Two original shows and a Stephen Sondheim musical took home the most wins at tonight’s Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards, held at the Bard on the Beach BMO Mainstage in Vanier Park.

Les Filles du Roi, a new locally produced musical that the Straight called “a triumph”, won four Jessies for direction, set design, sound design, and costume design in the small-theatre category. Created by Julie McIsaac and Corey Payette, it was a coproduction by Fugue Theatre, Raven Theatre, Urban Ink, and the Cultch, and played at the York.

As for large theatre, Théâtre la Seizième’s Le Soulier was recognized for outstanding original script, as well as sound design, direction, and the performance by Félix Beauchamp.

The Snapshot Collective’s production of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, which was staged in an actual pie shop, dominated the small-theatre acting awards, with wins for Warren Kimmel, Colleen Winton, and Oliver Castillo, as well as a win for outstanding musical.

The Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival took home five awards in the large-theatre category, spread between Timon of Athens (set design and outstanding actress Colleen Wheeler), As You Like It (outstanding musical), and Lysistrata (costume design and Critic’s Choice Innovation Award).

In the theatre-for-young-audiences category, Jack and the Magic Bean and Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play”, picked up two wins each.

In additional highlights, the Vancouver Now Representation and Inclusion Award went to the Cultch and its executive director Heather Redfern. Stephane Kirkland was acknowledged with the Mary Phillips Prize for Behind the Scenes Achievement, and David Diamond received the GVPTA Career Achievement Award.

The complete list of winners is below; watch for additional coverage tomorrow and in this week's Straight.

Small Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Actor

Warren Kimmel, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Snapshots Collective

Outstanding Performance by an Actress

Colleen Winton, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Snapshots Collective

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Oliver Castillo, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Snapshots Collective

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Alannah Ong, The Ones We Leave Behind, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre

Outstanding Lighting Design

James Proudfoot, Camera Obscura (hungry ghosts), frank theatre company/Queer Arts Festival

Outstanding Set Design

Marshall McMahen, Les Filles du Roi, Fugue Theatre/Raven Theatre/Urban Ink/the Cultch

Outstanding Costume Design

Marshall McMahen and Konwahonwá:wi Stacey, Les Filles du Roi, Fugue Theatre/Raven Theatre/Urban Ink/the Cultch

Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition

Corey Payette and Kyra Soko, Les Filles du Roi, Fugue Theatre/Raven Theatre/Urban Ink/the Cultch

Outstanding Direction

Corey Payette, Les Filles du Roi, Fugue Theatre/Raven Theatre/Urban Ink/the Cultch

Outstanding Production

Camera Obscura (hungry ghosts), frank theatre company/Queer Arts Festival

Outstanding Production – Musical 

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Snapshots Collective

Significant Artistic Achievement

Molly MacKinnon and Christine Quintana, Never the Last, Delinquent Theatre: Outstanding interdisciplinary collaboration involving the imaginative integration of dance, live musical performance, and theatre

Large Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Actor

Félix Beauchamp, Le Soulier, Théâtre la Seizième

Outstanding Performance by an Actress

Colleen Wheeler, Timon of Athens, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Adam Grant Warren, Kill Me Now, Touchstone Theatre

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Nora McLellan, The Matchmaker, Arts Club Theatre Company

Outstanding Lighting Design

Itai Erdal, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Arts Club Theatre Company

Outstanding Set Design

Drew Facey, Timon of Athens, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

Outstanding Costume Design

Barbara Clayden, Lysistrata, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition

Malcolm Dow, Le Soulier, Théâtre la Seizième

Georgia Straight Outstanding Direction

Esther Duquette and Gilles Poulin-Denis, Le Soulier, Théâtre la Seizième

Outstanding Production

Kamloopa, the Cultch (in partnership with Western Canada Theatre, Persephone Theatre, and Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre, and in collaboration with National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre)

Outstanding Production - Musical

As You Like It, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

Significant Artistic Achievement

Kim Senklip Harvey and Lindsay Lachance, Kamloopa, the Cultch (in partnership with Western Canada Theatre, Persephone Theatre and Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre, and in collaboration with National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre): Outstanding decolonization of theatre spaces and practices

Theatre for Young Audiences

Outstanding Performance

Jake Walker, Jack and the Magic Bean, Presentation House Theatre

Outstanding Design

Shizuka Kai, Jessica Oostergo, Brad Trenaman, Salmon Girl, Raven Spirit Dance: Ensemble design (set, costume, lighting)

Outstanding Artistic Creation

Kayla Dunbar, Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play”, Carousel Theatre for Young People

Outstanding Production

Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play”, Carousel Theatre for Young People

Significant Artistic Achievement

Jack and the Magic Bean, Presentation House Theatre: Outstanding risky and improvised audience engagement

Additional Awards

Outstanding Original Script

David Paquet, Le Soulier (The Shoe), Théâtre la Seizième

Critic’s Choice Innovation Award

Lysistrata, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

Vancouver Now Representation and Inclusion Award

Heather Redfern and the Cultch

Patron of the Arts Award

Grant Burnyeat

Mary Phillips Prize for Behind the Scenes Achievement

Stephane Kirkland

Sam Payne Award for the Most Promising Newcomer

Taran Kootenhayoo

John Moffat & Larry Lilo Prize

Andrew Wheeler

GVPTA Career Achievement Award

David Diamond

Sydney Risk Prize

Kamloopa by Kim Senklip Harvey

Colin Campbell Award for Excellence in Technical Theatre

Adrian Muir

Ray Michal Prize for Most Promising New Director 

Marie Farsi