ACADEMY AWARD nominee Taika “I think I’m hilarious” Cohen stole the show as the “last minute” MC for the Chapman Tripp Theatre awards on Sunday.
His endearing forgetfulness had the audience cracking up at the St James Theatre as he repeatedly neglected to read out the names of the nominees in each category, and frequently ignored his script – preferring to adlib.
“It says ‘acress’,” Cohen said pointing at his script before announcing the nominees for the Supporting Actress of the Year award. He joked about getting rid of Eli Kent (The Intricate Art of Actually Caring writer) because he is so talented, and lamented that Ruth Pretty’s catering was getting cold upstairs.
Collapsing Creation raised the bar of fantastic theatre in 2009 winning the Production of the Year award. The show also earned Arthur Meek the Outstanding New Playwright of the Year award, the Outstanding New NZ Play of the Year, and Christopher Brougham – who played Joseph Gardiner in the play – the award for Supporting Actor of the Year.
Crowd favourite Erin Banks picked up Actress of the Year for her portrayal of an “ugly girl who thinks she is pretty” in A Brief History of Helen of Troy, while Jed Brophy took home the award for Actor of the Year for his one show of the year The Blackening.
For the first time in the 18 years the Chappies have been running there were joint winners for the Director of the Year award – Leo Gene Peters (Death and the Dreamlife of Elephants) and Tim Spite (Biography of my Skin).
“Stuart directed me how to direct Miranda,” says Spite. “And Miranda directed me how to ignore Stuart.”
The Award winners are selected from 100 professional NZ productions performed in Wellington theatres by a panel of Theatre Critics: Lynn Freeman  – Capital Times,  Harry Ricketts – Arbiter, Laurie Atkinson – The Dominion Post, Elspeth Sandys – The Listener, John Smythe – Theatreview, Uther Dean – Salient and Helen Simms – The Lumiere Reader.


Winning theatre -

Montana Award for Most Original Production of the Year
The Intricate Art Of Actually Caring – The Playground Collective

Downstage Theatre Award for the Most Promising Male Newcomer of the Year
Jack Sergent-Shadbolt – The Intricate Art Of Actually Caring

Circa Award donated by TACT for the Most Promising Female Newcomer of the Year
Sophie Roberts – Wolf’s Lair

Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School & Victoria University of Wellington Award for the Most Promising New Director of the Year
Eleanor Bishop – The Intricate Art Of Actually Caring

The Theatre Awards Trust Award for Costume Designer of the Year
Dawa Devereux – A Most Outrageous Humbug

Grouse Lighting Award for Lighting Designer of the Year
Adam Walker – Death And The Dreamlife Of Elephants

Weta Workshop Award For Set Designer of the Year
Tracey Monastra – Death And The Dreamlife Of Elephants

Western Audio Engineering Award for Sound Designer of the Year
Stephen Gallagher – The Blackening

Constance Scott Kirkcaldie Award for Outstanding Composer of Music
Erika Grant, Isaac Smith & Amanda Mclean – Bedlam

Peter Harcourt Award for Outstanding New Playwright of the Year Sponsored by Bats Theatre & Taki Rua Productions
Arthur Meek – Collapsing Creation

The Orbit Corporate Travel Award for Supporting Actress of the Year
Michelle Amas – Rock ‘n’ Roll

Chapman Tripp Award for Supporting Actor of the Year
Christopher Brougham – Collapsing Creation

Mayor’s Award For Significant Contribution to the Theatre
Bill Sheat

The Absolutely Positively Outstanding New New Zealand Play of the Year
Collapsing Creation – Arthur Meek

Eat Wellington Accolade for Outstanding Performance
Miranda Harcourt – Biography Of My Skin

St James Theatre Charitable Trust Accolade for Outstanding Performance
Geraldine Brophy – Blood Wedding

Chapman Tripp Award for Actress of the Year
Erin Banks – A Brief History Of Helen Of Troy

Gail Cowan Management & Odd Management Award for Actor of the Year
Jed Brophy – The Blackening

The Museum Hotel Award for Director of the Year
Joint winners:
Leo Gene Peters – Death And The Dreamlife Of Elephants
Tim Spite – Biography Of My Skin

Chapman Tripp Award for Production of the Year
Collapsing Creation – Downstage Theatre and Conditional Productions