LOCAL artists may have been a little light on bringing back the awards during last night’s 2017 Helpmann Awards – but Perth is all the richer with news two great talents are moving home.
The star-studded ceremony was held at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre and celebrated all things live performance in Australia.
Composer Iain Grandage, who won Best Original Score with Rahayu Supanggah from Java for Satan Jawa, confirmed he and his family would head west from their current base in Melbourne at Christmas.
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READ NOW“We have a second child on the way and my parents are getting older so we want to be back and close to them,” Grandage, who studied at UWA and has worked with Black Swan State Theatre Company, WASO and WAAPA, said.
“I can work from anywhere and we’ll be around the south of Fremantle area.”
His acceptance speech started with “Take that Trey Parker!” in reference to his fellow nominee for The Book of Mormon which went on to win the coveted Best Musical.
Soprano Emma Matthews, last in Perth for WA Opera’s The Pearlfishers, presented the classical music performance awards on the day it was announced she would return to her old stomping ground at WAAPA as head of classical voice.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Matthews said.
“I’ve had an amazing singing career and will still be singing, but I wanted a teaching position where I could make a difference; to teach what I’ve learnt.
“I thought this was ideal because when I left WAAPA years ago, I had every intention on coming back. I’m moving back with my boys and husband and we’re looking around the Subiaco or West Leederville area, depending on where the boys get in to school.”
Matthews said she looked forward to meeting young singers at the beginning of their careers and teaching them the basic techniques to prepare for graduation – and perhaps their own night at the Helpmann Awards.
Comedian Joel Creasey made his hilarious mark on the evening as a presenter, despite being beaten by Hannah Gadsby for Best Comedy Performer.
Perth-born dancer Kevin Jackson won Best Male Dancer, over WA Ballet’s Andre Santos, for his lead in The Australian Ballet’s Nijinsky.
While Geraldton’s Kate Mulvany stood out in Richard 3 for Best Female Actor in a Play, playing the title role.
“Oh my stars,” Mulvany said on getting to the stage.
“I can’t work without a script. Thank you William Shakespeare wherever you are.”
The stars indeed shone in all the glitz and glamour along the red carpet in a night where big winners included Adelaide opera Saul, which received five awards, and Belvoir’s The Drover’s Wife in Sydney that won four.
The audience, in the theatre and at home with the event broadcast live on Foxtel Arts, enjoyed performances by the casts of Kinky Boots, The Book of Mormon, Aladdin, Green Day’s American Idiot, upcoming musical Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, My Fair Lady and Velvet.
In a first, the ceremony will also be aired on the ABC at 9.30pm this Sunday, July 30.
For a full list of winners, head to www.helpmannawards.com.au.