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The Daily Telegraph
Chris Hook
July 28, 2015

The 2012 Western Australian Academy Of Performing Arts graduate, currently making her professional debut in Les Miserables, took out best female actor in a supporting role in a musical at last night’s Helpmann Awards, as Les Miserables collected five gongs, including Best Musical nod and best male actor in a musical for Simon Gleeson.

And in a very positive sign for Sydney audiences, arts writer Chris Hook reports the upcoming show Anything Goes, which begins at the Opera House in September, took out three awards, including best female actor in a musical for veteran star Caroline O’Connor, making it a spring date to look forward to.

Over in the theatre categories, Sydney companies swept the pool with Sydney Theatre Company (STC) winning three, Belvoir two and Bell Shakespeare one of the six categories, with veteran performers taking out awards for their efforts in a run of classic plays.

Hugo Weaving won best actor for his turn in STC’s production of Samuel Beckett’s 1957 work Endgame, Pamela Rabe won best female for Belvoir’s The Glass Menagerie, a 1944 work by Tennessee Williams, John Bell earned a best supporting male for Shakespeare’s As You Like It for Bell and Helen Thomson won best supporting female in Andrew Bovell’s 1980s Aussie classic After Dinner, also for STC.

Comedian Judith Lucy a multiple nominee, finally pulled in her first Helpmann for best comedy performer, while Kate Miller-Heidke’s original opera work The Rabbits (yet to announce a Sydney season) was awarded Best New Australian Work.

Paul Kelly was presented with the JC Williamson Lifetime Achievement Award.

And Sydney’s gangbusting winter warming Vivid Festival won best contemporary music festival for the live component Vivid Live.

The Helpmanns were announced at a gala event at the Capitol Theatre last night, hosted by Anything Goes star Todd McKenney with the list of presenters including Cate Blanchett, Adam Garcia, David Campbell and Danielle Cormack and the industry-heavy crowd entertained by wide array of performances from nominated shows and performers, including a cover of Paul Kelly’s 1995 single Deeper Water by Claire Bowditch with Kelly’s band as backup.

LES MISERABLES

Best musical

Best female actor in a supporting role in a musical: Kerrie Anne Greenland

Best male actor in a musical: Simon Gleeson

Best lighting

Best sound

ANYTHING GOES

Best female actor in a musical: Caroline O’Connor

Best male actor in a supporting role in a musical: Alex Rathberger

Best choreography

THEATRE:

Best male: Hugo Weaving for Endgame (STC)

Best female: Pamela Rabe for Glass Menagerie (Belvoir)

Best female: Supporting actor Helen Thomson for After Dinner (STC)

Best male: supporting actor John Bell for As You Like It (Bell Shakespeare)