Wangaratta Players won best play for The War of the Worlds at Saturday’s Georgy Awards in Shepparton, one of 16 prizes claimed by Border and North East companies.

The Players also took out both the male and female best performances in a play, David Newport (The Winslow Boy) and Kellie Grant (Death In Mort), as well as achievement in set design for Paul Walker and Carl Monshing (The Winslow Boy).

President Lorraine Monshing said The War of the Worlds, which she directed, was based on the 1938 radio script and included live, not recorded, sound effects.

“I copied the way that it was done back in that day as best I could, we even had microphones that were from the ‘30s,” she said.

“It was received really well because it was a novelty, I think.

"The actors did a wonderful job, a few of them were very young.”

Livid Productions’ 2017 musical Les Miserables earned four awards –  best musical, achievement in direction and lighting design for David Todd and Adam Boon respectively and best supporting performance in a musical (female) for Mica Torre, who played Eponine.

Company co-founder Liz Kolisnyk said Livid was thrilled to be recognised for its 10^th anniversary show.

“David’s artistic eye for set design, his style of direction stands alone,” she said.

“He’s very involved, hands on, as are all the production team of Livid.”

The cast of Chicago, staged by Albury Wodonga Theatre Company, celebrated William Bonnici’s best performance in a musical (male) success along with Caitlin Clarke winning achievement in choreography.

Xanadu, the 2018 musical of BYTE Sized Productions, picked up three awards through Kobey Flynn Hudec (best junior singing, male), Mitch Clarke (best junior supporting performance, male) and the rock band (judges award).

Darby Quinlivan’s Mercutio in The Other Theatre Company’s Romeo & Juliet won the Elaine Tonks Award for best support in a play (male).

Wodonga Senior Secondary College’s first musical in more than a decade The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, produced two award-winning performances by Holly Kupa (best junior performance, female) and Charlotte Kay (best junior singing, female).

Mrs Kolisnyk said the Georgy Awards presentation highlighted the strength of live theatre across all the companies in this region.

“Just seeing some of the talent on the stage … it’s just really good to see a generation of younger thespians coming into the theatre world,” she said.

She encouraged the community to keep on supporting Border and North East productions.

“And don’t have the perception of ‘Oh, it’s only local’,” she said.

“Really, you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you go to these shows.”