THE NATIONAL Theatre of Scotland has made an immediate impact on Scotland’s theatre in its inaugural season, emerging as front-runner in Scotland’s Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS) this year.

The 2006 shortlists show the NTS clocking up no fewer than 11 nominations across seven of the 10 categories.

However, the message emerging most clearly is the quality of theatre being produced by companies large and small across the length and breadth of Scotland.

Producing houses, including Dundee Rep, Perth Theatre and Pitlochry Festival Theatre, featured strongly in nominations, while independent companies also fared well, all of which makes for an exciting event when the winners are revealed in Dundee next month.

Edinburgh’s Grid Iron was nominated in five categories for Roam, its collaboration with the NTS, staged in Edinburgh airport, and also picked up four nominations for The Devil’s Larder.

Meanwhile Poorboy of Angus is also in the running for its site specific collaboration with the NTS.

David Harrower’s Blackbird, currently enjoying a critically-acclaimed run in London’s West End, picked up two nominations including best new play, where it is up against strong competition from works commissioned for the innovative A Play, A Pie and A Pint series at Glasgow’s Oran Mor. Leading theatre actors Liam Brennan, Dugald Bruce-Lockhart, Andy Clark and Tommy Mullins are competing to follow David Tennant as best actor.

Unveiling the shortlists, CATS convener Robert Dawson Scott said, “Once again we were struck by the quality of work being produced across the country, from Shetland to East Lothian and from large and small companies.”

The 2006 Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland will be presented at Discovery Point, Dundee, on Sunday, June 4.

The ceremony is sponsored by the City of Discovery Campaign.

A spokesman said, “It is exciting that Dundee is to host the CATS, not only because it is a major event in the theatrical calendar that promotes and rewards excellence, but also because it has been very much a part of our focus in Dundee to promote the arts, and to use the excellence that the city possesses in artistic fields to promote the city—for example, the acclaimed work of Dundee Rep, the award-winning DCA and the general buzz created through our cultural quarter.”

The 10 categories in the Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland are: best male actor, female actor, director, ensemble, new play, children’s show, design, music, technical presentation, and production.

The awards panel consists of regular theatre reviewers in Scotland, including The Courier’s Joy Watters.

Dundee Rep has received two nominations for best children’s show— Cinderella and Dr Korczak’s Example; two for best design—for Tom Piper for Ubu The King and Phillip Witcomb for Cinderella.

Perth Theatre received three nominations for Tales From Hollywood—best actor, Liam Brennan, best ensemble and best director, Ian Grieve.

Pitlochry received a best technical presentation nomination for Kind Hearts And Coronets, as did Angus-based Poorboy for Falling.