I sit on judging panels that have very specific criteria, but the criteria for this list remains simple: What did I love the most? And I've now added: Would I (did I) see it again?
The most popular show on from the What Melbourne Loved series was Backstage in Biscuitland. Tourettes Hero, we'd love you to visit us again.
Outstanding Artists 2016
WRITING
 |
| The Listies: Prince of Skidmark. Photo by Prudence Upton |
Declan Greene and The Listies for Hamlet: Prince of Skidmark, Sydney Theatre Company
(Melbourne season please.)
Special mentions
David Finnigan for Kill Climate Deniers at Melbourne Fringe and the script
Sammy J for Hero Complex at Melbourne International Comedy Festival
DESIGN
Andrew Bailey (set) for Lungs at MTC
Paul Jackson (lighting) for Picnic at Hanging Rock at Malthouse
Eugyeene Teh (set and costume) for Blaque Showgirls at Malthouse
Special mentions
The Making Space team (Bronwyn Pringle, Melanie Liertz, Pippa Bainbridge,
Jack Beeby, Chris Molyneux and Rachel Edward )(whole space) for Beneath and Beyond at La Mama
Kate Davis (design) and Emma Valente (lighting) for Cain and Abel by The Rabble at The Substation
PERFORMANCE
Jane Montomery Griffiths in Wit by The Artisan Collective in conjunction with fortyfivedownstairs
Special mentions
The cast of Awakening by MUST: Nicola Dupree, Samantha Hafey-Bagg, Eamonn Johnson, James Malcher, Sam Porter and Imogen Walsh.
David Finnigan for Kill Climate Deniers at Melbourne Fringe and the script
Sammy J for Hero Complex at Melbourne International Comedy Festival
DESIGN
 |
| Blaque Showgirls. Photo by Pia Johnson |
Paul Jackson (lighting) for Picnic at Hanging Rock at Malthouse
Eugyeene Teh (set and costume) for Blaque Showgirls at Malthouse
Special mentions
The Making Space team (Bronwyn Pringle, Melanie Liertz, Pippa Bainbridge,
Jack Beeby, Chris Molyneux and Rachel Edward )(whole space) for Beneath and Beyond at La Mama
Kate Davis (design) and Emma Valente (lighting) for Cain and Abel by The Rabble at The Substation
PERFORMANCE
 |
| Wit. Photo by Pia Johnson |
Jane Montomery Griffiths in Wit by The Artisan Collective in conjunction with fortyfivedownstairs
Special mentions
 |
| Awakening. Photo by Nura Sheidaee |
The cast of Awakening by MUST: Nicola Dupree, Samantha Hafey-Bagg, Eamonn Johnson, James Malcher, Sam Porter and Imogen Walsh.
The cast of Lilith, the Jungle Girl by Sisters Grimm at MTC: Ash Flanders, Candy Bowers, Genevieve Giuffre.
DIRECTION
Sarah Giles for Straight White Men at MTC and Blaque Showgirls at Malthouse
Special mentions
Daniel Lammin for Awakening by MUST
Daniel Clarke for Rust and Bone at La Mama
BEST FESTIVAL
FOLA: the Festival of Live Art
including Arts House ticket, Hotel Obsucura, and Portraits in Motion at Theatre Works.
EVERYTHING THEY DO ROCKS
MUST: Monash University Student Theatre
Every time I see a MUST production, I'm thrilled that I went. Yvonne Virsik (Artistic Director) and Jason Lehane (Technical Manager) help students to create the kind of theatre that blows me away every time. It's work made with an intelligence and a freedom that doesn't restrict ideas and regularly creates work so original and unique that I wonder why it hasn't been done before.
I only saw three shows this year – Noises Off, Slaughterhouse Five and Awakening. Each explored form and told story in ways that made the exploration of form invisible.
If you're one of those people who I tell to see shows, you know that MUST comes up a lot. So, what about making 2017 the year that you get out to Clayton? (It's really not that far.)
And so many artists and creators who are making their mark on Melbourne (a few have contributed moments) are from Monash and got their start at MUST. Fleur Kilpatrick, Sarah Walker, Daniel Lammin, Mark Wilson, Mama Alto, Jack Beeby, Sarah Collins, Danny Delahunty, James Jackson, Kevin Turner, Anna Nalpantidis, Elizabeth Brennan, Tom Halls, Trelawney Edgar, Jake Stewart, Mark Crees, Bek Berger, Piper Huynh, Hayley Toth, Andrew Westle, Tom Middleditch. (I'm going to add to this list as more names are given to me.)
Outstanding Productions 2016
CABARET
Terror Australis by Leah Shelton (Polytoxic) at Melbourne Fringe
Special mentions
Mothers Ruin: A Cabaret about Gin by Maeve Marsden and Libby Wood at the Butterfly Club
Briefs by The Briefs Factory at Arts Centre Melbourne
Princesstuous by Isabella Valette at the Butterfly Club, Melbourne International Comedy Festival
COMMERCIAL SHOW
Matilda, Royal Shakespeare Company and all the producers listed here
MUSICAL
Matilda, Royal Shakespeare Company and all the producers listed here
COMEDY
Trigger Warning by Zoe Coombs Marr at Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Special mentions
Mary Weather's Monsters by Rama Nichols at Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Marco. Polo. by Laura Davis at Melbourne International Comedy Festival (and Melbourne Fringe)
CIRCUS
Notorious Strumpet and Dangerous Girl by Jess Love at Melbourne Fringe
OPERA
Il Signor Bruschino by Lyric Opera
LIVE ART
Small Time Criminals by Pop up Playground
There's still time to play this live action game that closes (after a year) in February. It was so much fun. But it's not easy.
Listen to my co-robbers Richard and Fleur on RRR discussing our perfectly brilliant night. It starts at 2.34. (Fleur, I was giggling cos I was having so much fun! And because I was really shit at turning off my torch and had to hide my light from the terrifying guard, who never found me hiding under the table.)
Between Two Lines by Anna Nalpantidis with Elizabeth Brennan at Melbourne Fringe
BEST OF THE BEST
Awakening by MUST
Every Brilliant Thing by Paines Plough and Pentabus at Malthouse
Matilda, Royal Shakespeare Company and all the producers listed here
Trigger Warning by Zoe Coombs Marr at MICF
MY FAVOURITE SHOW OF 2016
Backstage in Biscuitland by Tourettes Hero at Melbourne Festival
hedgehog
2015
DIRECTION
 |
| Straight White Men. Photo by Jeff Busby |
Sarah Giles for Straight White Men at MTC and Blaque Showgirls at Malthouse
Special mentions
Daniel Lammin for Awakening by MUST
Daniel Clarke for Rust and Bone at La Mama
BEST FESTIVAL
FOLA: the Festival of Live Art
including Arts House ticket, Hotel Obsucura, and Portraits in Motion at Theatre Works.
EVERYTHING THEY DO ROCKS
 |
| Jason Lehane and Yvonne Virsik |
MUST: Monash University Student Theatre
Every time I see a MUST production, I'm thrilled that I went. Yvonne Virsik (Artistic Director) and Jason Lehane (Technical Manager) help students to create the kind of theatre that blows me away every time. It's work made with an intelligence and a freedom that doesn't restrict ideas and regularly creates work so original and unique that I wonder why it hasn't been done before.
I only saw three shows this year – Noises Off, Slaughterhouse Five and Awakening. Each explored form and told story in ways that made the exploration of form invisible.
If you're one of those people who I tell to see shows, you know that MUST comes up a lot. So, what about making 2017 the year that you get out to Clayton? (It's really not that far.)
And so many artists and creators who are making their mark on Melbourne (a few have contributed moments) are from Monash and got their start at MUST. Fleur Kilpatrick, Sarah Walker, Daniel Lammin, Mark Wilson, Mama Alto, Jack Beeby, Sarah Collins, Danny Delahunty, James Jackson, Kevin Turner, Anna Nalpantidis, Elizabeth Brennan, Tom Halls, Trelawney Edgar, Jake Stewart, Mark Crees, Bek Berger, Piper Huynh, Hayley Toth, Andrew Westle, Tom Middleditch. (I'm going to add to this list as more names are given to me.)
 |
| Slaughterhouse Five |
Outstanding Productions 2016
CABARET
 |
| Leah Shelton in Terror Australis |
Terror Australis by Leah Shelton (Polytoxic) at Melbourne Fringe
Special mentions
 |
| Mother's Ruin. Maeve Marsden & Libby Wood |
Mothers Ruin: A Cabaret about Gin by Maeve Marsden and Libby Wood at the Butterfly Club
Briefs by The Briefs Factory at Arts Centre Melbourne
Princesstuous by Isabella Valette at the Butterfly Club, Melbourne International Comedy Festival
COMMERCIAL SHOW
Matilda, Royal Shakespeare Company and all the producers listed here
MUSICAL
COMEDY
 |
| Dave and Zoe Coombs Marr. Trigger Warning |
Trigger Warning by Zoe Coombs Marr at Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Special mentions
 |
| Rama Nichols. Mary Weather's Monsters |
Mary Weather's Monsters by Rama Nichols at Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Marco. Polo. by Laura Davis at Melbourne International Comedy Festival (and Melbourne Fringe)
Notorious Strumpet and Dangerous Girl by Jess Love at Melbourne Fringe
OPERA
 |
| Il Signor Bruschino. Lyric Opera |
Il Signor Bruschino by Lyric Opera
LIVE ART
 |
| Small Time Criminals players |
Small Time Criminals by Pop up Playground
There's still time to play this live action game that closes (after a year) in February. It was so much fun. But it's not easy.
Listen to my co-robbers Richard and Fleur on RRR discussing our perfectly brilliant night. It starts at 2.34. (Fleur, I was giggling cos I was having so much fun! And because I was really shit at turning off my torch and had to hide my light from the terrifying guard, who never found me hiding under the table.)
Between Two Lines by Anna Nalpantidis with Elizabeth Brennan at Melbourne Fringe
BEST OF THE BEST
Awakening by MUST
 |
| Every Brilliant Thing |
Every Brilliant Thing by Paines Plough and Pentabus at Malthouse
Matilda, Royal Shakespeare Company and all the producers listed here
Trigger Warning by Zoe Coombs Marr at MICF
MY FAVOURITE SHOW OF 2016
 |
| Backstage in Biscuit Land. Jess Mabel Jones and Jessica Thom. . Photo by Jonathan Birch |
Backstage in Biscuitland by Tourettes Hero at Melbourne Festival
hedgehog
