EDINBURGH'S Royal Lyceum leads this year's Scottish theatre awards short lists with a dozen nominations.

The Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland or CATS award short lists also include five nominations for the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, and six for Perth Theatre, following a major refurbishment.

Rhinoceros – a Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh International Festival, and DOT Theatre of Istanbul co-production - is the single most recognised production.

Vying for the best male performance award are Joseph Arkley, George Costigan, Robert Jack and Ramesh Meyyappan, while Charlene Boyd, Apphia Campbell, Jessica Hardwick and Sara Stewart are in the best female performance category.

The best ensemble award short list includes the cast of August: Osage Country at the Dundee Rep, The Belle's Stratagem, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, as well as Cockpit and Rhinoceros also at the Royal Lyceum Theatre.

Wils Wilson, for Cockpit, Lu Kemp for Knives in Hens, Angie Dight for Nursery Crymes and Murat Daltaban for Rhinoceros are in the runnig for best director.

The best new play award short list includes The Monarch of the Glen by Peter Arnott, Alan Bissett's (More) Moira Monologues, Nursery Crymes by Angie Dight, Bill Breckenridge and Mischief La Bas, and Meet Me at Dawn by Zinnie Harris.

David Greig, the playwright and director of the Lyceum, said: "We are delighted to be nominated for so many Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland this year and I’m particularly pleased that such a variety of show are in contention.

"The success of Rhinoceros celebrates The Lyceum’s aspiration to make more international connections, as we have with DOT Theatre, Istanbul and Edinburgh International Festival; while two nominations for Music and Sound (for Rhinoceros and Glory on Earth) bear witness to our commitment to put music at the centre of our work which is writ-large throughout our next season.

"The scale and ambition of Cockpit took an incredible amount of work both from the cast and creative team, as well as the theatre staff, so I’m very proud this has been recognised; while The Belle’s Stratagem points to our commitment to nurture and celebrate Scottish talent."

Joyce McMillan, the co-convener of the awards, said: "We’re simply delighted with the range of work recognised in these shortlists.

"From powerful productions of the best-loved classics to shows like Nursery Crymes and Flight, which really push at the edges of our concept of theatre.

"It’s also a huge pleasure to see Perth Theatre firing on all cylinders again, after its three-year rebuilding programme; and we are especially pleased to be holding the Awards Ceremony at Perth this year, to celebrate the tremendous work that’s been done to make that much-loved theatre into a brilliant 21st century resource for the Perth area, and for the whole of Scottish theatre."

The 2018 CATS will be presented on10 June at the refurbished Perth Theatre.