Theatre News

Ball, Rigg & Other Stars Attend WOS Awards Show

| London's West End |

22 February 2008

The theatregoers have voted and now it’s time for the winners to collect in this year’s eighth annual Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Awards. Our first-ever Whatsonstage.com Year on Year Concert & Awards Show at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, takes place at 7.30pm this Sunday (24 February 2008) and the majority of your winners will be there to accept their trophies in front of a live public audience.

A final block of tickets – starting at just £10 – has been released to the public this morning. The concert is hosted by Sheridan Smith and James Corden and held in aid of our 2008 adopted charity, Mousetrap Theatre Projects.

Amongst the presentations taking place, in scheduled order of appearance on Sunday, are:

Best Musical Revival – Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – collected by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber

Best Regional Production – Pygmalion at the Theatre Royal Bath & on tour – collected by director Sir Peter Hall

Best Off-West End Production (joint winner) – The Magic Flute & A Christmas Carol at the Young Vic – collected by star Pauline Malefane & musical director Mandisi Dyantsis

Best Off-West End Production (joint winner) – I Love You Because at the Landor – collected by producer Josephine Buchan & director Robert McWhir

Best Set Designer – Rob Howell for The Lord of the Rings at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Best New Comedy – Elling by Simon Bent at the Bush & Trafalgar Studios – collected by Simon Bent

Best Play Revival – Equus at the Gielgud – collected by playwright Peter Shaffer

Best Supporting Actress in a Play – Diana Rigg for All About My Mother at the Old Vic – collected by Dame Diana Rigg

Best New Play – All About My Mother by Samuel Adamson – collected by Samuel Adamson

Best Shakespearean Production – Macbeth at the Gielgud – collected by director Rupert Goold

Best Choreographer – Jerry Mitchell for Hairspray – collected on behalf of Mitchell by associate choreographer Danny Austin

Best Director – Jack O’Brien for Hairspray – collected on behalf of O’Brien by Danny Austin

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical – collected by Tracie Bennett for Hairspray – Tracie Bennett

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical – collected by Ben James-Ellis for Hairspray – Ben James-Ellis

Best Actress in a Musical – collected by Leanne Jones for Hairspray – Leanne Jones

Best Actor in a Musical – collected by Michael Ball for Hairspray – Michael Ball

Best New Musical – Hairspray – collected by producer Adam Spiegel

This is the first time that a public event to celebrate the announcement of the winners has been staged in the Awards’ eight-year history. The evening is will also include performances by the likes of Frances Ruffelle, Ian ‘H’ Watkins, Sharon D Clarke, Lara Pulver, Bertie Carvel, Any Dream Will Do’s Daniel Boys and the cast of forthcoming Take That musical Never Forget. Nominees and guests from nominated productions also due to attend include: Lee Mead, Summer Strallen, Mark Gatiss, Adrian Bower, Andrea Riseborough, Preeya Kalidas, Roy Williams, Ruth Wilson, Lucy Briers, Beverley Klein and James Loye.

The concert is held in aid of Whatsonstage.com’s adopted charity for 2008, Mousetrap Theatre Projects, which was founded by Sir Stephen Waley-Cohen to give disadvantaged young people affordable access to the best of London’s live theatre. Every year, Mousetrap takes over 7,500 to the theatre. It has just celebrated its tenth anniversary.

Tickets for the Whatsonstage.com Year on Year Concert & Awards Show have nearly sold out, but a final block of seats – starting at only £10 – have been released this morning.
Call 0870 890 1107 to book.