The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2019 - Issue 26

bite theatre via a video recording, which, just like Lenny Henry’s, made us laugh. Sharon D. Clarke who has starred in TV series Holby City and Doctor Who and West End musicals We Will Rock You and Ghost the Musical won Best Fe- male Actor in a Musical for Caroline, or Change at the Playhouse Theatre beat- ing Rachel John for Hamilton and Maiya Quansah-Breed for SIX at Arts Theatre. Hamilton, who competed against TINA: The Tina Turner Musical and Motown: The Musical, won the award for Best Musical Production. The final section of the evening, Achievement, was presented by BBTAs co-directors Solange Urdang and Omar F. OKai. After announcing the Black British Theatre Awards Recognition List which was curated by actors Vanessa Fisher and Daniel Bailey to represent ac- tors of the African diaspora and mixed- black African and Caribbean heritage, they unveiled details of the Thea Barnes Legacy Foundation, named after danc- er and choreographer Thea Davies who sadly died on 28th December 2018. The Achievement group was made of The Recent Graduate Award which was won by Amara Okereke from the Arts Education Schools who beat nominee Maiya Quansah-Breed from the Guild- ford School of Acting. The Best Teacher of Performing Arts as a Subject went to Angeline Bell from the Urdang Acad- emy, beating Dollie Henry from the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance to the gong, and Sharon D. Clarke won the Lifetime Recognition Award who gave a riveting speech and made us laugh. An extremely wonderful evening of achievements, recognition, and laugh- ter, with drinks and food in a joyful and comfortable setting, the Black British Theatre Awards did an amazing job of presenting their first award ceremony which we believe will go from strength to strength. They successfully highlight- ed the appreciative talents of actors and technical crews that would otherwise not have been recognised for their hard work in theatre and musicals and for this, we salute them. We look forward to the next Black Brit- ish Theatre Awards in 2020 and the con- tinuous work they’re doing in recognis- ing Black British talent. www.theblackbritishtheatreawards.com Images & videography courtesy of Black British Theatre Awards