I was determined to see more than 100 shows this year and on my rough count I made it to 187. (If I count Life and Times as three shows, I get to 190; and if I count all the short plays, I can bluff a 250+!)
Over December, we've heard what 51 people from Melbourne's theatre community loved in 2013, but here are my What I Loved awards.
There's still nothing shiny to take away.
As always, my criteria is simply what I loved the most; what shows and artists I remembered beyond the final applause.
Some were easy picks, while others were impossible to choose between and there are shows that I can't believe didn't make my own list!
Outstanding Artists 2013
WRITING
Patricia Cornelius for Savages, fortyfivedownstairs
Special mentions
May Jasper for Not a very good story, La Mama
Patricia Cornelius for Savages, fortyfivedownstairs
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| Patricia Cornelius |
May Jasper for Not a very good story, La Mama
Lally Katz for Stories I want to tell you in person, Malthouse Theatre, Belvoir
Sarah Hamilton and Justine Campbell for They saw a thylacine, Melbourne Fringe
DESIGN
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| Sunday in the Park with George |
Anna Cordingley for Sunday in the Park with George, Victoria Opera
and
Kate Davis for Story of O, The Rabble at NEON
and
Kate Davis for Story of O, The Rabble at NEON
Special mention
Eugyeene Teh, design; Russell Goldsmith, sound; Rob Sowinski, lighting for Palace of the End, Theatre Works
LIGHTING
PERFORMANCE
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| The Sovereign Wife |
Hannah Norris for Palace of the End, Theatre Works
and
Mary Helen Sassman for Story of O, The Rabble at NEON
and
Ash Flanders for The Sovereign Wife, Sisters Grimm at NEON
and
The cast of Death in the Family, Ward Theatre Company
Special mentions
(or who to watch out for, because wow!)
Peter Paltos
Emily Milledge
Emily Tomlins
Genevieve Giuffre
DIRECTION
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| Palace of the End |
Leticia Caceres for Constellations, MTC (and a special mention for The Tall Man, La Mama)
and
Emma Valente for Story of O, The Rabble at NEON
Special mentions
Daniel Clarke for Palace of the End, Theatre Works
Daniel Lammin for Columbine, MUST
Stephen Nicolazzo for Psycho Beach Party
EVERYTHING THEY DO ROCKS
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| Summertime in the Garden of Eden |
Marg Horwell for her astonishing design for Constellations, MTC; By their own hands, The Hayloft Project at NEON; Savages, fortyfivedownstairs; and Summertime in the garden of Eden, Sisters Grimm and Theatre Works.
Marg consistently bring a visual narrative that's far beyond what the writers could ever have imagined, but makes the world look like it could never have been anything else.
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| Story of O |
and
The Rabble for Story of O at NEON, and Room of Regret, Theatre Works at Melbourne Festival.
I've run out of words to describe this company. I love them to pieces. All I know is that there's nothing on a Rabble stage that feels out of place. For a company with such a complex improvisational development process, they let process be process and only bring what's absolutely necessary to the stage.
Outstanding Productions 2012
CABARET
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| Between the Cracks |
Stranger, Geraldine Quinn at Melbourne Fringe.
COMMERCIAL SHOW
Constellations, MTC
and
War Horse, National Theatre of Great Britain and Global Creatures in association with Arts Centre Melbourne
Constellations, MTC
and
War Horse, National Theatre of Great Britain and Global Creatures in association with Arts Centre Melbourne
MUSICAL
Sunday in the Park with George, Victorian Opera
and
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| Flowerchildren: The Mamas and Papas Story |
Sunday in the Park with George, Victorian Opera
and
Wolf Creek, the Musical, at Melbourne Fringe
COMEDY
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| Happiness is a bedside table |
Happiness is a bedside table, Hannah Gadsby at Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Special mentions
 |
| Slutmonster and friends |
Slutmonster and Friends at Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Famoucity!, Lessons with Luis at at Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Famoucity!, Lessons with Luis at at Melbourne International Comedy Festival
And the Melbourne Ring Cycle was very cool, even the not-for-review dress rehearsals.
BEST OF THE BEST
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| The Rape of Lucrece |
The Rape of Lucrece, Royal Shakespeare Company, Arts Projects Australia
Einstein on the Beach, Arts Centre Melbourne, Pomegranate Arts
Story of O, The Rabble at NEON
The Sovereign Wife, Sisters Grimm at NEON
Kids Killing Kids, MKA and Q Theatre Company at Melbourne Fringe
MY FAVOURITE SHOW OF 2013
