Actors Liam Jordan, Jason Triggs and Gabrielle O’Brien in the Athenaeum Theatre Company’s multi-award winning play Freedom of the City.By Kath Gannaway
LILYDALE Athenaeum Theatre Company’s production of Freedom of the City has scooped the pool at the Victorian Drama League Awards.
The production, a dramatisation of the events surrounding Ireland’s ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’, won best production, best director for Doug Bennett, best male supporting male actor Adrian Carr, best set production, best lighting production and best sound production.
The ATC presents four plays each year including comedy and drama in the mix.
ATC vice-president Alan Quantrell said Freedom of the City was a very challenging production but the VDL awards showed the skills at all levels available to the theatre.
“It was a difficult subject to broach and from a production point of view required a lot of skill from every facet of the theatre and that’s what we’ve been recognised for, the high level of skill and talent we have across the board.”
Mr Quantrell said nominations came from amateur theatre groups from all around Victoria.
“To get one award is good, but to get six is extra special,” he said. Mr Quantrell said the recognition is a wonderful moral booster for everyone involved in the theatre, but is also an excellent recommendation for future productions.
“Doug (Bennett) will be directing Shirley Valentine, our first show for 2009 so people know they have a skilled director, who is going to make a very good go at it,” he said.
Having finished 2007 on such a high, ATC members are now looking forward to the Lyre Bird Awards in February when they have no less than 18 nominations and three judges citations for their productions of The Cemetery Club, Freedom of the City and Nuncrackers. The Australia-wide awards will be announced at the Lyre Bird Awards dinner in February.
