Performers Zanetti and Rooke take out Matilda Awards this year

Two performers have won Matilda Awards this year: Steven Rooke and Melanie Zanetti (pictured) won a Matilda each, while Marcel Dorney (playwright) Simone de Haas (artistic director) and Josh McIntosh (designer) took out the other three prestigious awards at the official ceremony in Brisbane last night….

Last night, the Judith Wright Centre rolled out the red carpet for the 25^th annual Matilda Awards.

Each year the Matilda Awards (the Oscars of Brisbane theatre), present five awards for outstanding contribution in any field within the theatre industry. The awards can be given for a single production, or for a body of work.

This year, the five major awards went to:

Simone de Haas for ‘her artistic direction of Mixed Company and directing, designing and acting in its body of work’.

Steven Rooke for ‘his body of performance work in 2011 including Julius Caesar, No Man’s Land and The Removalists’.

Josh McIntosh for ‘his set and costume designs for Harvest Rain Theatre Company and body of work’.

Marcel Dorney for ‘his script Fractions’.

Melanie Zanetti for ‘her performance in Pygmalion’.

Each year, ten commendations are also made specified categories.

The ten commendations were as follows:

Best New Australian Work went to Fractions.

Best Independent Production was shared by Animal Farm and Amadeus.

Best Mainstage Production went to Pygmalion.

Best Director was shared by Michael Gow (No Man’s Land) and Michael Futcher (Animal Farm).

Best Male Actor in a Leading Role went to Paul Bishop for Edward Gant’s Amazing Feats of Loneliness.

Best Female Actor in a Leading Role went to Melanie Zanetti for Pygmalion.

Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role went to Steven Rooke for No Man’s Land.

Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role went to Carol Burns for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Best Design went to Renee Mulder for the set design of Edward Gant’s Amazing Feats of Loneliness.

Best Musical went to Cabaret by Zen Zen Zo.

Judges this year included veteran theatre reviewers Alison Coates and Sue Gough, who established the Matildas together in 1987.

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees – the accolades are very well deserved. With productions, actors, directors, playwrights and designers like these around, Brisbane audiences are also winners.