The Lowry wins MEN Horniman Award for Outstanding Services to Theatre
At the glittering Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards ceremony 2000 held today (Tues 12th December), it was announced that The Lowry had won the special Horniman award for Outstanding Services to Theatre and converted 4 of its 13 nominations to awards for theatre events ranging from Best Dance to Best Visiting Production.
Alan Hulme, the MEN's theatre editor explains: "The Lowry is the most important development in North west theatre in our lifetime and richly deserves this very special award."
The Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards nominated 13 productions in 7 categories for theatre events at The Lowry. The Lowry received three out of the five nominations for Best Dance - Paris Opera Ballet's La Bayadere, Birmingham Royal Ballet's Triple Bill and the overall winner was Adventures in Motion Pictures' sizzling production of The Car Man. Two out of the three opera nominations were also for performances at The Lowry - Opera North's Genoveva and the overall winner was Psappha's Mr Emmet Takes A Walk.
For Best Visiting Production, Shared Experience Theatre's production of A Doll's House was nominated as well as the Royal National Theatre's The Oresteia who was announced as the overall winner. In the category for Best Special Entertainment, Mark Little's Defending The Caveman was nominated. For Best Fringe Performer, Karina Foxworth-Jones was nominated for her lead role in Feelgood Theatre's production of Crystal Clear.
The Lowry received three out of the five nominations for Best Actress in a visiting production. These were for Anne-Marie Duff in Shared Experience Theatre's A Doll's House, Prunella Scales for her role in A Cherry Orchard by English Touring Theatre and Helen Schlesinger in the Royal National Theatre's The Oresteia and the overall winner was Anne-Marie Duff in Shared Experience Theatre's production of A Dolls House. Best Actor in visiting production included a nomination for Gerard Murphy's performances in Birmingham Repertory Theatre's Hamlet and Twelfth Night.
Robert Robson, The Lowry's Theatres Director: "We are deeply honoured and privileged to have received so many nominations and awards. It is testimony to the quality of theatre that The Lowry is offering to a growing North West audience."
The Lowry's theatres programme has been extremely successful with sell-out shows ranging from dance and drama to Sing along to the sound of music and childrens' shows like The Phoenix and the Carpet. The Lowry has established itself as a top comedy venue in the North West with sellout shows of Harry Hill, Ruby Wax, Jeff Green, Phil Jupitus and the FHM comedy tour.
January's theatre programme includes the British premiere of Peter Hall's TANTALUS with the Denver Center Theatre Company in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company. The Spring theatre season for 2001 will be announced in the next few days. To join The Lowry's mailing list, please call the box office and information line on 0161 876 2000.
The Lowry has exceeded all expectations with a total of 659,271 visitors in the first seven months of opening.
Posted on Sunday, 10 December 2000 under Press General Press