22nd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards: Everything you need to know
© Stephen Wright
When and where?
Just on the off chance this hasn't been marked in your diaries for months… The 22nd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards will take place on Sunday, 27 February at 7pm. It will run at the Prince of Wales Theatre, which is in the heart of London's Theatreland and usually home to The Book of Mormon.
How can I follow on the day?
There are so many ways to follow the awards this year – you're spoilt for choice!
Grab a ticket and be there in person!
You can snap up the final tickets for the event here and actually be in the room where it happens – watching all the special performances as well as the acceptance speeches from the lucky winners.
WhatsOnStage will have an exclusive Facebook Live feed from the red carpet for half an hour starting at 6:30pm, featuring interviews with the nominees and stars, as they show off their dazzling outfits for the evening.
We're going to be live tweeting the event as it happens as per usual, with running commentary also embedded on the site. This will be the perfect place to find out the immediate news of the winners. Follow @WhatsOnStage for all the live updates and don't forget to use the hashtag #WOSAwards to join in with the conversation and to see some fun, behind-the-scenes glimpses.
Our Instagram feed will be filled to brimming with boomerangs, videos, photos and much much more. Follow our Instagram story on the day and check out all our posts using the #WOSAwards hashtag for glitz and glamour.
Who's presenting the awards?
© Right: Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage, Left: Callum Kerr
Continuing the tradition, we will once again have a delightful double-act presenting the Awards Concert. Returning to host the ceremony this year, following their sublime efforts fronting the event live in 2020 and digitally in 2021, will be Jodie Prenger (Tell Me On A Sunday) and Tom Read Wilson (Celebs Go Dating). Both have musicals running through their veins and are more than ready to put on a magnificent show.
Who's performing at the concert?
We'll have a talented bunch of performers on hand at the Prince of Wales Theatre. In terms of the Best New Musical nominees, leading ladies Samantha Barks and Aimie Atkinson will be performing showstoppers "Let It Go" from Frozen and "I Can't Go Back" from Pretty Woman, respectively, while Marty McFly himself Olly Dobson will team up with Cedric Neal and Rhianne Alleyne to bring us "The Power of Love" from Back to the Future. And if that wasn't enough, Cinderella standouts Victoria Hamilton-Barritt and Rebecca Trehearn will deliver a rendition of "I Know You" from the new Andrew Lloyd Webber hit, and the stars of Moulin Rouge! – Liisi LaFontaine and Jamie Bogyo – are also set to perform the iconic "Elephant Love Medley".
Not to be outdone, however, the Best Musical Revival category will also be represented by Julian Ovenden and Gina Beck with a mash-up of "Some Enchanted Evening/I'm In Love" from Chichester Festival Theatre's stunning South Pacific and members of the Leicester Curve cast of West Side Story will also be performing "Gee, Officer Krupke".
And last but certainly not least, we'll have an original opening number entitled "We're Back in the Game" (kudos to composer Alex Parker and lyricist Katie Lam), as well as a touching tribute to the late great Stephen Sondheim. Both these numbers will be choreographed by Ruthie Stephens and will feature a secret, all-star ensemble! Stay tuned to find out more…
Check out all the line-up info here.
Who's nominated this year?
The nominees were revealed in a stream from The Other Palace (which you can watch below) by award-winning playwright James Graham and Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical star Gabrielle Brooks. Leading the pack is the West End premiere of Disney's Frozen with a total of 13 nominations (matching a record set by & Juliet in 2019), while the most-nominated play for 2022 is the Almeida production of The Tragedy of Macbeth, scoring five nods. This year, given the volume of eligible productions, the number of nominees per category has been raised to six.
You voted in your droves for who you wanted to win (that's the name of the game for the WhatsOnStage Awards) and this year the likes of Beverley Knight, Eddie Redmayne, Gemma Arterton, Omari Douglas, Emma Corrin, James McAvoy, Lily Allen and more are featured among the nominees.
How should I prepare?
Follow us on all our social channels! Get your glad rags on! However you are watching, prepare for a night of West End frolics with some of the best theatrical talent around. If you're at home, make sure you're logged in from 6:30pm on Facebook to catch the red carpet fun and more. And if you have a ticket, we'll see you on the night!
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