A company which initially had its three-year funding withdrawn by Creative Scotland last year, sparking a public outcry, has seen one of its productions top the shortlists for the annual Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland. Birds of Paradise, Scotland’s only professional, disability-led arts organisation, is shortlisted in no fewer than six award categories for My Left Right Foot – The Musical including Best Ensemble, Best Director for Robert Softley Gale, and Best Production. The show, which was co-produced by The National Theatre of Scotland, is a satirical response to the controversial, Oscar-winning film based on the life of Christy Brown. It has just had its international premiere at the World Theatre Festival in Japan and will be staged at the Brighton International Festival next week and in Dundee from 21 – 25 May.

“The initial decision to cut regular funding for Birds of Paradise seemed out of tune with Creative Scotland’s commitment to supporting arts that are by and for everyone,” says Joyce McMillan, co-convenor of The Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland. “Theatre should be inclusive, and this great show demonstrates how Birds of Paradise have become a vital part of Scotland’s theatre scene over the last 25 years, creating award-winning work in which artists with disability and without can work together to produce world-class, thought-provoking entertainment, for audiences everywhere.

“Not only did Robert Softley Gale’s take on the controversial Oscar-winning film My Left Foot stand up for disabled people’s right to be heard, but it did it in a brilliantly humorous and theatrical way, in one of the finest productions of the year.”

“We are so incredibly thrilled to receive these six CATS nominations for My Left Right Foot – The Musical,” says Robert Softley Gale, Artistic Director of Birds of Paradise. “We created the show in co-production with the National Theatre of Scotland to mark our 25th anniversary year. Making a large-scale musical takes so many talented artists working together and it’s a fantastic testament to them that we’ve received this recognition. It wasn’t so long ago that work by disabled artists was seen as being on the fringes, but now – in 2019 – we can finally have the confidence to say we’re a core part of the arts in Scotland. A huge thanks to the CATS panel for their part in making that so.”

Collaboration continued to characterise theatre produced in Scotland in 2018-9. The nominated productions not only brought together Scottish companies and practitioners, but also include UK-wide and international collaborations including Untitled Projects with London’s Unicorn Theatre and Imaginate with Windmill Theatre Company from Adelaide, Australia

“In these divisive times, it’s heartening to see theatre companies reaching beyond Scotland to make cultural connections with the rest of the world,” says Mark Fisher, co-convenor of the CATS. “In previous years, we have celebrated collaborations with companies from Istanbul, Minneapolis, Naples, Norway, Singapore, Tianjin and elsewhere. Let’s hope such artistic cross-pollination continues to enrich theatre at home and abroad.”

The 2019 CATS will be presented at Tramway on Sunday 9 June. Tickets priced £16.50 (£11 for Young Scot card holders). Transaction free of £1.50 for online and £1.75 for telephone bookings. Book in person at. 25 Albert Drive, Glasgow G41, by telephone on 0845 330 3501 and online via https://tickets.glasgowconcerthalls.com/

For more information on the CATS visit: https://criticsawards.theatrescotland.com

The 2019 CATS were generously supported by: STV (Best Female Performance), Equity (Best Ensemble), Scottish Drama Training Network (Best Director), and BECTU (Best Technical), and Young Scot (Best Production for Children and Young People), and also by the Mackintosh Foundation, BBC Scotland Radio Drama and The List.

The CATS judging panel for 2019 comprised Mary Brennan (The Herald), Mark Brown (Herald on Sunday/Sunday National and The Daily Telegraph), Anna Burnside (Daily Record) Paul F Cockburn (BroadwayBaby), Neil Cooper (The Herald), Michael Cox (Across the Arts), Thom Dibdin (The Stage and AllEdinburghTheatre.com), Mark Fisher (The Guardian), Joyce McMillan (The Scotsman), David Pollock (The Independent), Allan Radcliffe (The Times), Amy Taylor (The Skinny) and Joy Watters (Across the Arts).

2019 CATS SHORTLISTS

Best Female Performance, sponsored by STV

  • Cora Bissett (Cora), What Girls Are Made Of, Traverse Theatre Company and Raw Material in association with Regular Music 
  • Jessica Hardwick (Roxane), Cyrano de Bergerac, National Theatre of Scotland, Citizens Theatre, and Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh
  • Irene Macdougall (Kate Keller), All My Sons, Dundee Rep Ensemble
  • Lucianne McEvoy (Ruth Davenport), Ulster American, Traverse Theatre Company

Best Male Performance

  • Darrell D’Silva (Jay Conway), Ulster American, Traverse Theatre Company
  • Lorn Macdonald (Declan), Mouthpiece, Traverse Theatre Company in association with HighTide
  • John Michie (Fireman), The Mack, A Play, a Pie and a Pint at Òran Mór, presented in association with the Traverse Theatre
  • Grant O’Rourke (Two), Ballyturk, Tron Theatre Company

Best Ensemble, sponsored by Equity

  • Ballyturk, Tron Theatre Company
  • Lost At Sea, Perth Theatre at Horsecross Arts and Morna Young
  • My Left Right Foot – The Musical, Birds of Paradise and National Theatre of Scotland
  • Square Go, Francesca Moody Productions in association with SEARED

Best Director, sponsored by the Scottish Drama Training Network

  • Andy Arnold, Ballyturk, Tron Theatre Company
  • Ian Brown, Lost at Sea, Perth Theatre at Horsecross Arts and Morna Young
  • Orla O’Loughlin, Mouthpiece, Traverse Theatre Company in association with HighTide
  • Robert Softley Gale, My Left Right Foot – The Musical, Birds of Paradise and National Theatre of Scotland

Best Design

  • Kenneth MacLeod (designer) and Simon Wilkinson (lighting designer), The Dark Carnival, Vanishing Point and Citizens Theatre in association with Dundee Rep Ensemble
  • Shona Reppe (design concept), Ailsa Paterson (design realiser), Selene Cochrane (costume designer and maker) and Chris Edser (animator), Baba Yaga, Imaginate and Windmill Theatre Company
  • Michael Taylor (designer) and Mark Doubleday (lighting designer), Kim Beveridge (Video Designer)  and Nick Murray Willis (Animator) Ballyturk, Tron Theatre Company
  • Karen Tennent (designer) and Katharine Williams (lighting designer), Lost At Sea, Perth Theatre at Horsecross Arts and Morna Young

Best Music and Sound

  • Danny Krass (sound designer), Ballyturk, Tron Theatre 
  • Michael John McCarthy (musical director), What Girls Are Made Of, Traverse Theatre Company and Raw Material in association with Regular Music
  • Claire McKenzie (music and lyrics),Scott Gilmour(music and lyrics) andRichard Thomas (additional songs),My Left Right Foot – The Musical, Birds of Paradise and National Theatre of Scotland
  • Pippa Murphy (composer and sound designer), Lost at Sea, Perth Theatre at Horsecross Arts and Morna Young

Best Technical Presentation, sponsored by BECTU

  • Baba Yaga, Imaginate and Windmill Theatre Company
  • The End of Eddy, Untitled Projects and the Unicorn Theatre
  • Interference, National Theatre of Scotland
  • My Left Right Foot – The Musical Birds of Paradise and National Theatre of Scotland

Best Production for Children and Young People sponsored by Young Scot

  • Baba Yaga, Imaginate and Windmill Theatre Company, co-created by Shona Reppe, Christine Johnston and Rosemary Myers
  • The End of Eddy, Untitled Projects and the Unicorn Theatre
  • Nests, Frozen Charlotte and Stadium Rock 
  • Stick by Me, Andy Manley, Ian Cameron, and Red Bridge Arts

Best New Play

  • Kieran Hurley, Mouthpiece, Traverse Theatre Company in association with HighTide
  • David Ireland, Ulster American, Traverse Theatre Company
  • Christine Johnston, Rosemary Myers and Shona Reppe, Baba Yaga, Imaginate and Windmill Theatre Company
  • Robert Softley Gale, My Left Right Foot – The Musical, Birds of Paradise and National Theatre of Scotland

Best Production

  • My Left Right Foot – The Musical, Birds of Paradise and National Theatre of Scotland
  • Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort of), Tron Theatre Company with Blood of the Young
  • Ulster American, Traverse Theatre Company
  • What Girls Are Made Of, Traverse Theatre Company and Raw Material in association with Regular Music