AN all-rounder from the south coast who acts, designs sets and does the stage lighting for the Bay Theatre Players was announced as the ACTEWAGL and NSW Government Gold Cat winner at the glamorous showbiz awards night at Llewellyn Hall.

Matt Burgess, pictured, who also shared top honours for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for playing Daddy Warbucks in “Annie”, runs IGA supermarkets by day. He has been known to turn up at work wearing make-up but also works with a group of local dads on sets.

The annual glitzy theatrical night attracted punters from all around the region. Co-hosts, TV actor John Wood and musical identity Ian McLean, introduced the awardees and performers, the latter including former CATs winners-turned-professional, operatic soprano Lorina Gore and musical performer Brent Dolahenty.

The award winners are:

BEST SET DESIGNER FOR A PLAY, Gowrie Varma and Ellie Greenwood, “One Flea Spare”, NUTS, Canberra; BEST SET DESIGNER FOR A MUSICAL, Mark Bell, “Seussical The Musical”, Orange Theatre Company; BEST COSTUME DESIGNER FOR A PLAY, Helen Drum, “Arcadia”, Canberra Repertory Society; BEST COSTUME DESIGNER FOR A MUSICAL OR VARIETY SHOW, Sam Lloyd, “Annie”, Bay Theatre Players, Batemans Bay; BEST COSTUME DESIGNER FOR A SCHOOL OR YOUTH PRODUCTION, Lydia McNamara, “The Little Mermaid”, Shooting Star Talent, Wagga Wagga; BEST LIGHTING DESIGNER, Blake Thomas and Peter Telford, “Seussical The Musical”, Orange Theatre Company; TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT, Russell Brown, design and construction of the tortoise and the furniture, “Arcadia”, Canberra Repertory Society, and Maria Stewart, stage management, “Step into the Limelight: Signs”, ACT Education and Training Directorate; MAGIC MOMENT OF THEATRE, The Shrinking Witch, “The Wizard Of Oz”, Brindabella Christian College; BEST ORIGINAL WORK, Kirsty Budding, Script for “The Fairytale Channel”, Budding Theatre, Canberra; BEST ORIGINAL WORK FOR A SCHOOL OR YOUTH PRODUCTION, Romko Hordynsky, script, lyrics and music, “Ghost of a Chance”, Kinross Wolaroi School Preparatory School, Orange; BEST ENSEMBLE IN A PLAY, the cast, “Cosi”, John XXIII Dramatic Society; BEST ENSEMBLE IN A MUSICAL, the cast and pianist, “Rude, Crude and Musical”, Newstar Theatrical, Wollongong; AMB BEST ORCHESTRA FOR A SCHOOL OR YOUTH PRODUCTION, The Power, Karabar High School, Queanbeyan; Sarah Byrne BEST ORCHESTRA, Legally Blonde, Free-Rain Theatre Company; PATRICIA KELSON ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD, Jim Kretschmer, “Eden Dance Academy Concert”, Eden Dance Academy, Queanbeyan and Nick Anyos, directing, “The Witches”, Child Players ACT; BEST YOUTH ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY, Christopher Brookhouse, as Paul in “Moon Over Buffalo”, Lake Tuggeranong College; BEST YOUTH ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL, Pippin Carroll, as Sebastian in “The Little Mermaid”, Daramalan Theatre Company; BEST YOUTH ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY, Melissa Nuttall, as Ethel in “Moon Over Buffalo”, Lake Tuggeranong College; BEST YOUTH ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL, Courtney White, as Wednesday in “The Addams Family”, St Mary MacKillop College, and Janae Rosa, as Evilene in “The Wiz”, Marian Catholic College, Griffith; BEST YOUTH ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY, Jack Mahon, as Hubert in “It Runs in the Family”, Marist College; BEST YOUTH ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY, Belle Nicol, as Charlotte Hay in “Moon Over Buffalo”, Lake Tuggeranong College; BEST YOUTH ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL, William Rawson, as Crondike in “Ghost of a Chance”, Kinross Wolaroi School Preparatory School, Orange; BEST YOUTH ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL, Annalivia Keaveny, as Mabel in “The Pirates of Penzance”, Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts; BEST VARIETY PERFORMANCE BY AN INDIVIDUAL OR ENSEMBLE, Karabar High School, “Earth Song” in “The Power”, Karabar High School, Queanbeyan; BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE BY AN INDIVIDUAL OR ENSEMBLE, Senior and Advanced Senior Hip-hop team, “Dangerous’, Movies Musicals and Legends, “Legs” Dance, Canberra; BEST ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY, Michael Turczynski, as Manuel in Fawlty Towers, On 4 Young and Old, Burradoo; BEST ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL, Matthew Sykes, as French Taunter, Herbert’s Father and the Black Knight in “Spamalot”, ANU Interhall Productions; BEST ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY, Andrea Close, as Barbara Fordham in “August Osage County”, Free-Rain Theatre Company; BEST ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL, Eliza Shephard, as Patsy in “Spamalot”, ANU Interhall Productions and Jenna Roberts, as Paulette in “Legally Blonde”, Free-Rain Theatre Company; BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY, David Preston, as Jack Worthing in “The Importance of Being Earnest”, Pigs Fly Productions, Bowral; BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL, Ben O’Reilly, as Albin/Zaza in “La Cage aux Folles”, Supa Productions and Matt Burgess, as Daddy Warbucks in “Annie”, Bay Theatre Players, Batemans Bay; BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY, Karen Vickery, as Violet Weston in “August Osage County”, Free-Rain Theatre Company; BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL, Bronwyn Sullivan, as Norma Desmond in “Sunset Boulevard”, Queanbeyan City Council Richards Consulting BEST CHOREOGRAPHER FOR A MUSICAL OR VARIETY SHOW, Michelle Heine, “Legally Blonde”, Free-Rain Theatre Company; BEST MUSICAL DIRECTOR FOR A SCHOOL OR YOUTH PRODUCTION, Ruth Ellevsen, “The Pirates of Penzance”, Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts; BEST DIRECTOR OF A SCHOOL OR YOUTH PLAY, Emily Tutin, “Moon Over Buffalo”, Lake Tuggeranong College; BEST DIRECTOR OF A SCHOOL OR YOUTH MUSICAL, Lucy Smith, “The Little Mermaid”, Daramalan Theatre Company; BEST MUSICAL DIRECTOR, Nicholas Griffin, “Legally Blonde”, Free-Rain Theatre Company; Stage Whispers and DSP Productions BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY, Cate Clelland, “August Osage County”, Free-Rain Theatre Company; BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL OR VARIETY SHOW, Candy Burgess, “Annie”, Bay Theatre Players, Batemans Bay and Derek Walker, “Legally Blonde”, Free-Rain Theatre Company; BEST DANCE PRODUCTION, Movies Musicals and Legends, “Legs” Dance, Canberra; BEST PRODUCTION OF A SCHOOL OR YOUTH MUSICAL, “The Pirates of Penzance”, Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts; BEST PRODUCTION OF A SCHOOL OR YOUTH PLAY, “Moon Over Buffalo”, Lake Tuggeranong College; BEST PRODUCTION OF A VARIETY SHOW, “Rude, Crude and Musical”, Newstar Theatrical, Wollongong; BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY, “August Osage County” Free-Rain Theatre Company; BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL, “Annie”, Bay Theatre Players, Batemans Bay; BEST CONTRIBUTION (ON OR OFF STAGE) BY A SENIOR, Liz Bradley, “Steel Magnolias”, Canberra Repertory Society and “August Osage County”, Free-Rain Theatre Company, and Jim and Joyce Brindle, “Caught in the Net, Cooma Little Theatre; IN THE SPIRIT OF THE COMMUNITY AWARD, The Illawarra Youth Arts Project, “High School Musical”, for providing a supportive and caring environment for young people in the Illawarra that encourages participation in all areas of the creative arts; GOLD CAT AWARD, Matt Burgess, Bay Theatre Players, for outstanding achievement in set design, lighting and performance for the Bay Theatre Players.