Photo Update: WOS Awards Nominees Announced Date: 30 November 2004
NOTE: To view some photos from the launch party at Planet Hollywood, click here.
The full list of nominations for our 2005 Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards were announced today, 30 November 2004, at a star-studded celebratory event held at Planet Hollywood.
In this, our fifth annual public-voted awards, a record 2,000 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 Overall Fringe Production, Best Regional Production and the Planet Hollywood Theatre Event of the Year.
Amongst some of this year's headline nominations:
A strong year for musicals sees Mel Brooks’ The Producers and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Woman in White going head-to-head seven standard nominations apiece. The Producers’ leading men, Lee Evans and Nathan Lane, compete against each other, as well as The Woman in White’s Martin Crewes, for Best Actor in a Musical, while Lane also makes it into the Theatre Event of the Year running for his last-minute replacement of Hollywood star Richard Dreyfuss.
Legendary American composer Stephen Sondheim also figures heavily in musical categories with revivals of Sweeney Todd (three nominations) in the West End and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at the National (five), while the Young Vic’s production of Simply Heavenly (four), now transferred to the West End, makes it into awards contention for a second year.
New talent has made a big impact in 2004, with three of those shortlisted in the Ms London London Newcomer of the Year category also earning nominations elsewhere for their performances: Ben Whishaw for Best Actor, and Samuel Barnett and Eddie Redmayne for Best Supporting Actor.
Once again, the National Theatre dominates the shortlists, with 34 nominations in total, six of them for Alan Bennett’s The History Boys, five for Buried Child and four apiece for David Hare’s Stuff Happens and the adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. Other plays with strong support include One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Festen, Hamlet at the Old Vic and The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?, each with four nominations. Venue-wise, the closest rival to the National is the Almeida with ten nominations, followed by the Donmar Warehouse, the Young Vic and the Royal Shakespeare Company with six apiece and the Royal Court with four.
Amongst some of the stage stars who attended today's launch event were Andrew Lloyd Webber, Anthony Clark, Adrian Scarborough, Alan Cox, Alexandra Gilbreath, Amanda Harris, Anna Carteret, Annette McLaughlin, Benjamin Lake, Caroline Sheen, Charlotte Randle, Christian Coulson, Christopher Godwin, Claire Price, Conleth Hill, Daniel Evans, Daniel Flynn, Danny Sapani, Daniel Weyman, David Eldridge, Deborah Findlay, Derek Griffiths, Deven May, Dominic Cooper, Edward Hogg, Edward Petherbridge, Emma Williams, Geoffrey Streatfield, Gilz Terera, Hattie Morahan, Jake Broder, Jane Asher, Janie Dee, Joanna Riding, John Barr, Jonathan Rigby, Justine Mitchell, Karen Mann, Kate Brown, Leigh Zimmerman, Lisa Palfrey, Mario Kombou, Marcia Warren, Marcy Kahan, Mark Setlock, Michael Jibson, Michael Praed, Michael Simkins, Monica Dolan, Paul Hegarty, Philip Hedley, Rebecca Jenkins, Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Richard Griffiths, Robert Delamere, Robin Sebastian, Rory Kinnear, Ruby Turner, Rupert Wickham, Sean Campion, Stephen Moore, Stephen Tompkinson, Steven Berkoff, Stuart Piper, Susannah Wise, Thea Sharrock, Trevor Jary, Una Stubbs and Vince Leigh.
Voting for the final winners of the 2005 Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards commences from tomorrow, Wednesday 1 December 2004 and continues through December and January with winners announced in February 2005. Each week over the next two months, a different awards field will be highlighted on the site.
NOTE: Photos from today’s event will be available online from tomorrow. Thanks to all those who attended.
THE FULL LIST OF 2004 NOMINATIONS
BEST ACTRESS:
Anna Maxwell Martin - His Dark Materials at the NT Olivier
Clare Higgins - Hecuba at the Donmar Warehouse
Diana Rigg - Suddenly Last Summer at the Albery
Frances Barber - One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at the Gielgud
Joanna Riding - Blithe Spirit at the Savoy
Victoria Hamilton - Suddenly Last Summer at the Albery
BEST ACTOR:
Ben Whishaw - Hamlet at the Old Vic
Christian Slater - One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at the Gielgud
Jonathan Pryce - The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? at the Almeida & Apollo
Michael Gambon - Endgame at the Albery
Richard Griffiths - The History Boys at the NT Lyttelton
Stanley Townsend - Shining City at the Royal Court
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Amanda Harris - Othello, RSC at Trafalgar Studios
Annette Crosbie - The Night Season at the NT Cottesloe
Claire Rushbrook - Festen at the Almeida & Lyric
Frances de la Tour - The History Boys at the NT Lyttelton
Judi Dench - All’s Well That Ends Well, RSC at the Gielgud
Lauren Ambrose - Buried Child at the NT Lyttelton
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Adrian Scarborough - The False Servant at the NT Cottesloe
M Emmet Walsh - Buried Child at the NT Lyttelton
David Bradley - The Night Season at the NT Cottesloe
Eddie Redmayne - The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? at the Almeida & Apollo
Joe Morton - Stuff Happens at the NT Olivier
Samuel Barnett - The History Boys at the NT Olivier
BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL:
Joanna Francis - Purlie at the Bridewell
Karen Mann - Sweeney Todd, Watermill at Trafalgar Studios & New Ambassadors
Leigh Zimmerman - The Producers at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Maria Friedman - The Woman in White at the Palace
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio - Grand Hotel at the Donmar Warehouse
Rebecca Vere - Bat Boy at the Shaftesbury
BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL:
Desmond Barritt - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at the NT Olivier
Deven May - Bat Boy at the Shaftesbury
Julian Ovenden - Grand Hotel at the Donmar Warehouse
Lee Evans - The Producers at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Martin Crewes - The Woman in White at the Palace
Nathan Lane - The Producers at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL:
Clive Rowe - Simply Heavenly, Young Vic at Trafalgar Studios
Conleth Hill - The Producers at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Gilz Terera - Jailhouse Rock at the Piccadilly
Michael Crawford - The Woman in White at the Palace
Philip Quast - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at the NT Olivier
Sam Kelly - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at the NT Olivier
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL:
Angela Christian - The Woman in White at the Palace
Emma Williams - Bat Boy at the Shaftesbury
Harriet Thorpe - Brighton Rock at the Almeida
Ronni Ancona - Singin' in the Rain at Sadler’s Wells
Ruby Turner - Simply Heavenly, Young Vic at Trafalgar Studios
Tameka Empson - The Big Life at the Theatre Royal Stratford East
BEST SOLO PERFORMANCE:
Anjelica Torn - Edge at the King’s Head
Antony Sher - Primo at the NT Cottesloe
Barbara Cook - Barbara Cook’s Broadway at the Gielgud & Theatre Royal Haymarket
Caroline O’Connor - Bombshells at the Arts
Mark Setlock - Fully Committed at the Menier & Arts
Richard Dormer - Hurricane at Soho Theatre & the Arts
BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE:
Festen - at the Almeida & Lyric
Journey’s End - at the Comedy & Playhouse
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest - at the Gielgud
Stuff Happens - at the NT Olivier
Sweeney Todd - at Trafalgar Studios & the New Ambassadors
The Permanent Way - at the NT Cottesloe & Lyttelton
BEST TAKEOVER IN A ROLE:
Anita Dobson - Thoroughly Modern Millie at the Shaftesbury
David Soul - Jerry Springer – The Opera at the Cambridge
Ian ‘H’ Watkins - Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the New London
Jason Donovan - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium
Marti Webb - Tell Me on a Sunday at the Gielgud
Michael Landes & Molly Ringwald - When Harry Met Sally at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
BEST NEW PLAY:
Festen, adapted by David Eldridge – at the Almeida & Lyric
Shining City by Conor McPherson – at the Royal Court
Stuff Happens by David Hare – at the NT Olivier
The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? by Edward Albee – at the Almeida & Apollo
The Night Season by Rebecca Lenkiewicz – at the NT Cottesloe
The Permanent Way by David Hare – at the NT Cottesloe & Lyttelton
BEST NEW COMEDY:
Dumb Show by Joe Penhall – at the Royal Court
Fully Committed by Becky Mode – at the Menier & Arts
Honeymoon Suite by Richard Bean – English Touring Theatre at the Royal Court
Round the Horne…Revisited by Brian Cooke – at The Venue
The History Boys by Alan Bennett – at the NT Lyttelton
When Harry Met Sally, adapted by Marcy Kahan – at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
BEST NEW MUSICAL:
Bat Boy by Laurence O’Keefe, Keythe Farley & Brian Flemming - at the Shaftesbury
Brighton Rock by John Barry, Don Black & Giles Havergal - at the Almeida
Jailhouse Rock by Rob Bettinson & Alan Janes - at the Piccadilly
The Big Life by Paul Joseph & Paul Sirett - at the Theatre Royal Stratford East
The Producers by Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan - at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
The Woman in White by Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Zippel & Charlotte Jones - at the Palace
BEST PLAY REVIVAL:
Buried Child - at the NT Lyttelton
Hecuba - at the Donmar Warehouse
Iphigenia at Aulis - at the NT Cottesloe
Journey’s End - at the Comedy & Playhouse
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - at the Gielgud
Suddenly Last Summer - at the Albery
BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL:
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum - at the NT Olivier
Grand Hotel - at the Donmar Warehouse
Purlie - at the Bridewell
Simply Heavenly - Young Vic at Trafalgar Studios
Snoopy - at the New Players Theatre
Sweeney Todd - at Trafalgar Studios & the New Ambassadors
BEST SHAKESPEAREAN PRODUCTION:
Hamlet - at the Old Vic
Hamlet - RSC at the Albery
Macbeth - Out of Joint at the Arcola
Measure for Measure - NT/Complicite at the NT Olivier
Othello - RSC at Trafalgar Studios
The Taming of the Shrew - RSC at the Queen's
THE LONDON CALLING BEST DIRECTOR:
Gregory Doran - The Taming of the Shrew at the Queen’s, All's Well That Ends Well at the Gielgud & Othello at Trafalgar Studios
Katie Mitchell - Iphigenia at Aulis at the NT Cottesloe
Max Stafford-Clark - The Permanent Way at the NT Cottesloe & Lyttelton & Macbeth at the Arcola
Nicholas Hytner - His Dark Materials & Stuff Happens at the NT Olivier & The History Boys at the NT Lyttelton
Rufus Norris - Festen at the Almeida & Lyric
Trevor Nunn - Hamlet at the Old Vic & The Woman in White at the Palace
BEST SET DESIGNER:
Christopher Oram - Suddenly Last Summer at the Albery
Giles Cadle - His Dark Materials at the NT Olivier
Richard Hudson - The Skin of Our Teeth at the Young Vic
Rob Howell - Buried Child at the NT Lyttelton
Robin Wagner - The Producers at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
William Dudley - The Woman in White at the Palace
BEST CHOREOGRAPHER:
Adam Cooper - Grand Hotel at the Donmar Warehouse & Singin' in the Rain at Sadler’s Wells
Jhesus Aponte - Murderous Instincts at the Savoy
Mykal Rand - Purlie at the Bridewell
Paul J Medford - Simply Heavenly, Young Vic at Trafalgar Studios
Rob Ashford - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at the NT Olivier
Susan Stroman - The Producers at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
BEST OVERALL FRINGE PRODUCTION:
Cruel & Tender at the Young Vic
Fully Committed at the Menier & Arts
Guantanamo: Honour Bound to Protect Freedom at the Tricycle
Purlie at the Bridewell
The Big Life at the Theatre Royal Stratford East
Woyzeck at the Gate
BEST REGIONAL OR TOURING PRODUCTION:
Don Carlos at The Crucible, Sheffield
Man & Boy at Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford, & on tour
Out of This World at Chichester Festival Theatre
Starlight Express on tour
The Master & Margarita at Chichester Festival Theatre
The Postman Always Rings Twice at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds
THE Ms LONDON NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR:
Ashley Walters - Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads at the NT Cottesloe
Ben Whishaw - Hamlet at the Old Vic
Eddie Redmayne - The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? at the Almeida & Apollo
Elizabeth Franz - Buried Child at the NT Lyttelton
Romola Garai - Calico at the Duke of York’s
Samuel Barnett - The History Boys at the NT Lyttelton
THE PLANET HOLLYWOOD THEATRE EVENT OF THE YEAR:
Adapting Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials for the stage at the National
Renovations of the West End's Prince of Wales & Whitehall (now the new Trafalgar Studios)
Nathan Lane replacing Richard Dreyfuss in The Producers
The offstage dramas of salsa musical Murderous Instincts
Kevin Spacey's arrival as artistic director of the Old Vic
Air of excitement about the autumn's 'Big three' (The Woman in White, The Producers, Mary Poppins)
Special mentions:
Adult cabaret C’est Barbican at the Barbican Pit
Critic Toby Young making stage debut in How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
First night / last night for Oscar Wilde the musical
To view some photos from the launch party at Planet Hollywood, click here.
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