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Full List: Whatsonstage.com Awards Nominees Announced

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2 December 2011

The shortlist of nominations for the 12th annual Whatsonstage.com Awards are revealed today (Friday 2nd December) at a star-studded launch party at London’s Café de Paris.

The Awards from the UK’s leading theatre website are the only UK event for the theatre industry voted for purely by the ticket-buying public. More than 11,000 theatregoers have cast nominations for their favourite performances and productions across 26 different award categories.

A major year for musicals

In the battle of the big musicals, screen-to-stager Ghost the Musical goes head-to-head with the RSC’s musical adaptation of Matilda, which opened in the West End after a sell-out season at Stratford-upon-Avon, with both grabbing nine nominations each.

In addition to competing for the Best New Musical, the shows’ stars are running neck and neck in all the musical performance categories: Best Actor in a Musical (Ghost’s Richard Fleeshman vs Matilda’s Bertie Carvel), Best Actress in a Musical (Caissie Levy vs the four young girls who alternate as Matilda), Best Supporting Actor in a Musical (Andrew Langtree vs Paul Kaye) and Best Supporting Actress in a Musical (Sharon D Clarke vs Lauren Ward).

The two blockbusters share key members of their creative teams with Matthew Warchus (Best Director) and Rob Howell (Best Designer) duly nominated for their work on both productions. Matilda’s composer and lyricist, comedian Tim Minchin, is also singled out for London Newcomer of the Year for his musical debut.

Several of the year’s other big musicals are also nominated, including Crazy for You, Betty Blue Eyes (with six apiece), Rock of Ages, Shrek the Musical (with five apiece) and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production of The Wizard of Oz (with four).

Also in the running for Best Actress in a Musical are: Amanda Holden (Shrek), Clare Foster (Crazy for You), Emma Williams (Love Story) and Sarah Lancashire (Betty Blue Eyes). Additional Best Actor in a Musical nominees are: Nigel Lindsay (Shrek), Oliver Tompsett (Rock of Ages), Reece Shearsmith (Betty Blue Eyes) and Sean Palmer (Crazy for You).

Les Miserables, which won three awards in the 2011 Awards for its 25th anniversary celebrations, receives three nominations for the 2012 Awards: co-stars Alfie Boe and Matt Lucas (who reprised their O2 birthday gala performances in a limited West End season this year) compete for Best Takeover in a Role, and the Cameron Mackintosh production battles other long-runners Jersey Boys, The Phantom of the Opera, War Horse, We Will Rock You and Wicked for Best West End Show bragging rights.

The play’s the thing

Waving the flag for big-hitter plays are the Donmar Warehouse’s revival of Anna Christie and the National’s One Man, Two Guvnors, with five nods each. One Man’s James Corden (a two-time host of the Whatsonstage.com Awards in 2008 and 2009) and Anna Christie’s Jude Law are both nominated for Best Actor in a Play, one of this year’s toughest fields, where the other nominees are Benedict Cumberbatch (Frankenstein), Kevin Spacey (Richard III), David Tennant (Much Ado About Nothing, Wyndham’s) and James Earl Jones (Driving Miss Daisy).

One Man, Two Guvnors is also tipped for Best New Comedy and earns nominations elsewhere for Jemima Rooper (Best Supporting Actress), Oliver Chris (Best Supporting Actor) and Nicholas Hytner (Best Director). And Anna Christie is shortlisted for Best Play Revival and Best Supporting Actor (David Hayman), while its leading lady Ruth Wilson faces stiff competition from Eve Best (Much Ado About Nothing, Globe), Kristin Scott Thomas (Betrayal), Samantha Spiro (Chicken Soup with Barley), Vanessa Redgrave (Driving Miss Daisy) and Tamsin Greig (Jumpy), who won this past year’s Whatsonstage.com Best Supporting Actress prize for The Little Dog Laughed.

Richard Bean (One Man Two Guvnors and The Heretic) is one of two playwrights nominated in two different categories. His Royal Court play, The Heretic, is up for Best New Play, competing with Grief, the latest stage play by Mike Leigh, whose Hampstead production of his 1976 play Ecstasy is shortlisted for Best Play Revival.

Sheridan Smith, who last year won the Whatsonstage.com and Olivier Best Actress in a Musical gongs for Legally Blonde, is nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Play for Flare Path. Hers is one of four nods for Flare Path, including Best Play Revival and Best Director for Trevor Nunn, who has overseen this year’s full in-house programme at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and is jointly nominated for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

Big names, big events

This summer’s West End production of Much Ado About Nothing, reuniting Doctor Who’s David Tennant and Catherine Tate, caused such a stir that it has been nominated for Theatre Event of the Year, as well as Best Director (for Donmar Warehouse artistic director-in-waiting Josie Rourke) and Best Actor for Tennant. The 1980s-set Much Ado battles it out with Jeremy Herrin’s period production of the same play (and opened just a week earlier) at the Globe for Best Shakespearean Production.

The always-eclectic Theatre Event of the Year category also pays tribute to the RSC’s 50th anniversary season and reopening of its Royal Shakespeare Theatre home after a four-year, £112 million makeover. Other events in the running are: the Bush Theatre’s 24-hour cycle of 66 Books, Michael Sheen and Bill Mitchell’s The Passion for the National Theatre of Wales, Headlong’s 9/11 milestone Decade and The Phantom of the Opera’s 25th anniversary spectacular at the Royal Albert Hall.

The London Newcomer of the Year shortlist fields wide-ranging nominees from across plays and musicals. In addition to Tim Minchin for Matilda, there is Danielle Hope (The Wizard of Oz), X Factor winner Shayne Ward (Rock of Ages), musician-turned-actor Johnny Flynn (The Heretic), former EastEnder-cum-Strictly Come Dancing victor Kara Tointon (Pygmalion) and Kyle Soller (The Glass Menagerie, Government Inspector and The Faith Machine).

Other big names on this year’s shortlists include: Danny Boyle (nominated for Best Director for his return to the stage with Frankenstein), Catherine Tate (Best Supporting Actress for Season’s Greetings), Mark Gatiss (Best Supporting Actor for Season’s Greetings), Doon Mackichan (Best Supporting Actress for Jumpy), Niamh Cusack (Best Supporting Actress for Playboy of the Western World), Tara Fitzgerald (Best Takeover in a Role, Broken Glass) and outgoing Donmar boss Michael Grandage (Best Director for King Lear and Luise Miller).

Scores on the doors, next steps

Venue-wise, for another year, the National Theatre leads the shortlists with 22 nominations (including the five for One Man, Two Guvnors, four for Frankenstein and two for London Road), followed by the Royal Court with ten, the Donmar Warehouse and the RSC with nine, the Open Air Theatre with seven, the Theatre Royal Haymarket with five, Hampstead Theatre with four and the Old Vic and Shakespeare’s Globe with three.

Voting to crown the winners opens on Friday 2 December and will close at the end of January 2012. The winners will be revealed at the Awards Concert on 19 February 2012 at the West End’s Prince of Wales Theatre. Last year more than 46,000 theatregoers voted for their favourites. The Whatsonstage.com Awards are held in association with our 2012 presentation rights sponsor Time Out London in aid of this year’s adopted charity, Stage One, which is dedicated to developing the theatre producers of the future.

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THE FULL LIST OF 2011/12 NOMINATIONS

Best Actress in a Play

Eve Best – Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare’s Globe

Kristin Scott Thomas – Betrayal at the Comedy

Ruth Wilson – Anna Christie at the Donmar Warehouse

Samantha Spiro – Chicken Soup with Barley at the Royal Court Downstairs

Tamsin Greig – Jumpy at the Royal Court Downstairs

Vanessa Redgrave – Driving Miss Daisy at Wyndham’s

Best Actor in a Play

Benedict Cumberbatch – Frankenstein at the National, Olivier

Jude Law – Anna Christie at the Donmar Warehouse

Kevin Spacey – Richard III at the Old Vic

David Tennant – Much Ado About Nothing at Wyndham’s

James Earl Jones – Driving Miss Daisy at Wyndham’s

James Corden – One Man, Two Guvnors at the National, Olivier & Adelphi

Best Supporting Actress in a Play

Bryony Hannah – The Children’s Hour at the Comedy

Catherine Tate – Season’s Greetings at the National, Lyttelton

Doon Mackichan – Jumpy at the Royal Court Downstairs

Jemima Rooper – One Man, Two Guvnors at the National, Olivier & Adelphi

Niamh Cusack – Playboy of the Western World at the Old Vic

Sheridan Smith – Flare Path at the Theatre Royal Haymarket

Best Supporting Actor in a Play

Arthur Darvill – Dr Faustus at Shakespeare’s Globe

Charles Edwards – Twelfth Night at the National, Cottesloe

David Hayman – Anna Christie at the Donmar Warehouse

Harry Hadden-Paton – Flare Path at the Theatre Royal Haymarket

Mark Gatiss – Season’s Greetings at the National, Lyttelton

Oliver Chris – One Man, Two Guvnors at the National, Olivier & Adelphi

The BABY GRAND Best Actress in a Musical

Amanda Holden – Shrek the Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Caissie Levy – Ghost the Musical at the Piccadilly

Clare Foster – Crazy for You at the Open Air & Novello

Emma Williams – Love Story at the Duchess

Cleo Demetriou, Kerry Ingram Eleanor Worthington Cox & Sophia Kiely – Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge

Sarah Lancashire – Betty Blue Eyes at the Novello

The THEATRE TOKENS Best Actor in a Musical

Bertie Carvel – Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge

Nigel Lindsay – Shrek the Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Oliver Tompsett – Rock of Ages at the Shaftesbury

Reece Shearsmith – Betty Blue Eyes at the Novello

Richard Fleeshman – Ghost the Musical at the Piccadilly

Sean Palmer – Crazy for You at the Open Air & Novello

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical

Ann Emery – Betty Blue Eyes at the Novello

Hannah Waddingham – The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium

Harriet Thorpe – Crazy for You at the Open Air & Novello

Lauren Ward – Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge

Meow Meow – The Umbrellas of Cherbourg at the Gielgud

Sharon D Clarke – Ghost the Musical at the Piccadilly

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical

Andrew Langtree – Ghost the Musical at the Piccadilly

Ben Goddard – Million Dollar Quartet at the Noël Coward

David Burt – Crazy for You at the Open Air & Novello

Nigel Harman – Shrek the Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Paul Kaye – Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge

Simon Lipkin – Rock of Ages at the Shaftesbury

The LES MISÈRABLES Best Ensemble Performance

Backbeat – at the Duke of York’s

London Road – at the National, Cottesloe

Richard III & The Comedy of Errors – Propeller at Hampstead

Some Like It Hip Hop – Sadler’s Wells at the Peacock

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – at the Donmar Warehouse

Top Girls – at Trafalgar Studios 1

The JO HUTCHISON INTERNATIONAL Best Solo Performance

Daniel Kitson – It’s Always Right Now Until It’s Later at the National, Lyttelton

John Leguziamo – Ghetto Klown at Charing Cross

Kerry Ellis – Anthems at the Royal Albert Hall

Ruby Wax – Losing It at the Menier Chocolate Factory & Duchess

Simon Callow – Being Shakespeare at Trafalgar Studios 1

Stephanie Street – The Nightwatchman at the National, Paintframe

The SEATLIVE Best Takeover in a Role

Alex Gaumond – We Will Rock You at the Dominion

Alfie Boe – Les Misèrables at the Queen’s

Kimberley Walsh – Shrek the Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Matt Lucas – Les Misèrables at the Queen’s

Susan McFadden – Legally Blonde at the Savoy

Tara Fitzgerald – Broken Glass at the Vaudeville

The NICK HERN BOOKS Best New Play

Belongings by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm – at Hampstead & Trafalgar Studios 2

Collaborators by John Hodge – at the National, Cottesloe

Grief by Mike Leigh – at the National, Cottesloe

Mogadishu by Vivienne Franzmann – at the Lyric Hammersmith

The Heretic by Richard Bean – at the Royal Court Downstairs

Three Days in May by Ben Brown – at Trafalgar Studios 1

The EMG Best New Comedy

Get Santa! by Anthony Neilson, music by Nick Powell – at the Royal Court Downstairs

Jumpy by April de Angelis – at the Royal Court Downstairs

No Naughty Bits by Steve Thompson – at Hampstead

One Man, Two Guvnors by Richard Bean – at the National, Lyttelton & Adelphi

Potted Panto by Daniel Clarkson, Jefferson Turner & Richard Hurst – at the Vaudeville

The Village Bike by Penelope Skinner – at the Royal Court Upstairs

The SEE TICKETS Best New Musical

Betty Blue Eyes by George Stiles, Antony Drewe, Ron Cowen & Daniel Lipman – at the Novello

Ghost the Musical by Dave Stewart, Glen Ballard & Bruce Joel Rubin – at the Piccadilly

London Road by Adam Cork & Alecky Blythe – at the National, Cottesloe

Matilda the Musical by Tim Minchin & Dennis Kelly – at the Cambridge

Rock of Ages by Chris D’Arienzo – at the Shaftesbury

Shrek the Musical by Jeanine Tesori & David Lindsay-Abaire – at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

The SAMUEL FRENCH Best Play Revival

Anna Christie – at the Donmar Warehouse

Chicken Soup with Barley – at the Royal Court Downstairs

Driving Miss Daisy – at Wyndham’s

Ecstasy – at Hampstead & the Duchess

Flare Path – at the Theatre Royal Haymarket

Saved – at the Lyric Hammersmith

The RADISSON EDWARDIAN Best Musical Revival

Crazy for You – at the Open Air & Novello

Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’Be – at the Union

Parade – at Southwark Playhouse

Ragtime – at the Landor

South Pacific – at the Barbican

The Wizard of Oz – at the London Palladium

Best Shakespearean Production

Hamlet – at the Young Vic

King Lear – at the Donmar Warehouse

Much Ado About Nothing – at Shakespeare’s Globe

Much Ado About Nothing – at Wyndham’s

Richard III – at the Old Vic

The Tempest – at the Theatre Royal Haymarket

The OAKLEY CAPITAL Best Director

Danny Boyle – Frankenstein at the National, Olivier

Josie Rourke – Much Ado About Nothing at Wyndham’s

Matthew Warchus – Ghost the Musical at the Piccadilly & Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge

Michael Grandage – King Lear & Luise Miller at the Donmar Warehouse

Nicholas Hytner – One Man, Two Guvnors at the National, Lyttelton & Adelphi

Trevor Nunn – Flare Path & Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead at the Theatre Royal Haymarket

Best Set Designer

Mark Tildesley – Frankenstein at the National, Olivier

Jon Bausor – Lord of the Flies at the Open Air

Miriam Buether – Decade at St Katharine’s Docks

Paul Wills – Anna Christie at the Donmar Warehouse

Rob Howell – Ghost the Musical at the Piccadilly & Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge

Robert Jones – The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium

The WHITE LIGHT Best Lighting Designer

Bruno Poet – Frankenstein at the National, Olivier

Hugh Vanstone – Ghost the Musical at the Piccadilly

Mark Henderson – The Kitchen & 13 at the National, Olivier & The Emperor & Galilean at the National, Olivier

Neil Austin – Betty Blue Eyes at the Novello

Oliver Fenwick – My City at the Almeida

Paule Constable – Luise Miller at the Donmar Warehouse

Best Choreographer

Aline David – The Kitchen at the National, Olivier

Ashley Wallen – Ghost the Musical at the Piccadilly

Kate Prince – Some Like It Hip Hop at the Peacock

Kelly Devine – Rock of Ages at the Shaftesbury

Peter Darling – Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge

Stephen Mear – Crazy for You at the Open Air & Betty Blue Eyes at the Novello

The DEWYNTERS London Newcomer of the Year

Danielle Hope – The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium

Johnny Flynn – The Heretic at the Royal Court Downstairs

Kara Tointon – Pygmalion at the Garrick

Kyle Soller – The Glass Menagerie & Government Inspector at the Young Vic & The Faith Machine at the Royal Court Downstairs

Shayne Ward – Rock of Ages at the Shaftesbury

Tim Minchin – Matilda at the Cambridge

The TIME OUT Best Off-West End Production

Accolade – at the Finborough

Realism – at Soho

The Animals & Children Took to the Streets – at Battersea Arts Centre

The Belle’s Stratagem – at Southwark Playhouse

The Riots – at the Tricycle

Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story – at the Tristan Bates & Charing Cross

The LUCKINGS Best Regional Production

20th Century Boy – at the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich

Love Love Love – at the Drum Theatre, Plymouth & on tour

Macbeth – at Liverpool Everyman

Othello – at Sheffield Crucible

Sweeney Todd – at Chichester Festival

The Go Between – at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Derby Live & the Royal & Derngate, Northampton

The EQUITY Best West End Show

Jersey Boys – at the Prince Edward

Les Misérables – at the Queen’s

The Phantom of the Opera – at Her Majesty’s

War Horse – at the New London

We Will Rock You – at the Dominion

Wicked – at the Apollo Victoria

The AKA Theatre Event of the Year

David Tennant & Catherine Tate reuniting on stage in Much Ado About Nothing

Headlong’s commemoration of 9/11 with Decade, written by 18 authors & staged in a disused office block at St Katharine’s Dock

Michael Sheen & Bill Mitchell‘s National Theatre of Wales staging of The Passion on the streets of Port Talbot

The Bush Theatre’s 24-hour cycle of 66 Books, in response to the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, to open its new Shepherd’s Bush Library home

The Phantom of the Opera’s 25th anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall & screened to cinemas worldwide

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s 50th anniversary season & reopening of the Royal Shakespeare & Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon

Danny Boyle’s return to the stage with Frankenstein and his alternate casting of Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller in the leads

Duckie’s Lullaby, the Barbican’s first-ever sleepover show

The National’s opening of its Paintframe as a one-off performance space

Benefit concert to rescue Dress Circle

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