WOS Theatregoers' Choice Nominees Announced Date: 30 November 2005
The full list of nominations for our 2005/6 Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards were announced today, 30 November 2005, at a star-studded celebratory event held at Planet Hollywood.
In this, our sixth annual public-voted awards, more than 1,000 theatregoers took part in determining the shortlisted contenders across 20+ awards categories including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best New Musical, Best New Play as well as less conventional categories like Best Ensemble Performance, Best Off-West End Production, Best Regional Production and the Planet Hollywood Theatre Event of the Year.
Amongst some of this year's headline nominations:
The two new blockbuster West End musicals of the year, Billy Elliot – fresh from its win at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards – and Mary Poppins lead the way with ten and nine nominations respectively, with the revival of Broadway classic Guys & Dolls following close behind with eight nominations.
It is certainly the year for director Michael Grandage. In addition to Guys & Dolls, his production of Don Carlos came tops in the straight play categories with six nominations, while the Donmar Warehouse production of another Schiller thriller, Mary Stuart, is vying for four awards, including competing Best Actress contenders in leading ladies Harriet Walter and Janet McTeer. In addition, the Donmar revival of The Philanthropist is up for two prizes.
Undisputedly the one to watch, the Menier Chocolate Factory, named Outstanding Newcomer at this week’s Evening Standard Awards, boasts a record three nods in one category – Best Off-West End Production – bringing its total nominations haul to nine, including five for its revival of Sondheim musical Sunday in the Park with George, which just opened last night (29 November).
In the always surprising Planet Hollywood Theatre Event of the Year category, Harold Pinter’s Nobel Prize win squares up against Mike Leigh’s theatrical return after a 12-year absence, Ian McKellen’s pantomime dame debut, the long-overdue black British conquering of the West End and, less happily, the notorious musical flop Behind the Iron Mask and the cancellations caused by the 7 July terrorist attacks.
Taking part in the awards presentations today at Planet Hollywood was Rosemary Squire - the new president of the Society of London Theatre and co-founder and executive director of the Ambassador Theatre Group, one of the UK’s largest theatre owners - who spoke encouragingly about the resilience of the West End post-7 July. Each year, an arts-related charity is nominated by the organisers. This year’s launch party was held in support of Sophie’s Silver Lining Fund, which was represented today by patrons David Haig (a Best Supporting Actor in a Musical nominee for Mary Poppins) and Jenny Agutter.
The awards presentation finished with a happy birthday toast to three theatrical legends – playwright Harold Pinter, director Sir Peter Hall and American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim – all of whom turned 75 this year. Amongst some of the stage stars who were in attendance to raise their glasses were: Alan Rickman, Jane Krakowski, Jenna Russell, Suranne Jones, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Daldry, Sheila Hancock, Haydn Gwynne, Tim Healy, Anthony Head, Gary Kemp, David Soul, Lesley Manville, John Gordon Sinclair, Claire Price, Rosemary Ashe, Amanda Drew, Peter Wight, Charlotte Emmerson, Una Stubbs, Jefferson Mays, Martyn Ellis, Rolf Saxon, Clint Dyer, Saskia Reeve, Jenny Agutter, Michelle Ryan, Toby Young, Rhashan Stone, Olivia Williams, Charlotte Randle, Daniel Kramer, Earl Carpenter, Clint Dyer, Joseph Millson, Rebecca Johnson, Liza Sadovy, Giles Terera, Michael O'biora, Jason Pennycooke, Laura Wade, Roger Lloyd Pack, Robert Delamere, Sara Crowe, Scarlet Strallen, Sean Foley, Tamara Harvey, Peter Quilter, Lucy Bailey, Ian Gelder, Alistair Petrie, Richard Baron, Melly Still, Amelia Bullmore, Andrea Riseborough, Mike Bradwell, David Lan, Sally Ann Triplett and Charles Aitken.
Voting for the final winners of the 2005/6 Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards commences from tomorrow, Thursday 1 December 2005 and continues through December and January with winners announced online simultaneously with the live Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards ceremony – a demonstration of the spectrum of popular and critical opinion – at midday on 31 January 2006. Each week over the next two months, a different awards field will be highlighted on the site.
Every registered voter will be automatically entered into a prize draw to win a luxury three-day theatre break for two, courtesy of one of our sponsors, Superbreak. What’s more, every voter will also receive a £20 voucher to redeem against any Superbreak purchase on www.superbreak.com.
For photos from the awards launch party, click here
For the complete texts of Rosemary Squire & David Haig’s speeches, click here
For your chance to vote in this year’s awards, click here
THE FULL LIST OF 2005/6 NOMINATIONS
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Anne Reid - Epitaph for George Dillon at the Comedy
Claire Price - Don Carlos at the Gielgud
Deborah Findlay - The House of Bernarda Alba at the NT Lyttelton
Eileen Atkins - Birthday Party at the Duchess
Lesley Manville - Some Girl(s) at the Gielgud & Pillars of the Community at the NT Lyttelton
Suranne Jones - A Few Good Men at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Andrew Scott - Aristocrats at the NT Lyttelton
Anthony Head - Otherwise Engaged at the Criterion
Ben Miles - Richard II at the Old Vic
Douglas Henshall - Death of a Salesman at the Lyric
Gary Kemp - The Rubenstein Kiss at the Hampstead
Richard Coyle - Don Carlos at the Gielgud
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL:
Ann Emery - Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace
Caroline O’Connor - On the Town, ENO at the London Coliseum
Celia Imrie - Acorn Antiques at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
Linzi Hateley - Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward
Rosemary Ashe - Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward
Tameka Empson - The Big Life at the Theatre Royal Stratford East & the Apollo
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL:
Adam Garcia - On the Town, ENO at the London Coliseum
David Haig - Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward
Joe Caffrey - Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace
Martyn Ellis - Guys & Dolls at the Piccadilly
Simon Gleeson - The Far Pavilions at the Shaftesbury
Tim Healy - Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace
BEST SET DESIGNER:
Bob Crowley - Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward
Christopher Oram - Don Carlos at the Gielgud
David Farley (set) & Timothy Bird (video projection) - Sunday in the Park with George at the Menier Chocolate Factory
Ian MacNeil - Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace
Paul Brown - As You Desire Me at the Playhouse
Rae Smith - Theatre of Blood & Pillars of the Community at the NT Lyttelton
BEST CHOREOGRAPHER:
Adam Cooper - Les Liaisons Dangereuses at Sadler’s Wells
Ann Yee - Hair at the Gate
Jason Pennycooke - The Big Life at Theatre Royal Stratford East & the Apollo
Matthew Bourne & Stephen Mear - Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward
Peter Darling - Billy Elliot at the Victoria Place
Rob Ashford - Guys & Dolls at the Piccadilly
BEST SOLO PERFORMANCE:
Corin Redgrave - Tynan, RSC at the Arts
Jefferson Mays - I Am My Own Wife at the Duke of York’s
Megan Dodds - My Name Is Rachel Corrie at the Royal Court
Stephen Dillane - Macbeth at the Almeida
BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE:
Heroes - at Wyndham’s
RSC Golden Age season - at the Playhouse
Shoot the Crow - at Trafalgar Studios
Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me - at the New Ambassadors
Talking to Terrorists - at the Royal Court
The Big Life - at Theatre Royal Stratford East & the Apollo
BEST OFF-WEST END PRODUCTION:
Comfort Me with Apples at Hampstead
Hair at the Gate
Private Fears in Public Places at the Orange Tree
Sunday in the Park with George at the Menier Chocolate Factory
Tick Tick Boom at the Menier Chocolate Factory
What We Did to Weinstein at the Menier Chocolate Factory
BEST REGIONAL OR TOURING PRODUCTION:
The Winter’s Tale (Propeller) - at the Watermill, Newbury & on tour
A Doll’s House - at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying - at Chichester Festival Theatre
Mack & Mabel - at the Watermill, Newbury
Look Back in Anger - at the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh & Theatre Royal, Bath
Tristan & Yseult - (Kneehigh) on tour
THE Ms LONDON NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR:
Amelia Bullmore (playwright) - Mammals at the Bush
Andrea Riseborough (actor)- A Brief History of Helen of Troy at Soho
Charles Aitken (actor) - Hair at the Gate
George Maguire, James Lomas & Liam Mower (actors) - Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace
Nick Moran (playwright) - Telstar at the New Ambassadors
Sienna Miller (actor) - As You Like It at Wyndham’s
BEST TAKEOVER IN A ROLE:
Desmond Barrit - The History Boys at the NT Lyttelton
Giles Terera - The Rat Pack at the Strand & Savoy
John Gordon Sinclair - The Producers at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Michael Ball - The Woman in White at the Palace
Ruthie Henshall - The Woman in White at the Palace
Sally Ann Triplett - Chicago at the Adelphi
BEST NEW COMEDY:
Glorious! by Peter Quilter – at the Duchess
Heroes by Gerald Sibleyras, translated by Tom Stoppard – at Wyndham’s
Mammals by Amelia Bullmore – at the Bush
Shoot the Crow by Owen McCafferty – at Trafalgar Studios
Theatre of Blood adapted by Lee Simpson & Phelim McDermott – at the NT Lyttelton
Who’s the Daddy? by Lloyd Evans & Toby Young - at the King’s Head
BEST SHAKESPEAREAN PRODUCTION:
As You Like It - at Wyndham’s
Henry IV parts 1 & 2 - at the NT Olivier
Julius Caesar - at the Barbican
Richard II - at the Old Vic
Macbeth (with Simon Russell Beale) - at the Almeida
Macbeth (with Stephen Dillane) - at the Almeida
THE SAMUEL FRENCH BEST PLAY REVIVAL:
Death of a Salesman - at the Lyric
Don Carlos - at the Gielgud
Mary Stuart - at the Apollo
Otherwise Engaged - at the Criterion
Pillars of the Community - at the NT Lyttelton
The Philanthropist - at the Donmar Warehouse
BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL:
Guys & Dolls - at the Piccadilly
Hair - at the Gate
HMS Pinafore - at the Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park
On the Town - ENO at the London Coliseum
Scrooge - at the London Palladium
Sunday in the Park with George - at the Menier Chocolate Factory
THE LONDON CALLING BEST DIRECTOR:
Alan Rickman - My Name Is Rachel Corrie at the Royal Court
Melly Still - Coram Boy at the NT Oliver
Michael Grandage - Guys & Dolls at the Piccadilly & Don Carlos at the Gielgud
Phyllida Lloyd - Mary Stuart at the Apollo
Richard Eyre & Matthew Bourne - Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward
Stephen Daldry - Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace
BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL:
Anna-Jane Casey - Sunday in the Park with George at the Menier Chocolate Factory
Haydn Gwynne - Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace
Jane Krakowski - Guys & Dolls at the Piccadilly
Jenna Russell - Guys & Dolls at the Piccadilly
Julie Walters - Acorn Antiques at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
Laura Michelle Kelly - Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward
BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL:
Daniel Evans - Sunday in the Park with George at the Menier Chocolate Factory
Douglas Hodge - Guys & Dolls at the Piccadilly
Ewan McGregor - Guys & Dolls at the Piccadilly
Gavin Lee - Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward
George Maguire, James Lomas & Liam Mower - Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace
Neil Patrick Harris - Tick Tick Boom at the Menier Chocolate Factory
BEST ACTRESS:
Clare Higgins - Death of a Salesman at the Lyric
Helen McCrory - As You Like It, Wyndham’s
Harriet Walter - Mary Stuart at the Donmar Warehouse & Apollo
Janet McTeer - Mary Stuart at the Donmar Warehouse & Apollo
Kristin Scott Thomas - As You Desire Me at the Playhouse
Sheila Hancock - The Anniversary at the Garrick
BEST ACTOR:
Brian Dennehy - Death of a Salesman at the Lyric
Con O’Neill - Telstar at the New Ambassadors
Derek Jacobi - Don Carlos at the Gielgud
Kevin Spacey - Richard II at the Old Vic
Rob Lowe - A Few Good Men at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
Simon Russell Beale - The Philanthropist at the Donmar Warehouse
BEST NEW PLAY:
A Few Good Men by Aaron Sorkin - at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
Coram Boy adapted by Helen Edmundson from Jamila Gaviin's novel - at the NT Olivier
Harvest by Richard Bean - at the Royal Court
My Name Is Rachel Corrie developed by Katharine Viner & Alan Rickman - at the Royal Court
On the Shore of the Wide World by Simon Stephens - at the NT Cottesloe
Some Girl(s) by Neil LaBute - at the Gielgud
THE SUPERBREAK BEST NEW MUSICAL:
Acorn Antiques – The Musical by Victoria Wood - at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
Billy Elliot - The Musical by Elton John & Lee Hall - at the Victoria Palace
Mary Poppins adapted by Julian Fellowes from Pamela Travers’ stories, original music by the Sherman Brothers with additional songs by George Stiles & Anthony Drewe - at the Prince Edward
The Big Life by Paul Sirett & music by Paul Joseph - at Theatre Royal Stratford East & the Apollo
Tick Tick Boom by Jonathan Larson - at the Menier Chocolate Factory
The Next Big Thing by Mark Burton & Pete Sinclair, with additional songs & arrangements by Willie Dowling - at the New Players
THE PLANET HOLLYWOOD THEATRE EVENT OF THE YEAR:
Harold Pinter winning the Nobel Prize for Literature
Mike Leigh's return to theatre after a 12-year absence
Sir Ian McKellen making his pantomime dame debut in Aladdin
Theatres closing after the 7 July terrorist attacks
The notoriety surrounding Behind the Iron Mask
The arrival of the first play by a contemporary black British playwright (Kwame Kwei-Armah’s Elmina’s Kitchen), the first British-created musical about black British life (The Big Life) & the first black British director (The Big Life’s Clint Dyer) in the West End
Special mentions:
Tim Fountain’s Sex Addict & its brushes with the law
The Billy Elliot School developing the stars of tomorrow
The 75th birthdays of Stephen Sondheim, Harold Pinter & Sir Peter Hall – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THEM ALL!
For photos from the awards launch party, click here
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