We were delighted to celebrate a fantastic evening at Sunday’s Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS), with three awards recognising artists and productions connected to the Traverse and our upcoming TravFest26 programme. Jessica Hardwick and Johnny McKnight both received Outstanding Performance awards, while Milly Sweeney's Water Colour was named Best New Play.
Jessica Hardwick was recognised for her extraordinary solo performance in GUSH, a powerful and unflinching exploration of motherhood, identity and desire, while Johnny McKnight received an Outstanding Performance award for She's Behind You, his warm, witty and deeply personal one person show exploring the changing place of the pantomime dame in contemporary theatre. Their awards celebrate two distinct and unforgettable performances that showcase the extraordinary impact a single performer can have on an audience.
Adding to the celebrations, Water Colour, recently announced as part of our TravFest26 programme, was awarded Best New Play. Written by St Andrews Playwriting Award winner Milly Sweeney, the play follows two strangers whose lives unexpectedly intersect in a tender, deeply human story about loneliness, connection and what happens when we choose to reach out to one another. Praised by CATS judges as "an elegantly structured and emotionally authentic portrait of depression and connection among young people", the award is a wonderful recognition for one of Scotland's most exciting new writing voices ahead of Water Colour joining TravFest26 this August.
These awards celebrate the exceptional artists, writers and collaborators shaping Scotland's theatre landscape and highlight the important role that Traverse Festival continues to play in supporting and platforming new work. From Johnny McKnight's award-winning performance in TravFest25 to welcoming Water Colour to TravFest26, these successes speak to the breadth of talent being nurtured and shared across Scotland's theatre sector, and to the Traverse's enduring commitment to bold new voices and ambitious contemporary storytelling.
Congratulations to Jessica, Johnny, Milly and everyone involved in bringing these extraordinary works to life. We are thrilled to celebrate these achievements and look forward to welcoming audiences to Water Colour as part of TravFest26 this August.