The Artistic Director for the Everyman & Playhouse has won Best Director at the U.K. Theatre Awards 2017 for reinstating a successful repertory company in spring 2017.

Gemma Bodinetz’s vision to return to a repertory company format at the Everyman was recognised at a prestigious awards ceremony in London’s Guildhall on Sunday 15th October.

The Artistic Director, who has worked at the Everyman & Playhouse for 14 years, joins an impressive list of previous winners including Duncan Macmillan, Robert Icke and Michael Sheen.

Winners are nominated and voted on by industry experts who decide between the best in U.K. theatre in a number of different categories.

Judges chose Gemma for her work in reinstating the repertory format at the Everyman in spring 2017 and her direction of two productions in the season, alongside Associate Artistic Director Nick Bagnall.

Gemma Bodinetz, Artistic Director at the Everyman & Playhouse, said, “Our first season with a repertory company was an extraordinary undertaking by all those involved: my fellow directors, staff here in Liverpool and of course the actors themselves. Winning this award felt like an acknowledgement from the industry of what a momentous endeavour that had been. I was hugely honoured to receive it, especially with such brilliant nominees as competition.”

The Everyman Company 2017 was the theatre’s first repertory company in 30 years. 14 actors performed five productions over five months including Fiddler on the Roof, Conquest of the South Pole, The Story Giant, The Sum and Romeo & Juliet.

The Company is set to return to the Everyman in Spring 2018, with full casting to be announced on Tuesday 7th November.

The season will include four plays this year with Paint Your Wagon, A Clockwork Orange, Othello and an adaptation of Peer Gynt by Robert Farquhar making up the full schedule at the Hope Street venue in spring.

Tickets for the Everyman Company 2018 season will be available from the week commencing Monday 13th November.