Performer Billy Bourchier, a former CAT award winner, will soon star in West Side Story on Sydney Harbour. He was a special guest at the CAT Awards in Queanbeyan on Sunday. Photo: File.
Almost 30 years ago, Canberra boy Billy Bourchier, who was only 12 at the time, took out one of the first gongs at the CAT awards – Combined Area Theatre awards.
Today, Billy is about to appear in the leading role of West Side Story on Sydney Harbour.
For the founder of the CAT awards, Coralie Wood, it’s the best news, but she’s far from surprised.
“We always knew he had great talent and we are so proud of him,” she said.
“As these awards have been in existence for 30 years, it is interesting to see how they’ve grown over that time and how some of the past winners, like Billy, have gone on to be stars in professional theatre.”
Billy was the special guest and performer on Sunday, 18 February, for the 2024 CAT awards.
Ms Wood said the awards recognised the contribution made by non-professional groups to the artistic life of Australia, particularly in Canberra and the region.
A large crowd was at the Q Theatre, Queanbeyan, to see who took out this year’s top prizes, including performers from Canberra, Wagga, Merimbula, Nowra and Wollongong.
The winners included:
Best Original Work for a School or Youth Production: Joe Woodward and students, Script, The Gift of Story: Myths and Stories from Fairy Tale Archetypes, Daramalan Theatre Company, Canberra.
Best Ensemble in a Play: Neighbourhood Watch, Wagga Wagga School of Arts Inc.
Best Ensemble in a School or Youth Production: Catch Me If You Can, Karabar High School, Queanbeyan.
Best Ensemble in a Musical, Variety or Dance Production: Cats, Canberra Philharmonic Society.
Patricia Kelson Encouragement Award: Toby Breach, Oklahoma!, Queanbeyan Players.
Best Youth Actor in a Featured Role in a Play: Harrison Labouchardiere as Rumpelstiltskin and others in The Gift of Story: Myths and Stories from Fairy Tale Archetypes, Daramalan Theatre Company, Canberra.
Best Youth in a Featured Role in a Musical: Zach Moses as Barry Mann in Beautiful – the Carole King Musical, Chevalier College, Bowral.
Best Youth Actress in a Featured Role in a Play: Mollie Morris as Pigeon Guy in Zetaclorm, Lake Ginninderra College, Canberra.
Best Youth Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical: Maya George as Ursula in The Little Mermaid, Canberra Girls Grammar School.
Best Youth Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical: Lachlan Elderton, as Frank Abagnale Jr in Catch Me If You Can, Karabar High School, Queanbeyan.
Best Youth Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical: Gaby Black as Anna in Frozen Jr, JAM Junior Albatross MTC, Nowra. Kate Greenwood as Elsa in Frozen Jr, JAM Junior Albatross MTC, Nowra.
Best Performance in a Monologue or One-Act Play: Iain Wright, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in The Return of Sherlock
Holmes, Ten x 10 Play Fest – Intrigue and Inspiration, Wagga Wagga School of Arts Inc.
Best Dance Performance by an Individual or Ensemble: Jeremy Chan and Silvana Moro, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, Cats, Canberra Philharmonic Society.
Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Play: Iain Murray as George Gardiner in Mr Bennet’s Bride, Canberra Repertory Society.
Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical: John Whinfield as Willard Hewitt in Footloose, Queanbeyan Players.
Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Play: Sally Rhynveld as Mrs Graves in Mr Bennet’s Bride, Canberra Rep.
Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical: Sarah Hull as Vi Moore in Footloose, Queanbeyan Players.
Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play: Jim Adamik as Salieri in Amadeus, Canberra Rep.
Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical: Josif Jovanovski as Reverend Shaw Moore in Footloose, Albatross Musical Theatre Company, Nowra.
Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Play: Karina Hudson as Judy in Home I’m Darling, Canberra Rep.
Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical: Taylor Paliaga as Rose Fenny in Dogfight, Dramatic Productions, Canberra.
Best Choreography: John Michael Narres and Teagan Huntsdale in Strictly Ballroom, So Popera Productions, Wollongong; Bonnie Neate and Suzy Piani, Unhinged, The Training Ground, Canberra.
Best Musical Direction for a School or Youth Production: Emily Berkhout, Eleni Kalaitzis, Jane McIntosh and John Dunstan, Anastasia, Nowra Anglican College.
Best Direction of a School or Youth Musical: Julia Armstrong, Frozen Jr, JAM Junior Albatross MTC, Nowra.
Coralie Wood has been the power behind the CAT Awards for 30 years. Photo: Louis Seselja, National Library of Australia.
Best Musical Direction: Peter Copeland, Strictly Ballroom, So Popera Productions, Wollongong.
Best Direction of a Play: Michael Mitchell, Neighbourhood Watch, Wagga Wagga School of Arts Inc.
Best Direction of a Musical or Variety Show: Grant Pegg and Kelly Roberts, Dogfight, Dramatic Productions, Canberra.
Best Dance Production: Unhinged, The Training Ground, Canberra.
Best Production of a School or Youth Musical: Frozen Jr, JAM Junior Albatross MTC, Nowra.
Best Production of a Play: Neighbourhood Watch, Wagga Wagga School of Arts Inc.
Best Production of a Musical: Dogfight, Dramatic Productions, Canberra.
Silver CAT Award: B.J. Anyos, Child Players, Canberra.
Gold CAT Award: Jenna Hinton, Queanbeyan Players.
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