The Stage Awards 2020 shortlist includes Death of a Salesman and & Juliet
© left: Tristam Kenton, right: Johan Persson
The shortlist for The Stage Awards 2020 includes Death of a Salesman, & Juliet and Life of Pi, it was announced today.
The awards were set up to celebrate theatrical achievements in West End, regional, fringe and international theatre. This year, it includes a new category for Achievement in Technical Theatre. The Young Vic production team – nominated for its efforts in housing scratch performances Death of a Salesman 24 hours after part of the Piccadilly Theatre's ceiling collapsed – are up against teams that put on two of the year's most technically complex shows – Life of Pi at Sheffield Theatres and Anna at the National Theatre.
Other nominees include the new venue Immersive LDN, the organisation Artistic Directors for the Future and marketing team for & Juliet – who recreated the pop magazine Smash Hits to introduce the new musical to potential audiences in London – in the Innovation Award category.
The London Theatre of the Year category comprises Queen's Theatre Hornchurch, Theatre Royal Stratford East and The London Palladium, while the Regional Theatre of the Year category includes Derby Theatre, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh and Sheffield Theatres.
An Unsung Hero award, sponsored by Get Into Theatre, will also be announced at the ceremony.
The overall shortlist was decided by The Stage's senior editorial team, following extensive consultation with leading figures in the theatre industry and a public nomination process. Winners will be announced on 31 January in a ceremony at the Royal Opera House.
Editor of The Stage Alistair Smith said: "Yet again we have a wonderful shortlist that celebrates the astonishing and varied achievements of theatremakers across the UK and beyond. Our nominees range from one of London's largest, grandest and most historic theatres, The London Palladium, to the 75-seat Alphabetti Theatre in Newcastle, which is only seven years old. There is excellence and innovation running throughout our shortlist – from the imaginative marketing campaign of new West End musical & Juliet to the daring and controversial work of Swiss director Milo Rau."
The full list of nominees:
Regional Theatre of the Year
Derby Theatre
Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Sheffield Theatres
London Theatre of the Year
Queen's Theatre Hornchurch
Theatre Royal Stratford East
The London Palladium
Fringe Theatre of the Year
Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle
Bunker Theatre, London
Orange Tree Theatre, London
Theatre Building of the Year
Boulevard Theatre, London
Leeds Playhouse
Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, London
Producer of the Year
ATG Productions
Fuel
Michael Harrison Entertainment
International Award
Coronet Theatre, London
Milo Rau
Selladoor Worldwide
Innovation Award
& Juliet for its Smash Hits marketing campaign
Artistic Directors of the Future for its work to diversify theatre boards
Immersive LDN for providing a hub for immersive theatre in London
Achievement in Technical Theatre
Ben and Max Ringham, and the entire team of Anna at the National Theatre
Sheffield Theatres' creative and production team for its work on Life of Pi
Young Vic's production team for the scratch performances of Death of a Salesman
