Theatr Clwyd, Buxton and Everyman win UK Theatre awards
Mold's Theatr Clwyd has won this year's UK Theatre award for Most Welcoming Theatre, while also achieving success away from home with the award for Excellence in Touring.
The award follows the theatre's year-long, multi-million-pound refurbishment and reopening with bright new public spaces, which put Theatr Clwyd ahead of fellow nominees, Nottingham Playhouse and the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds.
Nominees are judged on venue buildings and commitment to accessibility, outreach projects and interactions with theatregoers, staff and the local community.
The touring award was presented for Clwyd's production of Under Milk Wood, which beat Northern Ballet's Gentleman Jack and East Anglican Touring Consortium's Caroline, a New Musical.
Another winner from this part of the world was Buxton Opera House, whose Connecting for Creativity team won the award for Excellence in Arts Education.
The project brought together local pupils and care-home residents to share, create, and perform local stories.
Across several months, students worked alongside professional freelance workers to capture stories from home residents, transforming them into live performances presented on stage in March.
A third regional winner was Liverpool Everyman's May production of The Assassination Of Margaret Thatcher by Alexandra Wood, adapted from renowned author Hilary Mantel's short story of the same title. It picked up the best design award for Ceci Calf's set.
Round-ing off the list of regional winners was Blackpool Grand, which won the Excellence in Workforce Culture award, ahead of Swindon Theatres and the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff.
The awards proved near-misses for other northern companies: Jim Cartwright's Road from the Royal Exchange in Manchester, and the Leeds Playhouse production of Small Island were runners-up for best play, while Calendar Girls, the Musical - a co-production by Bolton Octagon (currently playing there), the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Theatre by the Lake and the New Wolsey Theatre, was pipped for best musical. Sheffield Theatres' Abigail Graham was beaten to the best director award by Tom Littler for productions of Love's Labours Lost and Much Ado About Nothing in Guildford.
More info and winners here
