The 41st annual Green Room Awards were presented in a ceremony held at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre on Monday evening.

Melbourne Theatre Company took away awards for six of its 2023 productions, with Patricia Cornelius’s play My Sister Jill recognised with awards for Outstanding Production, Outstanding Ensemble, Direction (Susie Dee) and Outstanding Lighting Design (Rachel Burke).

Melbourne Theatre Company’s My Sister Jill. Photo © Sarah Walker

MTC’s Bernhardt/Hamlet was awarded Outstanding Costume Design (Marg Horwell), Declan Furber Gillick’s Jacky collected the Outstanding New Australian Writing award, and the STC/MTC co-production Is God Is was judged the winner of the Outstanding Composition & Sound Design category.

The MTC-produced musical Bloom earned a Green Room Award for New Australian Music Theatre Writing. Designer Marg Horwell was also recognised for her work on the MTC productions Escaped Alone and What If If Only.

Danny Ball was awarded Outstanding Performer for Malthouse Theatre’s Loaded, as was Chika Ikogwe for seven methods of killing kylie jenner (Malthouse Theatre in association with Darlinghurst Theatre Company and Green Door Theatre Company).

Melbourne Theatre Company’s Escaped Alone/What If If Only. Photo © Pia Johnson

Antoinette Halloran and Adrian Tamburini each received a Green Room Award in the Opera category for their roles in Melbourne Opera’s Götterdämmerung.

The Finnish bass Timo Riihonen received the Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role award for his work in Opera Australia’s Tannhäuser. Mezzo soprano Dimity Shepherd was awarded for her work in Galileo, presented by Victorian Opera.

Victorian Opera’s Melbourne Cheremushki was awarded for set and costumes and for Best Direction (Constantine Costi).

The award for Musical Achievement was presented to Richard Mills for his conducting of VO’s Galileo (also awarded for New Australian Opera).

The Victorian Opera/Opera Australia co-production Idomeneo was judged Best Production and Melbourne Opera’s Ring Cycle, staged in Bendigo, was presented with an Outstanding Special Achievement Award.

Victorian Opera’s Melbourne Cheremushki. Photo © Charlie Kinross

In the Musical Theatre category, Darlinghurst Theatre’s Once was awarded Best Ensemble; Seann Miley Moore was awarded Best Leading Artist for Miss Saigon (which also collected awards for Best Direction and Design). The award for Outstanding Musical Theatre Production was presented to the Disney/Cameron Mackintosh/Michael Cassel Group production of Mary Poppins.

In the Independent Theatre category, Best Independent Production was awarded to Bloomshed’s Animal Farm. The Best Direction award went to Cassandra Fumi for The Crocodile (Spinning Plates Co.)

In the Independent Music Theatre category, awards went to Kinky Boots (Best Direction and Best Ensemble), Guys and Dolls (Best Musical Direction) and La Cage aux Folles (Best Choreography).

The Green Room Award for Lifetime Achievement was presented to writer, broadcaster and Australian film and TV industry doyen Phillip Adams.