After hours of deliberating, we are thrilled to announce the shortlist of nominees for the Critic’s Awards for Theatre in Scotland 2024.

The National Theatre of Scotland and touring company Tortoise in a Nutshell headline in receiving multiple nomination nods across various categories. Leading the way with nominations are Tortoise in a Nutshell who receive seven nominations across two productions: Ragnarök, and show for younger audiences, Ginger.

And the National Theatre of Scotland’s tribute to the ‘Big Yin’ Billy Connolly, with Gary McNair’s Dear Billy. Which has been nominated for outstanding performance, best director (in Joe Douglas), best new play and best production. While previous Best Performance winners Blythe Duff and Nicole Cooper make the shortlist once more.

Additionally, other shows to receive several nominations include the Royal Lyceum Theatre’s adaptation of Muriel Spark’s The Girls of Slender Means, Catherine Wheel’s Lightning Ridge, and Dundee Rep’s (in co-production with the Lyceum Theatre) adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s beloved Sunset Song.

Theatre for children and young people is often praised by the CATS, more so this year as it makes a firm stance in additional categories as Catherine Wheels and Tortoise in a Nutshell find their respective shows Lightning Ridge and Ginger featured in Outstanding Performance, Design, and Technical categories.

With all the nominations released, winners will be revealed at a ceremony at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow,on June 16^th. Tickets released shortly.

CATS co-convenor, The Scotsman’s Joyce McMillan saying: the judging panel would like to congratulate every professional theatre company in Scotland, on every scale, for the tremendous efforts they make to remain creative, productive, and inventive, in what are exceptionally tough times.”

“We had 139 eligible productions this year—more than two-thirds of which was new work”

While fellow co-convenor Mark Brown touched on the troubled funding Scottish creatives have had to deal with: “Like everyone else in Scottish theatre, the critics are intensely aware of the funding pressures Scotland’s theatre-makers are facing”.

“We are, therefore, full of admiration for the quality and diversity of the work that is being produced.”

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