BY RICHARD JOHNSON

Observer senior reporter

johnsonr@jamaicaobserver.com

CHILDREN’S theatre was the big winner at Monday night’s Actor Boy Awards held at the Jamaica Pegasus in St Andrew.

The production Anancy Chaptaz: Monkey Bizniz by the Independent Actors Movement (IAM) was the night’s big winner, taking home a total of six statuettes out of the 20 which were handed out on the night.

The fourth installment in the series from the husband-and-wife team of Damion Radcliffe and Sabrena McDonald won in the categories Best Choreography; Best Original Song Trapped; Best Original Score, Best Musical, Best Children’s Theatre and for Best Ensemble Cast — one more than the five awards they won last year.

“Awesome” is how IAM’s Radcliffe described the trove of awards copped by his team.

“This is one better than last year and it is fitting we won for Best Ensemble because this production was definitely a team effort. When I say team, I mean parents, actors, technical crew… everybody just came together for a great effort and it paid off and we are thankful,” he said.

The night’s other big winner was the production Echo in the Bone from the School of Drama at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, which won five awards.

Echo in the Bone took home some of the major awards — Best Production, Best Director (Eugene Williams), Best Drama as well as the technical awards for lighting and set design.

One of the much-touted productions, Saving Alligator High, which went in with a host of nominations managed to walk out with three wins. The comedy, which is now playing at the Centrestage Theatre in New Kingston, won for Best Comedy, Best New Jamaican Play and for Best Actress in a Supporting Role — Camille Davis.

Dahlia Harris’ DMH Productions was a two-time winner. Her plays God Guh Wid Yuh and Her Last Cry won for Best Revue and Best Tragedy, respectively.

Pierre LeMaire’s Wild Alice took home the actor for Best Costume.

Stage and screen doyenne Leonie Forbes received the night’s only standing ovation when she took the award for Best Actress in a Lead Role for her work in David Tulloch’s For My Daughter.

A clearly moved Forbes thanked the cast and crew for their work with her in the production.

“It was never one of my dreams to land something like this, and as long as I live I will never forget,” she told the audience.

Christopher McFarlane won for Best Actor in a Lead Role for Dream on Monkey Mountain, while Jean Paul Menou won the Best Supporting Actor award for Absent Friend.

Choreographer Paula Shaw was specially recognised for her work in theatre.

Despite growing effort on their part, the producers of the awards show are still to master staging a tight, well-managed production. There were too many technical errors which marred the flow of the event.

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Singer Bella Blair performs alongside members of the National Dance Theatre Company at the actor Boy Awards at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Monday.

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Dahlia Harris accepts the award for Best Revue for God Guh Wid Yuh from Nicarno Williams, while her castmates look on.