Bristol Old Vic Nominated for Three Prestigious UK Theatre Awards

Bristol Old Vic is celebrating three nominations in the UK Theatre Awards 2017. The phenomenal new musical The Grinning Man from director Tom Morris, picks up two nominations, with Best Performance in a Musical for lead Louis Maskell and a Best Design nomination for Jon Bausor. While the sparkling co-production The Rivals (Bristol Old Vic, Citizens Theatre and Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse) also receives a nomination for best supporting performance for Lucy Briggs-Owen.

Speaking of the nominations, Bristol Old Vic Executive Producer Chloe Elwood said: "The Grinning Man was by far the most ambitious and creatively daring production of our 250th anniversary season. It perfectly encapsulated the creative ethos of Bristol Old Vic and featured a constellation of talents. We're delighted that the phenomenal Louis Maskell has been recognised for his work in creating the role of Grinpayne, and that the visionary Jon Bausor is similarly acknowledged for leading the design team who created the world he inhabited."

"Lucy Briggs-Owen completely transformed the way in which you viewed the character of Lydia Languish in the brilliant revival of The Rivals from director Dominic Hill. Lucy is an actress of fierce talent and creativity and her performance opened up this 18th-century play to a whole new generation of theatre goers. It goes without saying, she was also hysterically funny and a joy to watch."

Chloe Elwood continued: "We are thrilled whenever the work we create here in Bristol is recognised on a national level. These nominations are a lovely acknowledgement of the extraordinary 250th anniversary year we had in 2016 which was shared by so many people in Bristol. We're proud to be flying the flag for the city".

The UK Theatre Awards celebrate regional theatre achievements, creative excellence and the outstanding work both on and off stage in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. They are recognised as the regional equivalent to the Olivier Awards for productions that take place outside London. Winners will be announced on the 15 October at an awards ceremony taking place at Guildhall in central London, which will be hosted by Olivier Award-winning actress Sharon D Clarke.

Julian Bird, Chief Executive of UK Theatre, said: "This year's nominations demonstrate the extraordinary breadth of work being written, directed and performed across the United Kingdom. The performing arts are one of the country's most dynamic and progressive industries, shaped by incredibly talented individuals and companies, on and off stage."

To post a comment, you must register and login.