A SOUTHAMPTON venue has been named as Regional Theatre of the Year at a top awards ceremony.

The Nuffield Theatre was presented the award, beating other regional producing powerhouses to the prize, including Bath’s Theatre Royal and Leicester’s Curve.

It was recognised by the judges for the work it has produced over the past year, including the ambitious Tonight at 8.30, a mammoth staging of Noel Coward’s entire cycle of nine one-act plays.

The judges also praised the ingenuity behind the pop-up stage/football pitch hybrid, created to perform Southampton FC drama The Saints and noted that while in its 50th year Nuffield is “undergoing something of a renaissance”.

Nuffield’s Director, Sam Hodges, said: “To be awarded Regional Theatre of the Year is a wonderful endorsement of all the hard work the company has put in over the last year.

“From pop-up football stadiums to locking actors in glass cubes, it was a year of trying things out, of adventure, ambition and risk, and to be recognised for it by The Stage is very important to us.

“This is a pivotal moment for Southampton as it develops a burgeoning Cultural Quarter with the creation of a new Arts Complex in 2016 and Nuffield look forward to playing an important role in the city’s growth.”