The opulent Cafe de Paris nightclub, just off Piccadilly Circus, was transformed into a showbiz extravaganza midday on 1st December to welcome the announcement of the 17th annual WhatsonStage Award nominations, with winners to be announced in February 2017. Between wine, canapés, and lively conversations – not to mention a glamorous balcony area for the event’s sponsors – the event is a celebration of the West End’s most acclaimed and popular shows in the past year. It has, thankfully, been a year of great theatre, and – as the opening video reminded attendees – great theatre has been very necessary in the year of Brexit and Trump.
Emcee Steve First heralded the event as the start of the Christmas countdown, jovially introducing the announcement portion of the afternoon. Thankfully, he feels that theatre audiences have made better voting choices than certain other occasions in 2016 (‘The people have spoken and what the f*** do the people know’), and this impressive and deserving list supports his trust in the theatre-going public.
The award nominees, announced at 13.30 on 1st December, are as follows:
Best Actor in a Play:
Kenneth Branagh in The Entertainer
Ian McKellen in No Man’s Land
Ian Hallard in The Boys in the Band
Jamie Parker in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Ralph Fiennes in Richard III
Best Actress in a Play:
Billie Piper in Yerma
Helen McCrory in The Deep Blue See
Lily James in Romeo and Juliet
Michelle Terry in Henry V
Pixie Lott in Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Best Actor in a Musical:
Andy Karl in Groundhog Day
Charlie Stemp in Half a Sixpence
Michael C Hall in Lazarus
Michael Xavier in Sunset Boulevard
Ramin Karimloo in Murder Ballad
Best Actress in a Musical:
Sheridan Smith in Funny Girl
Devon-Elise Johnson in Half a Sixpence
Carrie Hope Fletcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Amber Riley in Dreamgirls
Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard
Best Supporting Actor in a Play:
Anthony Boyle in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Derek Jacobi in Romeo and Juliet
Freddie Fox in Travesties
Paul Thornley in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Jonjo O’Neill in Unreachable
Best Supporting Actress in a Play:
Jenna Russell in Doctor Faustus
Poppy Miller in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Meera Syal in Romeo and Juliet
Noma Dumezweni in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Vanessa Redgrave in Richard III
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical:
Joel Montague in Funny Girl
Trevor Dion Nicholas in Aladdin
Adam J Bernard in Dreamgirls
Tyrone Huntley in Jesus Christ Superstar
Ian Bartholomew in Half a Sixpence
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical:
Amy Lennox in Lazarus
Emma Williams in Half a Sixpence
Rebecca Trehearn in Showboat
Sophia Ann Caruso in Lazarus
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt in Murder Ballad
Best New Play:
The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures (iHo)
The Mother
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
The Flick
The Comedy About a Bank Robbery
Best New Musical
Dreamgirls
Half a Sixpence
Groundhog Day
School of Rock
Aladdin
Best Play Revival:
The Boys in the Band
Travesties
No Man’s Land
The Dresser
The Deep Blue Sea
Best Musical Revival:
Sunset Boulevard
Show Boat
Jesus Christ Superstar
Funny Girl
Ragtime
Best Direction:
John Tiffany for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Casey Nicholaw for Aladdin
Matthew Warchus for Groundhog Day
Rachel Kavanaugh for Half a Sixpence
Michael Mayer for Funny Girl
Best Choreography:
Drew McOnie for Jesus Chris Superstar
Casey Nicholaw for Aladdin
Andrew Wright for Half a Sixpence
Casey Nicholaw for Dreamgirls
Peter Darling for Groundhog Day
Best Costume Design:
Gregg Barnes for Aladdin
Paul Brown for Half a Sixpence
Matthew Wright for Funny Girl
Katrina Lindsay for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Gregg Barnes for Dreamgirls
Best Set Design:
Christine Jones for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Miriam Buether for Wild
Bob Crowley for Aladdin
Lez Brotherston for Show Boat
Rob Howell for Groundhog Day
Best Lighting Design:
Neil Austin for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Jack Weir for The Boys in the Band
Charlie Morgan Jones for Little Shop of Horrors
Hugh Vanstone for Groundhog Day
Natasha Katz for Aladdin
Best Video Design:
Tal Yarden for Lazarus
Andrzej Goulding for Groundhog Day
Laura Perrett for Murder Ballad
Finn Ross and Alex Woodward for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Finn Ross for The Tempest
Best Off-West End Production:
The Boys in the Band
The Last Five Years
Side Show
Ragtime
Grey Gardens
Best Regional Production:
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Flowers for Mrs Harris
Rent
The Grinning Man
The Girls
Best West End Show:
Les Miserables
Kinky Boots
Wicked
The Phantom of the Opera
Matilda the Musical
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