History was made on Saturday night as the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre hosted the 22nd annual Canberra Area Theatre (CAT) Awards.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
For the first time since its inception in 1994 the awards were held at a venue outside of Canberra, and according to founder Coralie Wood OAM the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre was an “absolutely fabulous” choice.
“I’m so thrilled to be here,” she said. “I love the venue and the people who are involved in the venue have been absolutely fabulous, I couldn’t wish for more.”
Hundreds of people flocked to the centre via the red carpet to acknowledge the talent that graced stages across the state in 2016.
CAT Awards Patron and Gold Logie-winning Australian actor and writer, John Wood of Blue Heelers fame, along with CAT Awards judge Ian Maclean presented awards at the black-tie gala event.
Patrons Simon Gallaher and Michael Edgley, together with special guest Maggie Kirkpatrick, were also spotted on the red carpet.
It was Janet Cunningham of Wollongong who took out the prestigious Gold CAT Award for her contribution in teaching and direction for Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts.
The Molong Players flew the flag for the Central West in taking out the Silver CAT Award for bringing original theatre to the Molong community and in doing so raising over $1.5 million for local charities.
The Orange Theatre Company also had success on the night as David Bunting was announced winner of the Technical Achievement Award. The award came in recognition of the researching, purchasing and developing the flying rig in the company’s production of Mary Poppins.
Although nominated for three awards on the night, the Dubbo Theatre Company didn’t bring home the silverware.
Local talent, Allyn Smith – nominated in the ‘best actor in a leading role’ category for his role as Jesus in Godspell – said he was honored to be acknowledged as a nominee among the vast array of talent.
“It was a fantastic evening, you’ve got so many great performers and so much talent on stage, and even celebrities like John Wood and Maggie Kirkpatrick – it was a fantastic night, I absolutely loved it,” he said.
“It was exciting to have this many people come to Dubbo and put this performance on, it was wonderful.”
Dubbo Theatre and Convention Centre manager, Linda Christof, said the night was a resounding success and had earned the praise of visitors.
“It was great to see so many people from other regions, as far as Wollongong, Batemans Bay, Albury – there really was a large contingent from those other cities,” she said.
“It was amazing to celebrate the achievements of the various categories and I’m sure you’ll see these people on the national stage whether that be well-known musicals or overseas.
“It’s a great platform for people in the performing arts industry to take off and fulfill their careers.
“Theatre is live and well in regional centres, it’s the fabric of community and it’s really important that people support what’s going on in the arts.”