Belvoir and Co-Curious’ epic production of Counting and Cracking, which played as part of last year’s Sydney Festival and told the story of four generations of a Sri Lankan family, was awarded Best Mainstage Production at tonight’s 2019 Sydney Theatre Awards. Staged at Sydney Town Hall and performed to sold out audiences, it was also awarded Best New Australian Work for S. Shakthidharan and Best Original Score of a Mainstage Production for Stefan Gregory. These honours follow its considerable seven Helpmann Awards in July of last year.

Vaishnavi Suryaprakash and Sukania Venugopal in Counting and Cracking. Photograph © Brett Boardman

Best Independent Production was awarded to Outhouse Theatre Co and Seymour Centre’s John, a 2015 play by Annie Baker set in a bed and breakfast. Directed by Craig Baldwin, Limelight described it as a “precise, perfectly paced production” that draws the audience into “the strange, fascinating world on stage.”

Sydney Theatre Company’s season closer The Beauty Queen of Leenane picked up four awards in total – Best Direction of a Mainstage Production for Paige Rattray, Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role for Hamish Michael, Best Stage Design of a Mainstage Production...