Giedroyc Joins Biggins at WOS Awards Concert
Mel & Sue comedy star Mel Giedroyc will join “King of the Jungle” Christopher Biggins to host the already sold-out Winners’ Concert of our TENTH ANNUAL Whatsonstage.com Awards this Sunday 14 February 2010 the West End’s 1200-seat Prince of Wales Theatre (See News, 5 Feb 2010).
Giedroyc replaces Sheridan Smith, who has co-hosted the Concert with great aplomb for the past two years but who has sadly had to withdraw from duties this year due to her demanding schedule for Legally Blonde, in which she plays the title role at the Savoy Theatre.
No stranger to Whatsonstage.com or the Awards, Giedroyc was a guest presenter at the Launch Party to announce the shortlists for last year’s Awards. Her most recent West End credits include the musical spoof Eurobeat and the hit comedy New Boy, which has been nominated for two Whatsonstage.com Awards this year, Best New Comedy and London Newcomer of the Year for Giedroyc’s young co-star Nicholas Hoult. Giedroyc has also co-written and starred in six Mel and Sue stage shows and is a familiar TV face from Channel 4’s Light Lunch, Late Lunch and other programmes.
Whatsonstage.com editorial director Terri Paddock commented: “Mel is one of the funniest – and loveliest – women working in UK entertainment today. As we kick off a new decade of both the century and the Whatsonstage.com Awards, we feel hugely lucky to have both her and Christopher Biggins as our fabulous new co-hosts. They are undoubtedly a winning team. We can’t wait to see how they’ll put their stamp on an evening that has already gained a reputation as the most raucous, unpredictable and fun of all the awards ceremonies.”
In addition to trophy presentations, the full Concert entertainment will include performances by (See News, 2 Feb 2010): Jodie Prenger, Hannah Waddingham, Charlotte Wakefield, Alexia Khadime, Ryan Molloy, Leanne Jones, Nancy Sullivan, Sally Ann Triplett, Michael Xavier, Siobhan McCarthy, Stephen Carlile, Mazz Murray, Anna Jane Casey, Lucy May Barker, Adam Ellis, Gina Murray, Emma Kershaw, the casts of Priscilla Queen of the Desert and The Pirates of Penzance – and much more!
And who will be collecting trophies? Voting has now closed – with a record 46,000 people having taken part! – but the winners remain a secret until the night! Amongst the nominees so far rsvped to attend the event are: Alison Steadman, Alistair McGowan, Amanda Drew, Carol Macready, Charlotte Wakefield, Clive Carter, Daniel Crossley, David Dawson, Diana Vickers, Fiona Shaw, Gabriel Vick, Hannah Waddingham, Ian McKellen, Jaime Winstone, Jane Horrocks, Jez Butterworth, Jodie Prenger, Johanna Town, John Shrapnel, Julian Ovenden, Kate Fleetwood, Lesley Garrett, Lesley Sharp, Mackenzie Crook, Mark Rylance, Mark Henderson, Michael Wynne, Miriam Margolyes, Nicholas Hoult, Oliver Thornton, Patina Miller, Patrick Stewart, Peter McKintosh, Roger Allam, Rupert Goold, Samantha Spiro, Trevor Nunn and William Dudley.
The Awards Concert is directed and devised by Russell Labey, with musical supervision by Iain Vince Gatt, lighting by Mike Robertson, sound by Ben Harrison and choreography by Andrew Wright. It’s produced by Stuart Piper and Jason Haigh-Ellery on behalf of Whatsonstage.com, with general and production management by Jon Bath for Cole Kitchenn Ltd. As with the Launch Party, the Concert is held in aid of this year’s adopted charity, Theatre Royal Haymarket Masterclass, which gives young people the chance to learn from and be inspired by leading artists.
Once our guest list is finalised, we are hoping to release a handful of top-price £42.50 reserve tickets this Friday 12 February. If you’d like to be alerted as soon as these are put on sale, please click here join the waiting list!
WITH THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:
