Names to watch : Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland announce 2011 shortlist

Kate Dickie, David Birrell and David Greig feature on CATS 2011 shortlist

The Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland judges have announced the 2010-11 shortlists for Scotland's leading theatre awards, following an all-day meeting at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh.

A highlight of the Scottish theatre calendar, the CATS celebrates the actors, directors, playwrights and other theatre artists who have made the most significant contributions of the year.

Previous winners include actors David Tennant and Cara Kelly, works including Blackbird and Black Watch and companies Wee Stories to the National Theatre of Scotland.

Blythe Duff, star of STV's Taggart, is up for Best Female Actor for her role as Helen in David Harrower's Good with People, produced as part of the A Play Pie and A Pint series at Oran Mor, Glasgow. Her portrayal of a frustrated hotel receptionist who embarks on a strange relationship with a younger man earned her rave reviews when it opened in September last year.

Other nominations for Best Female Actor include rising star Gemma McElhinney for her performance as Duck in David Greig's The Monster in the Hall, which was produced as part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival.

David Birrell is up for Best Male Actor for his enigmatic performance as Sweeney Todd at the Dundee Rep, which received 5 star reviews virtually across the board, but he faces tough competition from Ian Smith, Peter Forbes and Alex Ferns.

Meanwhile, Dundee's Rep Theatre and The Traverse Theatre Company in Edinburgh have much to celebrate as they are in the running for five awards each, just behind the National Theatre of Scotland and Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum, who both appear in six categories.

The winners will be announced at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, on Sunday 12 June and tickets for the awards ceremony can be purchased now.

See the full list of nominations at The List