Ian Charleson Award shortlist announced

The shortlist for this year's Ian Charleson Award has been announced. The yearly award, which acknowledges the work of actors under 30 in a 'classical role' (defined as written before 1918), was created in memory of Ian Charleson who starred as Hamlet at the National Theatre in 1989. He died two months after his final performance.

Previous winners include Dominic West, David Oyelowo, Rebecca Hall, Ruth Negga and Paapa Essiedu. This year's shortlisted actors are below and the winners will be announced in May.

Daniel Burke
Diomed, Troilus and Cressida
Royal Shakespeare Company/dir Gregory Doran

Bally Gill
Romeo, Romeo and Juliet
Royal Shakespeare Company/dir Erica Whyman

Heledd Gwynn
Katharine and Dauphin, Henry V
Tobacco Factory on tour/dir Elizabeth Freestone

Tyrone Huntley
Lysander, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Watermill, Newbury/dir Paul Hart

Martins Imhangbe
Bagot and Aumerle, Richard II
Almeida, London N1/dir Joe Hill-Gibbins

Toheeb Jimoh
Demetrius, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Crucible, Sheffield/dir Robert Hastie

Hannah Morrish
Octavia, Antony and Cleopatra
National Theatre, London SE1/dir Simon Godwin

Luke Newberry
Malcolm, Macbeth
Royal Shakespeare Company/dir Polly Findlay

Aaron Pierre
Cassio, Othello
Shakespeare's Globe, London SE1/dir Claire van Kampen

Ellora Torchia
Emilia, Two Noble Kinsmen
Shakespeare's Globe/dir Barrie Rutter

Helena Wilson
Mariana, Measure for Measure
Donmar Warehouse, London WC2/dir Josie Rourke