24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards nominations led by Guys and Dolls, Dear England, Sunset Boulevard and more

The nominees for the 24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards have been revealed today, with the full list of nominations available here.

Leading the pack with a total of 12 nominations is the Bridge Theatre’s immersive revival of Guys and Dolls, with Marisha Wallace, Cedric Neal and Andrew Richardson all being recognised, alongside director Nicholas Hytner and choreographers Arlene Phillips and James Cousins, among others.

In the hotly contested category of Best Musical Revival, the production faces stiff competition from the likes of La Cage aux Folles (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), The Lord of the Rings (Watermill Theatre, itself the most nominated regional production with four nods), The Sound of Music (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Wizard of Oz (originally at Curve before transferring to The London Palladium) and Sunset Boulevard (Savoy Theatre).

Jamie Lloyd’s radical take on the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber is the second most nominated musical behind Guys and Dolls, accumulating no less than nine nominations, including for the director himself, as well as for actors Nicole Scherzinger and Grace Hodgett-Young, who play Norma Desmond and Betty Schaefer, respectively.

In terms of the plays, James Graham’s footie-infused Dear England leads the pack with ten nominations, with Joseph Fiennes (who portrays Gareth Southgate in the National Theatre production), Will Close (Harry Kane) and director Rupert Goold all being recognised, alongside the coveted Best New Play nod. Other contenders in that category include A Little Life (Harold Pinter Theatre and Savoy Theatre), Cowbois (RSC’s Swan Theatre), Hamnet (Swan and Garrick Theatre), The Motive and the Cue (National Theatre) and Stranger Things: The First Shadow (Phoenix Theatre).

Netflix and Sonia Friedman’s stage prequel to the hit sci-fi series managed to grab a total of eight nominations, dominating in the technical categories, with Louis McCartney also receiving the nod for his portrayal of a young Henry Creel for Best Professional Debut Performance.

The Best New Musical category will see the UK premieres of Disney’s Newsies and Next to Normal, the world premiere of The Little Big Things, and the West End premieres of Mrs Doubtfire, Operation Mincemeat and The Time Traveller’s Wife all going head-to-head in another eagerly anticipated contest. Next to Normal received the highest number of nominations in this list with a total of six, including for cast members Caissie Levy and Jack Wolfe.

Other notable (and previously unmentioned) names honoured for the 24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards include the likes of Jason Manford (The Wizard of Oz), Paapa Essiedu and Taylor Russell (The Effect), James Norton (A Little Life), Andrew Scott (VANYA), Sheridan Smith (Shirley Valentine) and Anjana Vasan (A Streetcar Named Desire). In addition, Cabaret’s Mason Alexander Park, Rebecca Lucy Taylor (aka Self Esteem) and Aimee Lou Wood all find themselves competing in the Best Takeover Performance category.

Finally, a special mention goes to the National Theatre, who have amassed a total of 24 nominations, thanks to its celebrated productions of Dear England (10 nods), The Witches (5), The Effect (5), The Motive and the Cue (3) and Phaedra (1).

Tickets for the 24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards ceremony, alongside a selection of nominated shows, are on sale below.

You can cast your votes for the 24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards here.