Total Theatre Award 2019 Winners Announced

Burgerz by Travis Alabanza winner of the 2019 Total Theatre & Theatre Deli Award for an Emerging Company / Artist

The Total Theatre Awards 2019 saw 460 shows assessed in total across all eligible categories and late opening shows.

Seven awards were presented to artists across five categories + 3 Judges Discretionary Awards.

2019 Total Theatre Awards Winners

Total Theatre & Theatre Deli Award for an Emerging Company / Artist

Burgerz by Travis Alabanza
Hackney Showroom (England)
Traverse

Total Theatre & Cambridge Junction Award for Physical / Visual Theatre

Working On My Night Moves
Julia Croft and Nisha Madhan with Zanetti Productions (New Zealand)
Summerhall

Total Theatre & Jacksons Lane Award for Circus

Knot
Nikki & JD (England)
AssemblyStaged
Circumference (England)
Zoo

Total Theatre & The Place Award for Dance

Seeking Unicorns
Chiara Bersani / Associazione Culturale Corpoceleste (Italy)
Dance Base

Total Theatre, Rose Bruford College & Theatre in the Mill Award for Innovation, Experimentation & Playing with Form

Frankenstein: How to Make a Monster
Battersea Arts Centre and BAC Beatbox Academy (England)
Traverse

Tricky Second Album
In Bed with My Brother (England)
Pleasance

Judges Discretionary Award

The End
Bertrand Lesca and Nasi Voutsas (England)
Summerhall

Scottee: Fat Blokes
Scottee & Friends Ltd (England)
Assembly

The Forecast
Amy Bell, presented by The Place (England)
Dance Base

Since 1997, the Total Theatre Awards have been recognising innovative and artist-led performance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. We are delighted to announce today the winners of the Total Theatre Awards 2019. Over the course of this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe 25 peer assessors, comprised of artists, producers, programmers, curators, critics and academics assessed 403 shows across the first 11 days of the festival, from which a shortlist of 27 nominated shows was announced on 15 August 2019.

Following this, the nominated shows were viewed by a panel of 21 judges who have awarded seven awards across five categories – one Total Theatre & Theatre Deli Award for an Emerging Company / Artist; two Total Theatre, Rose Bruford & Theatre in the Mill Awards for Innovation, Experimentation & Playing with Form; one Total Theatre & Cambridge Junction Award for Physical/Visual Theatre; two Total Theatre & Jacksons Lane Awards for Circus; and one Total Theatre & The Place Award for Dance. Following shortlisting an additional 57 eligible late opening (post short listing) shows were Assessed and Judged, resulting in a further 3 Judges discretionary Awards being awarded; alongside one award for Significant Contribution.Speaking about the award winners, Co-Directors Jo Crowley and Becki Haines said;

Today we celebrate 27 shortlisted artists, 7 award winners, 3 judges discretionary awards and a significant contribution. These visionary artists and theatre makers show the ability the sector has to carve essential discourse with society; gently and urgently provocating with immense skill, sensitivity, consideration, craft and care. In so doing, the shortlisted and winning artists collectively offer vital reflections, perspectives and insight into our society and times. They also remind us of the necessity for collective action across a spectrum of challenges and experiences to affect necessary change.

In 2019 Total Theatre Awards process has continued to rigorously re-evaluate what performance is by championing collective conversation between peers that culminates in the recognition of some of the worlds leading artists across this festival. Taking time for this carefully considered peer discourse, debate and dialogue, we can explore and reflect upon the vital role contemporary live performance, theatre makers and independent artists play.