Theatre group wins big at awards

The story won Best Production, Male Performance, Design and Director

Dundee Rep is celebrating winning four honours at the Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS).

Keith Fleming and Gerry Mulgrew jointly picked up Best Male Performance for their roles as Peer Gynt.

Naomi Wilkinson won the Best Design category and Dominic Hill was named Best Director.

The Rep also won Best Production for Peer Gynt, a reworking of Henrik Ibsen's story about a man's journey in search of fame and fortune.

Artistic director of Dundee Rep, James Brining, said: "We are absolutely delighted that our work in the last year has been recognised in this way.

"We have a very dedicated and talented staff at the Rep and these awards are a measure of just how strong and committed the team is."

'Rare productions'

Joyce McMillan, co-convener of the CATS awards, said she knew the production would transform a "revered classic into a real play for today".

She added: "The production also stands as a tremendous reminder of what an ensemble company of actors can achieve when they have been working together for long enough to establish huge levels of trust with each other and with the audience - tremendous heights of imagination and daring, inspiration and brilliance."

Amy Manson won the Best Female Performance award

Winners were chosen in 10 categories and included:

• Edinburgh-based Wee Stories picked up the Best Production for Children and Young People for The Emperor's New Kilt

• The Best Female Performance was won by Amy Manson for Six Characters in Search of an Author at the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh

• The Best Use of Music and Sound Award went to Alasdair Macrae for Vanishing Point's production, Subway

• The Best Technical Presentation Award went to Angels In America, a Citizens' Theatre/ Headlong/ Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith production

• One of the most hotly contested categories was the Best New Play which was won by Alan Wilkins for Carthage Must be Destroyed - commissioned and staged by the Traverse Theatre

• The Best Ensemble Award went to Borderline Theatre Company for The Wall.