SINGAPORE - B*tch: The Origin Of The Female Species, a two-hander about a man and his dog, won Production of the Year at the M1-The Straits Times Life Theatre Awards on Monday (April 10) but the crowd favourite was family drama Falling, staged by Pangdemonium.
It won the Readers' Choice award for Production Of The Year, netting the most votes in an online poll where readers could lobby for their favourite show of the previous year.
Falling also won director Tracie Pang her first Best Director award and also netted Best Actor and Best Actress prizes for newcomer Andrew Marko and veteran Tan Kheng Hua.
In total, 15 awards were given out at the M1-The Straits Times Life Theatre Awards on Monday at the Esplanade Recital Studio. The annual awards highlight the best of Singapore theatre in the previous year and were started by The Straits Times Life in 2001.
Telecoms company M1 was on board this year for the third time as title sponsor. The awards are also organised in collaboration with the Esplanade - Theatres On The Bay.
Most of the awards were judged by a panel of five comprising an arts educator and arts reviewers from the Singapore Press Holdings stable of newspapers.
An award for children's theatre, Best Production for the Young, was judged by a separate panel of five, including arts educators and journalists. This award has been organised with the National Arts Council since last year. It was won by The Magic Lantern, a folktale told through puppets and staged by Paper Monkey Theatre and the Esplanade.
The Winners
Production Of The Year: B*tch: The Origin Of The Female Species (Edith Podesta, presented by M1 Singapore Fringe Festival)
Production Of The Year (Readers' Choice): Falling (Pangdemonium)
Best Production For The Young : The Magic Lantern (Paper Monkey Theatre/ Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay)
Best Director: Tracie Pang for Falling (Pangdemonium)
Best Original Script: Edith Podesta for B*tch: The Origin Of The Female Species (Edith Podesta, presented by M1 Singapore Fringe Festival)
Best Actor: Andrew Marko for Falling (Pangdemonium)
Best Actress: Tan Kheng Hua for Falling (Pangdemonium)
Best Supporting Actor: Lian Sutton for Electra (Cake Theatrical Productions)
Best Supporting Actress: Sukania Venugopal for Ghost Writer (The Necessary Stage)
Best Ensemble: Red Sky (Nine Years Theatre)
Best Lighting Design: James Tan for Red Sky (Nine Years Theatre)
Best Set Design: Wong Chee Wai for Lord Of The Flies (Sight Lines Productions and Blank Space Theatre)
Best Sound Design: Philip Tan for Electra (Cake Theatrical Productions)
Best Costume Design: Max Tan and Yuan Zhiying of MAX.TAN for Manifesto (Drama Box and The Necessary Stage)
Best Multimedia Design: Loo Zihan for Manifesto (Drama Box and The Necessary Stage)
