Jacob Derwig and Elsie de Brauw receive 2011's top drama awards

On Sunday evening 11 September, the VSCD Drama Awards, the VSCD Mime Prize, the VSCD Youth Theatre Awards and the AVRO Toneel Publieksprijs 2011 were presented at the Gala van het Nederlands Theater. And that you then know that VSCD stands for the Association of Theatre and Concert Hall Directors and AVRO for General Free Radio Broadcasting. The award for the best male lead of the past season was for Jacob Derwig (known for his role as a pzychiater in the TV series In Therapy). He received the Louis d'Or, as that stage oscar is called, for his role in the Toneelgroep Amsterdam-performance Children of the Sun. Elsie de Brauw was named best actress of the past season for her role in the duet Poison, which she performed together with Steven van Watermeulen on a text by Lot Vekemans at the Flemish company NTGent. For that, she thus received the Theo d'Or, as the prize for women is called. Both awards, by the way, are named after the illustrious actors Louis and Theo Mann Bouwmeester, who literally made the Dutch theatre socially acceptable in the early 20th century.

The Colombina 2011, for the most impressive female contributing role goes to Lies Pauwels for her role in Freetown of Dood Paard. The 2011 Arlecchino, for the most impressive male contributing role, goes to Peter Bolhuis for his role in August: Oklahoma by De Utrechtse Spelen.

The Dutch Drama Jury awarded this year's Proscenium Prize, for the person who has made a substantial contribution to the theatre climate, to playwright Jan Joris Lamers. The jury especially considers the theatre pedagogical aspect of Lamers' work of immeasurable importance for the development of the Dutch theatre.

This year's VSCD Mime Award goes to Hotel Modern with the performance Airplane Mother Ship. The Mime jury calls visual artist and theatre maker Herman Helle a virtuoso clown who does what he has to do with abandon and precision.

The VSCD Youth Theatre Awards, the Gouden Krekels, are awarded in two categories: the most impressive production and the most impressive stage performance. The production Adios by Het Houten Huis and Speeltheater Holland wins the Gouden Krekel for the most impressive production. According to the youth theatre jury, Adios is a performance that moves the audience to tears. The Gouden Krekel for most impressive stage performance goes to Servaes Nelissen for his role in Lang zal die WEZEN by Toneelschap Beumer & Drost. According to the jury, he shows inimitable diversity in this role and displays a rare skill with which he makes the audience laugh several times.

This year's award from the public for the best performance of the past season, the AVRO Toneel Publieksprijs, goes to Kik Productions' production DOEK! More than 30,000 people cast their votes through voting forms in the theatre and via an online voting round. The winner receives an amount of € 25,000 from the AVRO, to be spent on the next production. In addition, the winner receives airtime and a promotion package.