Awards and achievements
Free-Rain Theatre Company was founded in 1995 by Anne Somes who is the Artistic Director and Producer. Over the last 29 years, Anne has staged 90 productions including plays, musicals, cabaret, new Australian works, children’s theatre and youth productions. From these productions, individual artists and the company have received 75 awards, including nine from the Canberra Critics Circle.
The Ovations Awards
- 2023 – Steph Roberts for Outstanding Lead Performance – Drama, as Sonja and Sarah in Speaking in Tongues
- 2023 – Darcy Kinsella for Outstanding Supporting Performance, as Patsy in Spamalot
- 2023 – Speaking in Tongues for Outstanding Production of a Play – Independent
- 2022 – Josh Wiseman for Best Supporting Male Performance, as Nick in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
- 2022 – Mamma Mia for Best Musical >$70k
Canberra Area Theatre (CAT) Awards
1995 to 2023 – Free-Rain has won over 70 awards both in ACT and NSW including
- 10 personal Directing awards for Anne Somes
- 8 Play awards
See here for the full list of CAT Awards associated with Free-Rain Theatre Company.
Canberra Critics Circle Awards
The Free-Rain Theatre Company has won 13 CCC awards including:
- 2024 – Billy Elliot – The Musical at The Q, for our exuberant production of this demanding musical, set in times of turmoil.
- 2024 – Amy Kowalczuk in A Streetcar Named Desire at ACT Hub, for her incisive, sensitive and powerful performance as Blanche DuBois
- 2022 – Andrea Close in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at ACT Hub, for her ferociously real performance as Martha.
- 2022 – Stephanie Bailey in My Fair Lady at The Q, for a beautifully sung and emotionally sensitive portrayal of Eliza Doolittle as she transcended from flower girl to belle of the ball.
- 2021 – Helen McFarlane in Mamma Mia at The Q, for her exuberant portrayal of the worldly, sophisticated friend, Tanya, a role which demanded mastery of triple-threat skills.
- 2018 – 42nd Street at The Q
Michelle Heine – Choreography
Sophie Highmore – Lead - 2017 – Wicked at the Canberra Theatre
- 2013 – The Phantom of the Opera at the Canberra Theatre