Photos: Gabrielle & Townsend Win Equity Prize

We launched the shortlist of nominees for the 2011 Whatsonstage.com Awards on Friday, but were certainly not the only people in Theatreland doling out gongs over the past week.

One of our Award sponsors, actors' union Equity also presented their annual Clarence Derwent Awards on Monday (6 December 2010) which recognises the best individual male and female supporting performances a West End production. This year's panel of theatre critics Benedict Nightingale (The Times) and Michael Billington (Guardian), director Richard Digby Day, producer Thelma Holt, actor Frederick Pyne and Equity President Malcolm Sinclair awarded the prizes to Josefina Gabrielle for her performance in Sweet Charity at the Menier Chocolate Factory and Stanley Townsend for his performance in Phedre at the National Theatre.

Photo credit: Phil Adams

Equity also presented their 2010 young member and student bursaries at the ceremony, which was held at the Duke of York's Theatre. The Clarence Derwent Award is presented in memory of the London-born actor, director and manager who was president of America's Actors' Equity between 1946 and 1952. As well as establishing prizes for supporting roles in the West End in 1948 and on Broadway in 1946 he stipulated upon his death in 1959 that a £100 prize should be awarded for the best supporting performances in the West End.

We're pleased to see that their winner Josefina Gabrielle is also in the running for our own Nursing Standard Best Supporting Actress in a Musical award, you can cast your vote for her here.

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