As we come to the end of an exciting year for Liverpool’s cultural scene, Arts Editor Laura Davis looks back at the year’s highlights

THE range and quality of this year’s arts events proved that Liverpool continues to be a Capital of Culture, even though it has passed the title on. And, judging by the number of tickets sold and visitors attending, the credit crunch may have affected audience’s pockets but it hasn’t affected their enthusiasm.

In 2009, there have been new venues opened, new festivals launched and a host of stars have appeared at the city’s attractions.

Choosing the winners for the Daily Post Arts Awards has been tough, and each category could have had several winners. Ultimately, however, there can only be one per category . . .

Theatre

BEST PRODUCTION

Everyman old boy Jonathan Pryce took the role of Davies in The Caretaker, a role he had always wanted to play on the Hope Street theatre’s stage. Both funny and touching, it brought the best out of Pinter’s masterpiece and left audiences with plenty to think about on their way home.

BEST COMEDY

Mersey poet Roger McGough did it again with The Hypochondriac, the second of Moliere’s plays to win rave reviews at the Playhouse in just two years. McGough’s mischievous sense of humour and talent for word-play, matched with a brilliant cast – especially Leanne Best as cunning maid Toinette – made this a deserving winner.

BEST MUSICAL

Willy Russell and Bob Eaton reworked Our Day Out into a full-blown musical, with new songs and a bit of updating. Our reviewer described it as: “Genuinely funny . . . with a degree of poignancy in all the right places.” Audiences loved the show so much that it will be returning to the Royal Court for another run next summer.

BEST FRINGE

Tom Stoppard’s 1966 play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, takes perfect timing and careful acting to make it work. Lodestar’s production at Novas managed both, with strong directing by Max Rubin. Liam Tobin nearly stole the show with his flamboyant portrayal of The Player, while Richard Kelly and Simon Hedger were well matched as the doomed duo.

BEST ACTOR

Jonathan Pryce’s much-anticipated arrival at the Everyman did not disappoint. His portrayal of Davies was so convincing that he practically embodied him. Here’s hoping that another member of the Everyman alumni will put in an appearance in 2010.

BEST ACTRESS

She played Shirley Valentine at the Royal Court as if the role had been written for her, added a touch of humour to long- running musical Twopence To Cross the Mersey at the Empire, and brought tears to the eyes of those watching Alan Bennett’s A Cream Cracker Under the Settee. A stalwart of the Liverpool stage, Pauline Daniels has not only proved her own versatility as an actress and comedian during 2009, she has dedicated her time to encouraging and developing the talents of young people at the Actors Studio on Seel Street.

BEST DIRECTOR

There was great material to work with – Harold Pinter’s The Caretaker and a cast that included Evita star Jonathan Pryce – but the production was more than the whole of its parts thanks to director Christopher Morahan. The 80-year-old returned to a script he last directed in 1972, winning many glowing local and national reviews.

Dance

BEST CLASSICAL DANCE

English National Ballet’s production of Giselle had a hint of Tim Burton about it with zombie-like wilis hopping stiffly through a fog of dry ice.

The graveyard scenes complemented the first part of the show, where a delicate Daria Klimentova danced the lead role with almost innocent playfulness against chocolate box scenery.

BEST CONTEMPORARY DANCE

Liverpool-based physical theatre company Momentum renamed itself after its signature work this year and its easy to see why. Tmesis, revamped for 2009, is based on Plato’s idea that humans were once two-headed, eight-limbed beings that were sliced down the middle by envious gods. Elinor Randle and Yorgos Karamalegos showed incredible physical strength and control.

Music

BEST CLASSICAL

The world premiere of Weinberg’s one-act opera Lady Magnesia, by Ensemble 10/10, at the Cornerstone, included a terrific line-up of soloists who were not only comical but highly accomplished.

BEST POP/ROCK

With three gigs at the Echo Arena, Pink blitzed her way through a powerful list of hits on an all guns blazing set designed as a retro funfair, before an acoustic set proved she doesn’t need all the razzmatazz to captivate a crowd of thousands.

BEST FOLK/ROOTS

Five decades after she first started singing at folk clubs, Joan Baez performed what felt like a surprisingly intimate concert at the Philharmonic Hall, despite it being a near sell-out. With a set list that ranged from traditional songs to those written by her contemporaries, she proved she has retained her magic, yet has not yet quenched her thirst for new material.

Comedy

BEST COMEDIAN

From a memorable stand-up showcase at the Liverpool Comedy Festival to a lead role in stage show One Night in Istanbul and a cameo in TV drama Skins, John Bishop made his mark locally and nationally in 2009.

Visual Arts

BEST EXHIBITION (LARGE VENUE)

Designer Wayne Hemingway transformed one of Tate Liverpool’s galleries into a dance-floor as part of the DLA Piper Series This is Sculpture exhibition, while others were given a brightly-coloured make-over. An opportunity for visitors to see some major works from the Tate collection, while proving that galleries don’t have to be stuffy to present serious art.

BEST EXHIBITION (SMALL VENUE)

Liz Crow’s moving video installation, Resistance, tackled the Nazi mass murder campaign towards disabled people. Her work gave a voice to the silent victims and was one of the most powerful elements of Liverpool’s DaDaFest 2009.

Venue

Behind a bright yellow door on a platform at Edge Hill Station lies Metal, a multi-purpose arts space, the result of five years’ renovation work led by Liverpool-born Jude Kelly, director of London’s prestigious Southbank Centre. There’s a real sense of adventure about stepping into a virtually hidden place, which demonstrates an innovative and imaginative use of formerly disused buildings.

Innovation

Wirral electronic band OMD joined forces with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in a concert with an incredible atmosphere. Some orchestrated versions of their hits worked better than others, but they deserve full marks for daring to try something new.

JUDGING panel included: Laura Davis, Emma Pinch and Glyn Mon Hughes.