Barrie Kosky’s staggering production of Handel’s oratorio Saul and Leah Purcell’s powerful play The Drover’s Wife were the most awarded productions at this year’s Helpmann Awards, with Saul taking home six awards from seven nominations and The Drover’s Wife winning four of its six nominations.

^{Barrie Kosky’s production of Saul. Photograph © Tony Lewis}

The Helpmann Awards celebrate artistic excellence and distinguished achievement in live performance across Australia. This year, 42 awards were presented at a ceremony at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre, along with the JC Williamson Award for outstanding contribution to the Australian live performance industry, which went to Richard Tognetti, and the Sue Nattrass Award for exceptional service to the Australian live performance industry, awarded to Rob Brookman. A special award was also presented to Ross Cunningham for his work as Chair of the Helpmann Awards Administration Committee.

Saul premiered at Glyndebourne in 2015 and was the rapturously received centrepiece of the 2017 Adelaide Festival where it was presented in association with the State Opera of South Australia, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Adelaide Festival Centre. The production received five star reviews from Limelight at both the premiere...