Geelong’s

Virtual Oscars 2010

The Best of the Best of 2010

GEELONG'S annual Virtual Oscars recognise excellence in the region's theatre performers and performances. They are awarded by a panel of no-nonsense reviewers from the entertainmentgeelong.com website chaired by editor Colin Mockett.
The 2010 Awards took a particularly wide sweep - 16 different productions from ten different companies drew nominations in our eight sections. There were some surprises - the top award of Best Production was taken by Footlight Productions for the second consecutive year, marking the first time a company has taken back-to-back awards and an astonishing achievement for a company that’s only been around since 2003.  But the brand-new Parcell Productions may have exceeded even this by gaining nominations in every section, 9 in all, picking up four awards for a single musical in its inaugural year. We’ll be really interested to see what Parnell does in 2011. Other productions that attracted multiple nominations in our 2010 awards were: Geelong Rep’s The Cripple Of Innesmaan, which garnered 6 nominations, Geelong Lyric’s The Sound Of Music and Rep’s ‘Allo ‘Allo each with five nominations; and Rep’s The Woman In Black, which drew three. 
Yet among the new companies and fresh faces, our top acting honours both went to seasoned performers, with Rep president Bryan Eaton taking our Best Male Lead Actor award in a season when he took on three  major lead roles - in Rep's The Cripple Of Innesmaan,  The Woman In Black and Peninsula Players’ A Month Of Sundays, as well as appearing as a Grumpy Old Man in Drop Of A Hat’s live stand-up comedy.  Our Best Female Lead Virtual Oscar was deservedly won by Jocelyn Mackay, for her role as Maria in Lyric’s West Side Story. The Best Stage Director Virtual Oscar had to be doubled up - it went to sisters Sam Symons and Narelle Bonnici for their smooth and virtually faultless Parcell Productions musical You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown;  a show that also provided our  Our Best Supporting Male Actor Virtual Oscar, going to Jared Smith who played Linus - and Jared also played Sir Robin in Lyric’s Spamalot.
Our Best Supporting Female Actor Virtual Oscar was taken by Madelaine Field for her part as the beautifully, gloriously vicious Helen McCormick in Rep’s The Cripple Of Innesmaan while our Most Refreshing Newcomer Award went to an experienced player on Geelong’s stages who has taken a step up. Musician  Michael Wilding has been an ever-present rehearsal pianist and orchestra player for many Geelong companies over the years,  but Lyric’s The Sound Of Music was the first time that he had picked up the Musical Director’s baton - and he did a superb job.  And to finish a year of triumph for the Parcell Productions premiers - our final Oscar for The  Most Innovative Feature went again to those talented Bonneci sisters for their choreography and stageing in the almost faultless You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.

The chosen ones have journeyed in virtual limosines to our cyber red carpet and been called for photographs with their virtual trophies, so...  Here are the  2010

entertainmentgeelong.com Virtual Oscar Award WINNERS

2010 Best Stage Production in Geelong

directed by Martin Croft for Footlight Productions Playhouse Theatre, February, 2010.

Also nominated in this section:

Geelong Rep's The Cripple Of Innesmaan

Geelong Rep's The Woman In Black

Parcell Productions' You're A Good Man Charlie Brown

Lyric Theatre’s The Sound Of Music

2010 Geelong Best Director Virtual Oscar

Sam Symons and Narelle Bonnici

Also nominated in this section:

Martin Croft (Footlight's West Side Story)

Elaine Mitchell & Heather Dempsey (TOWU Confusions)

Kelly Clifford (Rep's The Woman In Black)

Michael Baker (TTT’s God Willing)

2010 Best Female Lead Actor Virtual Oscar

for  Maria in The Sound Of Music Lyric Theatre Company, Playhouse Theatre October 2010

Also nominated in this section:

Cherie Mills (Rep's View From The Bridge)
Miriam Wood (TOWU Confusions)
Michaela Powell (Parcell’s Charlie Brown)
Rhiannon Hodgkinson (TTT’s God Willing)
Mary Steuten (Rep's Allo Allo)
Liz Lester (Medimime’s Queen of Hearts)

2010 Best Male Lead Actor Virtual Oscar

Best Supporting Male Actor Virtual Oscar

Best Supporting Female Actor Virtual Oscar

Also nominated in this section:

Mary Steuten (Rep's Cripple of Innesmaan)

Narelle Bonnici (Lyric's Spamalot)

Cherie Mills (Parcell’s Charlie Brown)

Terri Powell (Lyric’s Sound Of Music)

Davina Smith Crowley (Lyric’s Sound Of Music)

Lisa Berry (TTT’s God Willing)

Most Refreshing Newcomer Virtual Oscar

Also nominated in this section:

Felicia Frangapane (Rep's View From The Bridge)

Lyndon Watts (Parcell’s Charlie Brown)

Laura Simko (GSODA Juniors Bright Lights)

Ben McNaughton (GSODA Juniors Bright Lights)

Camden Tilley (Rep’s Allo Allo)

Most Innovative Feature Virtual Oscar

Also nominated in this section:

Elaine Mitchell, Heather Dempsey (TOWU’s Confusion's stark white set)

Iris Walshe-Howling and Kirstin Honey (APA’s Medea Project's Greek Chorus)

Sally Smith & Ed Dolista (costumes & special effects for Woman In Black)

Janet Brown (for her script adaptation, Le Jardin De Ma Mere)

Warmest congratulations to all our winners

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