CityLife

Contenders line up for Theatre Awards

EXCITEMENT is mounting as stars of stage and screen dust off their glad rags - and perhaps even rehearse a few words of an ''off-the-cuff'' acceptance speech - for next Tuesday's (Dec 4) glitzy Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards ceremony.

This year marks the 20th year of the awards, set up to honour the best regional and visiting productions, and the Crowne Plaza Midland hotel will once again be full of the great and good of theatreland, eager to find out who our expert judges have chosen as the outstanding talents in a theatrical year that, everyone must agree, has been fairly extraordinary.

Comedian and actor John Thomson, star of TV's Cold Feet, will be hosting the event, sponsored by Manchester Airport, and a host of other celebrities should also be present, including ever-popular Sherrie Hewson and former Blue Peter presenter Tim Vincent (both of whom are appearing in this year's Aladdin panto at Manchester's Opera House) as well as TV presenter Jennie Powell and soap star Phil Middlemiss.