Theatre News

Gypsy among contenders for UK Theatre Awards

The Chichester production starring Imelda Staunton leads the field

Imelda Staunton in Gypsy
Imelda Staunton in Gypsy
© Johan Persson

Nominations have been announced for the 2015 UK Theatre Awards, with Gypsy, Mrs Henderson Presents and The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole among the shows in contention.

Gypsy star Imelda Staunton is nominated for Best Performance in a Musical, alongside Laura Pitt-Pulford for The Sound of Music (Curve) and Ashley Day for Oklahoma! (Royal and Derngate).

Other productions on the shortlists this year include the Theatre Royal Bath production of The Father, soon to be seen in the West End, and Anything Goes at Sheffield Crucible.

Formerly known as the TMAs, the awards are identified as the only nationwide awards to honour creative and outstanding achievements through theatre, dance and opera seen throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Full list of nominees

Best new play

Another Place by DC Moore, a Theatre Royal Plymouth production
Iphigenia in Splott by Gary Owen, a Sherman Cymru production
The Father by Florian Zeller, translation by Christopher Hampton, a Theatre Royal Bath production

Best performance in a play

– Joel MacCormack for Each His Own Wilderness, an Orange Tree Theatre production
– Polly Lister for Abigail's Party, a Theatre by The Lake production
– Grant O’Rourke for Venetian Twins, a Royal Lyceum Theatre production

Best supporting performance

– Alex Hassell for Death of a Salesman, a Royal Shakespeare Company production
– Declan Conlon for Dancing at Lughnasa, a Lyric Theatre, Belfast production
– Justine Mitchell for For Services Rendered, a Chichester Festival Theatre production

Best musical production

Gypsy directed by Jonathan Kent, a Chichester Festival Theatre production
Anything Goes directed by Daniel Evans, a Sheffield Theatres production in association with Stage Entertainment
Mrs Henderson Presents directed by Terry Johnson, a Theatre Royal Bath production

Best performance in a musical

– Imelda Staunton for Gypsy, a Chichester Festival Theatre production
– Laura Pitt-Pulford for The Sound of Music, a Curve Theatre, Leicester production
– Ashley Day for Oklahoma!, a Music and Lyrics and Royal and Derngate production

Best show for children and young people

Running Wild, a Chichester Festival Youth Theatre production
Wind in the Willows, a Chester Performs production
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 the Musical, a Curve Theatre, Leicester production

Best touring production

Twelfth Night, an English Touring Theatre and Sheffield Theatres production
Yer Granny, a National Theatre of Scotland production
Annie, a Michael Harrison and David Ian production

Best director

– Ned Bennett for Pomona, an Orange Tree Theatre production, and for Yen, a Royal Exchange Theatre production
– Mark Thomson for The Caucasian Chalk Circle, a Royal Lyceum Theatre production
– Max Stafford-Clark for Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage, an Out of Joint, National Theatre Wales and Arcola Theatre, with Sherman Cymru, production

Best design

– Dick Bird, Timothy Bird and Paul Keogan for The Hudsucker Proxy, a Nuffield Theatre, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse in association with Complicite production
– Stewart Laing and Mimi Jordan Sherin for Titus Andronicus, a Dundee Rep production
– Leslie Travers and Tim Lutkin for Rebecca, a Kneehigh Theatre and Theatre Royal Plymouth production

Achievement in dance

– Candoco Dance Company: for a terrifically entertaining revival of Jerome Bel’s postmodern classic The Show Must Go On
– New Adventures: for integrating professional and non-professional dancers in Matthew Bourne and Scott Ambler's engrossing Lord of the Flies
– Yorke Dance Project: for Figure Ground – inspired commissions embracing both past and future

Achievement in opera

– Glyndebourne: for an outstandingly well-planned and performed season
– Opera North’s production of The Marriage of Figaro
– Scottish Opera for Annilese Miskimmon’s production of Jenufa, conducted by Stuart Stratford