Theatre News

Hamilton and Bryan Cranston win at the Critics' Circle Awards

The winners of the annual Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards have been announced

Bryan Cranston, John McCrea, Sheila Atim and Andrew Scott
Bryan Cranston, John McCrea, Sheila Atim and Andrew Scott
© Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage

The winners of this year's Critics' Circle Theatre Awards have been announced.

The London production of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton takes home its first award since it opened in the city. The show picks up the award for Best Musical, while John McCrea, star of Everybody's Talking About Jamie, is joint winner of Most Promising Newcomer with Sheila Atim, currently in Girl From the North Country.

The award for Best Actor goes to Bryan Cranston for his turn in the National Theatre's production of Network, while Follies, another National Theatre production, was recognised in the Best Designer category – for Vicki Mortimer – and Best Director category – for Dominic Cooke, who told WhatsOnStage that the musical will return next year.

Andrew Scott won the Best Shakespearean Performance award for Hamlet, while the Best Actress Award went to Victoria Hamilton for Albion.

Best New Play went to Jez Butterworth's The Ferryman, with a special award going to David Lan of the Young Vic.

The awards are voted by theatre critics by secret ballot and performances at the ceremony included John McCrea singing "Out of the Darkness", and "One Perfect Moment" from Bring It On the Musical by the British Theatre Academy.


Full list of winners

The Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer (a tie)
Sheila Atim for Girl from the North Country, Old Vic and Noël Coward Theatre
John McCrea for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Sheffield Crucible and Apollo Theatre

The Trewin Award for Best Shakespearean Performance
Andrew Scott in Hamlet, Almeida and Harold Pinter Theatre

Most Promising Playwright
Brandon Jacob-Jenkins for An Octoroon, Orange Tree Theatre and Gloria, Hampstead Theatre

The Peter Hepple Award for Best Musical
Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre

Best Designer
Vicki Mortimer for Follies, National Theatre

Best Director
Dominic Cooke for Follies, National Theatre

Best Actress
Victoria Hamilton for Albion, Almeida Theatre

Best Actor
Bryan Cranston for Network, National Theatre

Best New Play
The Ferryman by Jez Butterworth, Royal Court and Gielgud Theatre

Special Award
David Lan for services to theatre

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