wales Online while that for Best Production in the Welsh Language is being run through Golwg.
For reviews by members of the Young Critics Scheme, visit theyoungcritics.wordpress.com
If you would like to get involved in the Young Critics Scheme email [email protected]