There was, as WhatsOnStage Awards co-producer Paul Taylor-Mills pointed out, something odd about being in a theatre sipping champagne and having a good time when, at the same time, a crisis is going on following the invasion of Ukraine. It was, of course, a major topic of conversation amongst attendees, and a few winners couldn’t help but make clear their support for Ukrainians at this time. Last year’s awards were, for obvious reasons, an online-only presentation, and much was said this time around over the course of the evening about the difficult times the theatre industry went through as its doors were closed. Yes, it started to sound like a stuck record by the end (for those old enough to remember stuck records) but the support and solidarity amongst industry colleagues was palpable.
Some stunning musical performances from various shows added yet more sparkle to an already glittering evening. There was a good variety of showtunes, from the keynote ‘Let It Go’ from Disney’s Frozen and ‘The Power of Love’ from Back to the Future the Musical to a closing tribute to American composer Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021). Worthy of note was Eddie Redmayne’s acceptance speech (for his performance in Cabaret), in which he paid tribute to the various swings, covers and understudies working on that show covering several tracks: Sally Frith, for instance, performed different roles for the matinee and evening performances the previous day. On a wider level, the work of swings, covers and understudies on every show cannot be underestimated – so many performances would be cancelled without them. An additional awards category in future years wouldn’t go amiss.
A relatively slick presentation this year, a few minor hitches were, as ever, a source of fleeting amusement. There were, fortunately, or unfortunately, no major bloopers or shock horror moments to report. Theatre is indeed back.
THE NOMINEES IN FULL – WINNERS IN BOLD:
BEST PERFORMER IN A MALE IDENTIFYING ROLE IN A MUSICAL – SPONSORED BY INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE OF MUSICAL THEATRE
Roger Bart – Back to the Future the Musical, Manchester Opera House & Adelphi Theatre
Olly Dobson – Back to the Future the Musical, Manchester Opera House & Adelphi Theatre
Arinzé Kene – Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre
Julian Ovenden – South Pacific, Chichester Festival Theatre
Eddie Redmayne – Cabaret, Playhouse Theatre – Kit Kat Club
Ivano Turco – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, Gillian Lynne Theatre
BEST PERFORMER IN A FEMALE IDENTIFYING ROLE IN A MUSICAL – SPONSORED BY LONDON THEATRE DIRECT
Aimie Atkinson – Pretty Woman, Piccadilly Theatre & Savoy Theatre
Samantha Barks – Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Jessie Buckley – Cabaret, Playhouse Theatre – Kit Kat Club
Carrie Hope Fletcher – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, Gillian Lynne Theatre
Beverley Knight – The Drifters Girl, Garrick Theatre
Stephanie McKeon, Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A MALE-IDENTIFYING ROLE IN A MUSICAL – SPONSORED BY TANDEM MARKETING
Blake Patrick Anderson – Be More Chill, The Other Palace & Shaftesbury Theatre
Hugh Coles – Back to the Future the Musical, Manchester Opera House & Adelphi Theatre
Robert Lindsay – Anything Goes, Barbican Centre
Cedric Neal – Back to the Future the Musical – Manchester Opera House & Adelphi Theatre
Oliver Ormson – Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Obioma Ugoala – Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A FEMALE-IDENTIFYING ROLE IN A MUSICAL – SPONSORED BY NEWMAN DISPLAYS
Joanna Ampil – South Pacific, Chichester Festival Theatre
Gabrielle Brooks – Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, Gillian Lynne Theatre
Carly Mercedes Dyer – Anything Goes, Barbican Centre
Millie O’Connell – Rent, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
Rebecca Trehearn – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, Gillian Lynne Theatre
BEST PERFORMER IN A MALE IDENTIFYING ROLE IN A PLAY
Richard Armitage – Uncle Vanya, Harold Pinter Theatre
Ben Daniels – The Normal Heart, National Theatre
Omari Douglas – Constellations, Vaudeville Theatre
Hadley Fraser – 2:22 A Ghost Story, Noël Coward Theatre
Henry Lewis – Magic Goes Wrong, Vaudeville Theatre & Apollo Theatre
James McAvoy – Cyrano de Bergerac, Playhouse Theatre
BEST PERFORMER IN A FEMALE IDENTIFYING ROLE IN A PLAY – SPONSORED BY EDWARDIAN HOTELS LONDON
Lily Allen – 2:22 A Ghost Story, Noël Coward Theatre
Gemma Arterton – Walden, Harold Pinter Theatre
Sheila Atim – Constellations, Vaudeville Theatre
Emma Corrin – Anna X, Harold Pinter Theatre, The Lowry, Salford
Patsy Ferran – Camp Siegfried, The Old Vic
Saoirse Ronan – The Tragedy of Macbeth, Almeida Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A MALE IDENTIFYING ROLE IN A PLAY
Stephen K Amos – My Night with Reg, The Turbine Theatre
Dino Fetscher – The Normal Heart, National Theatre
Nathaniel Parker – The Mirror and the Light, Gielgud Theatre
Richard Rankin – The Tragedy of Macbeth, Almeida Theatre
Jonathan Sayer – Magic Goes Wrong, Vaudeville Theatre & Apollo Theatre
Jake Wood – 2:22 A Ghost Story, Noël Coward Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A FEMALE IDENTIFYING ROLE IN A PLAY
Michelle Fox – Shining City, Theatre Royal Stratford East
Akiya Henry – The Tragedy of Macbeth, Almeida Theatre
Penny Layden – The Ocean at the End of the Lane, National Theatre & Duke of York’s Theatre
Isobel McArthur – Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of), Criterion Theatre
Aimee Lou Wood – Uncle Vanya, Harold Pinter Theatre
Nancy Zamit – Magic Goes Wrong, Vaudeville Theatre & Apollo Theatre
BEST NEW MUSICAL – SPONSORED BY TRAVELZOO
Back to the Future the Musical – Adelphi Theatre
Cinderella – Gillian Lynne Theatre
Frozen – Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical – Lyric Theatre
Pretty Woman the Musical – Piccadilly Theatre & Savoy Theatre
Moulin Rouge! – Piccadilly Theatre
BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL – SPONSORED BY CONCORD THEATRICALS
Anything Goes – Barbican Centre
Cabaret – Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Carousel – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Rent – Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
South Pacific – Chichester Festival Theatre
West Side Story – Curve, Leicester
BEST NEW PLAY – SPONSORED BY TICKETMASTER
2:22 A Ghost Story – Noël Coward Theatre
J’ Ouvert – Harold Pinter Theatre, Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham
Leopoldstadt – Wyndham’s Theatre
Magic Goes Wrong – Vaudeville Theatre & Apollo Theatre
Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) – Criterion Theatre
The Ocean at the End of the Lane – National Theatre & Duke of York’s Theatre
BEST PLAY REVIVAL – SPONSORED BY AKA
Constellations – Vaudeville Theatre
Cyrano de Bergerac – Playhouse Theatre
My Night with Reg – The Turbine Theatre
The Normal Heart – National Theatre
The Tragedy of Macbeth – Almeida Theatre
Uncle Vanya – Harold Pinter Theatre
BEST OFF-WEST END PRODUCTION – SPONSORED BY LES MISÉRABLES
Anything is Possible if You Think About it Hard Enough – Southwark Playhouse
My Son’s A Queer but What Can You Do? – The Turbine Theatre
Old Bridge – Bush Theatre
Pippin – Charing Cross Theatre
Saving Britney – Old Red Lion Theatre
The Last Five Years – Southwark Playhouse
BEST REGIONAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
Bedknobs and Broomsticks the Musical – UK tour
Bloody Elle – A Gig Musical – Manchester Royal Exchange
Rent – Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
South Pacific – Chichester Festival Theatre
West Side Story – Curve, Leicester
What’s New Pussycat? – Birmingham Repertory Theatre
BEST WEST END SHOW – SPONSORED BY DEWYNTERS
Come From Away – Phoenix Theatre
Hamilton – Victoria Palace Theatre
Les Misérables – Sondheim Theatre
Six the Musical – Vaudeville Theatre
The Play That Goes Wrong – Duchess Theatre
Wicked – Apollo Victoria Theatre
BEST DIRECTION – SPONSORED BY LOVETHEATRE
Clint Dyer – Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre
Yaël Farber – The Tragedy of Macbeth, Almeida Theatre
Rebecca Frecknall – Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Michael Grandage – Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Jamie Lloyd – Cyrano de Bergerac, Playhouse Theatre
Katy Rudd – The Ocean at the End of the Lane, National Theatre & Duke of York’s Theatre
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Rob Ashford – Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Drew McOnie – Carousel, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Kathleen Marshall – Anything Goes, Barbican Centre
Shelley Maxwell – Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre
Sonya Tayeh – Moulin Rouge!, Piccadilly Theatre
Ann Yee – South Pacific, Chichester Festival Theatre
BEST SET DESIGN – SPONSORED BY PREEVUE
Fly Davis – The Ocean at the End of the Lane, National Theatre & Duke of York’s Theatre
Jamie Harrison – Bedknobs and Broomsticks the Musical, UK tour
Tim Hatley – Back to the Future the Musical, Manchester Opera House & Adelphi Theatre
Derek McLane – Moulin Rouge!, Piccadilly Theatre
Christopher Oram – Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Tom Scutt – Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Lisa Duncan – Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre
Christopher Oram – Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Tom Scutt – Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Gabriella Slade – Bedknobs and Broomsticks the Musical, UK tour
Gabriela Tylesova – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, Gillian Lynne Theatre
Catherine Zuber – Moulin Rouge!, Piccadilly Theatre
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN – SPONSORED BY WHITE LIGHT
Neil Austin – Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Charles Balfour – Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre
Isabella Byrd – Cabaret, Playhouse Theatre, Kit Kat Club
Tim Lutkin – Back to the Future the Musical, Adelphi Theatre
Bruno Poet – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, Gillian Lynne Theatre
Justin Townsend – Moulin Rouge!, Piccadilly Theatre
BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION OR SUPERVISION
Leo Munby – The Last Five Years, Vaudeville Theatre
Tom Deering – Carousel, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Sean Green – Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre
Justin Levine – Moulin Rouge!, Piccadilly Theatre
Stephen Oremus – Frozen – Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Katy Richardson – Rent, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
BEST SOUND DESIGN – SPONSORED BY STAGE SOUND SERVICES
Adam Cork – Leopoldstadt, Wyndham’s Theatre
Adam Fisher – The Last Five Years, Southwark Playhouse & Vaudeville Theatre
Paul Groothuis – South Pacific, Chichester Festival Theatre
Peter Hylenski – Moulin Rouge!, Piccadilly Theatre
Gareth Owen – Back to the Future the Musical, Manchester Opera House & Adelphi Theatre
Ben and Max Ringham – Cyrano de Bergerac, Playhouse Theatre
BEST VIDEO DESIGN
Nina Dunn – The Shark is Broken, Ambassadors Theatre
Akhila Krishnan – What’s New Pussycat?, Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Mikaela Liakata and Tal Yarden – Anna X, Harold Pinter Theatre & The Lowry, Salford
Finn Ross – Back to the Future the Musical, Manchester Opera House & Adelphi Theatre
Finn Ross – Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Tal Yarden – Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre
BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN – SPONSORED BY HEXAGON PRINT
Christopher D Clegg – The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
Feast Creative – Romeo and Juliet, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Feast Creative – Rent, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
Bob King Creative – Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Muse Creative Communications – RE:EMERGE Season, Harold Pinter Theatre
Michael Nash Associates- Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre
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