Theatre awards: how many can we support?

By Helen Musa

WITH the announcement that the long-awaited “Ovations” awards for theatre will be run at the Hellenic Club on February 10, the question arises as to just how many theatre awards a modestlysized city can support?

The “Ovations”, according to president Michael Sparks, were established as an incorporated not-for-profit community association in 2020 after a wide-ranging series of community meetings, to acknowledge excellence in local dance, musical theatre and theatre.

But this move itself had followed the announcement that the CAT Awards, after 25 years of operation, were to be wound up on June 30 of the same year after a dramatic drop in Canberra membership, complaints about the cost of entry and controversy over the suitability of judges.

But confusion set in almost immediately, because although the CATS had been wound up as a registered company in 2020, they were immediately resuscitated by founding CAT mother Coralie Wood, who re-registered the name, retained the membership-based structure and her team of roving judges, and determined to maintain focus, not just on local theatre but on schools and amateur companies from around the region.

On December 18, an awards night was held at Theatre 3 under the new official CATS name, the Combined Area Theatre Awards, a nod to the regional basis of the present-day awards, which had been bolstered by generous grants from the NSW government through former Deputy Premier and member for Monaro, John Barilaro.

The Ovations Awards, in contrast, are specifically limited to the Canberra and Queanbeyan region. Like the CATS, they are membershipbased, with joining fees ranging from $20 to $85 and judged by members of the performing arts community, with strict conflict-of-interest restrictions set in place.

There are many familiar categories, such as Best Director, Best Lead Female Performance, Best Hair and Make-up Design, to name a few at random.

A special award – the Standing Ovation – will be presented to someone who goes above and beyond in the performing arts, nominated by companies taking part in the awards.

The Ovations Inaugural Awards Evening, Hellenic Club Woden, 6.30pm, Friday, February 10. The full list of nominees at ovations.org.au ferent decade to look back on and laugh at.

It’s not Eric Forman and his teenage gang of friends who are front and centre though. They’ve grown up and got on with their lives.

Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith have reprised their roles as Kitty and Red Forman – Eric’s mum and dad, who step into the spotlight here.

While the quirky couple originally had minor roles in “That ‘70s Show”, throughout the series’ eight seasons they became two of the most popular characters.

Now it’s grandchildren they have to worry about. Eric’s daughter Leia has come to visit them in Wisconsin and falls in with a new generation of Point Place teens for Kitty and Red to manage.

Like its predecessor, “That ‘90s Show” is a sitcom duck soup. It asks no more of its audience than to enjoy its straightforward sense of humour and starry eyed look at decades gone by.

Absolutely one for fans of the original show.

GOING from NRL to filmmaking is an intriguing change of career path but that’s exactly what Matt Nable has done.

“Transfusion”, the latest Aussie action flick to Stan, is the directorial debut of Nable who many will know played for Manly and South Sydney in the ‘90s.

In later years he’s had acting gigs strewn throughout Aussie dramas but now he’s tried his hand at directing.

In “Transfusion” Hollywood heavyweight Sam Worthington plays Ryan Logan, a former sniper for the Australian Army who struggles to readjust to normal life after returning home from Iraq.

When approached by one of his retired special forces colleagues with a deal to make some dirty money, the two quickly get in over their heads and are forced to escape the maze of Australia’s criminal underworld.

Anyone who has seen a Liam Neeson, Bruce Willis or Jason Statham B-grade action movie has seen this before.

The movie does have the ability to thrill at certain moments, but is otherwise an excruciatingly predictable affair.

Worthington does admittedly bring some nuance to the role, but it’s not enough to save the sadly uninspired action flick.

Bit of a crash back to Earth for Sam given his recent frolicking around with animated blue people on Pandora again.