Already named the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre earlier this year, Nottingham Playhouse is now celebrating two new award nominations. The Theatrical Management Association (TMA) has nominated ALICE REDMOND for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for the Playhouse’s nationwide hit TRACY BEAKER GETS REAL. Meanwhile, industry Bible The Stage has recognised the theatre’s innovative work in fostering new audiences, with its YOUNG CRITICS’ CIRCLE scheme amongst the nominees for Special Achievement in Regional Theatre. Both titles will be awarded next month during the TMA’s Theatre Awards ceremony.
ALICE REDMOND’s role as the tender-hearted Cam in TRACY BEAKER GETS REAL led to her nomination for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical. Written by Mary Morris, Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company’s hit family show marked the stage premiere of Jacqueline Wilson’s phenomenally popular teen tearaway. Alice Redmond brought great warmth to the part of Cam, the "lady writer" turned foster carer, and won widespread praise – with over 125,000 people enjoying her performance in 32 venues all around the UK.
Nominated for this year’s Stage Award for Special Achievement in Regional Theatre, Nottingham Playhouse’s YOUNG CRITICS’ CIRCLE scheme was launched in spring 2001 by Head of Marketing & Development Sally Anne Tye to give as many secondary school-aged people as possible a taste of live theatre. Students are given a free theatre ticket and a pre-show workshop with members of the cast or creative team, with their responses to the show later displayed on the theatre’s website www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk . Nottingham-based Experian were title sponsors of the scheme from 2002-2005. Last year Education Officer Sarah Stephenson successfully added a second group of dedicated senior students working towards the Arts Council’s Artsmark Silver Award and it was one of these students, Lara Newton, who put the scheme forward for the reader-nominated award, having attended Young Critics’ Circle for the past five years.
Playhouse Chief Executive Stephanie Sirr says: "The young critics are a real credit to Nottingham Playhouse - and we’re very proud to have nurtured a passion for theatre in dozens of young people since Critics Circle started in 2001. A TMA nomination is the icing on an already very impressive cake."
Nottingham Playhouse was named 2007’s Most Welcoming Theatre at the TMA’s Management Awards held in London in May, recognising its efforts to make every theatre visit as pleasurable as possible from start to finish. The winners of the Theatre Awards will be revealed at a star-studded ceremony hosted by Kwame Kwei-Armah at London’s Hampstead Theatre on 21 October.
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