CANBERRA theatre buffs gathered at Rep’s Theatre in Acton this week for “CATS Interrupted” an informal recognition of excellence by the CAT Awards as they emerge from covid and a period of dormancy.

The idea, CATS founder Coralie Wood, told us, was to make those people who had made a significant contribution to the theatre scene in the region over past two years, but in a very much scaled-down event accompanied by drinks and seasonal jollity.

The recipients of the “Cats Interrupted” 2020 -2021 awards are as follows:

• ANU MED REVUE for the originality and contemporary relevance of “Dr Wonka and the Whitecoat Factory”;
• “THE DROWSY CHAPERONE,” directed by Candy Burgess Bay Theatre Players, Batemans Bay;
• MATHEW BURGESS as the Man in Chair in “The Drowsy Chaperone” Bay Theatre Players;
• SIOBHAN McCULLOUGH for her solo dance in “High Kix” Bom Funk Dance Studio, Canberra;
• ANDRE LE as Michael Mell in “Be More Chill,” Budding Theatre, Canberra;
• MATTHEW JOHNSTON as Doody in “Grease,” Canberra Grammar School The Grease Band Directed by Lizzy Collier, Canberra Grammar School;
• “JERSEY BOYS” Directed by Jim McMullen, Musical direction by Caleb Campbell Canberra Philharmonic Society;
• JARED NEWALL as Frankie Valli in “Jersey Boys;”
• “ABSURD PERSON SINGULAR,” The ensemble cast Canberra Repertory Society;
• ANDREW KAY for multiple set designs for Canberra Repertory Society;
• JAMIE BOYD as Eugene Jerome in “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” Canberra Repertory Society;
• KAREN VICKERY for direction of “Brighton Beach Memoirs;”
• LIZ ST CLAIR LONG as Big Mama in “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof,” Canberra Repertory Society;
• TEIG SADHANA as Brick in “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof;”
• MAX GAMBALE as Henry in “Cosi,” Canberra Repertory Society
• “COSI,” directed by Sophie Benassi Canberra Repertory Society;
• PIPPIN CARROLL as Wyndham Brandon in “Rope,” Canberra Repertory Society;
• JOSH WISEMAN & RYAN STREET as Charles Granillo and Rupert Cadell in “Rope”;
• QUENTIN MITCHELL & NATHAN SCIBERRAS for set and lighting design in “Rope” and “What The Butler Saw,” Canberra Repertory Society;
• LIZ BRADLEY for direction of “What The Butler Saw”;
• “THE GRAPES OF WRATH” for its production values and the relationship between the cast and set Canberra Repertory Society;
• HARRY LEWIS as the MC in “Downtown – The Musical,” Chevalier College, Bowral;
• LORRAINE BENNETT for providing consistent high-quality training at the Classical Ballet Centre, Canberra;
• BONNIE NEATE & SUZI PIANI for choreography in “Unveiled,” Dance Central, Canberra;
• HELEN MCFARLANE as Tanya in “Mamma Mia!” Free-Rain Theatre Company, Canberra;
• LOUIZA BLOMFIELD as Donna Sheridan in “Mamma Mia!”;
• ALEXANDER UNIKOWSKI for musical direction of “Mamma Mia!”;
• “MOTHERHOOD THE MUSICAL,” The ensemble cast. Lieder Theatre, Goulburn;
• “LES MISERABLES,” for inspired restaging due to a Covid venue change Directed by Laura Turner and Jane McIntosh, Nowra;
• ANGLICAN COLLEGE, Lyn Townsend and team for costumes in “Wicked,” Parkes Musical & Dramatic Society;
• AARON KINGHAM as Dr Dillamond in “Wicked”;
• CHARLENE ZULKAPI as Jasmine in “Aladdin Jr,” Pied Piper Productions, Canberra;
• “TOO DARN HOT” in “Kiss Me, Kate,” Choreography by Lauren Chapman Queanbeyan Players;
• LOUISE GASPARI as Mother Abbess in “The Sound of Music,” Queanbeyan Players;
• LYDIA MILOSAVLJECIC as Maria in “The Sound of Music;”
• KIMMIE JONCESKI as Rizzo in “Grease,” SoPopera Productions, Wollongong;
• JAYDEN SIERRA as Frankie Valli in “Jersey Boys,” SoPopera Productions;
• PETER COPELAND for musical direction of “Jersey Boys,” SoPopera Productions, Wollongong;
• ROBYN WHITBY and team for costumes in “The Little Mermaid,” Spectrum Theatre Group, Merimbula;
• LEO MARRIS as the Beast in “Beauty And The Beast,” St Edmund’s College, Canberra;
• KARA MURPHY as Belle in “Beauty And The Beast,” St Edmund’s College, Canberra;
• JO DARBY as Pauline Salas in “Death And The Maiden,” Wagga Wagga School of Arts Inc;
• SOACT Idris Stanbury & Benjamin Martin for lighting design in “Interrobang!?” Warehouse Circus, Canberra;

COMMENDATIONS:

• The late BRIAN SUDDING for his huge contribution to theatre over 50 years particularly in set design in the Canberra Region;
• AUSTRALIAN DANCE & DRAMA COMPANY for inclusive casting of special needs performers and online rehearsals for “Aladdin Jr,” Moorebank;
• THE FOUR SEASONS Jared Newall, Dave Smith, Jonathon Rush, Zach Johnson and Luke Ferdinands, Darcy Kinsella, Angus Saunders, Steven O’Mara and Marcel Cole in “Jersey Boys,” Canberra Philharmonic Society;
• CANBERRA REPERTORY SOCIETY for continuing to mount and rehearse seasons and presenting seven shows despite audience limitations;
• KATE PRICE for a stellar career of directing and drama teaching at Chevalier College, Bowral;
• DREAMCOAT PRODUCTIONS for donating all profits from “Mamma Mia!” to Sapphire Coast Social Justice to help their work in bushfire relief in the local community;
• BEGA FANTASY STUDIOS for their inspired ad libbing and interaction with the audience in “The Trail To Oregon;”
• GUNGAHLIN COLLEGE THEATRE COMPANY for rehearsing online and opening their production of “Away” only one week after lockdown;
• LAUREN CHAPMAN as encouragement for choreography in “Kiss Me, Kate,” Queanbeyan Players;
• QUEANBEYAN PLAYERS for persisting through tow production postponements and triumphantly staging “The Sound Of Music”;
• SAMUEL GUMBRELL and team for videography to stream “The Sound Of Music,” Queanbeyan Players;
• JIMMY RIZK for stepping in on the morning of the matinee to learn the role of Sonny and also play Doody in “Grease,” SoPopera Productions, Wollongong;
• “THE LITTLE MERMAID,” directed and choreographed by Amber Little Spectrum Theatre Group, Merimbula;
• WAREHOUSE CIRCUS for rehearsing cast online and by phone while locked down in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra and then presenting “Interrobang!?” in a new venue;
• THE PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTIVE for mounting productions of “Heathers” and “Moana Jr,” Nowra;
• JOE MCGRAIL-BATEUP for 20 years of voiceovers supporting the CAT Awards presentations.