Features

WhatsOnStage Award winners: where are they now?

Ahead of this year’s WhatsOnStage Awards, we look back at some of the 2006 winners to see what they are up to now

Ben Hewis

Daisy Bowie-Sell

Emily Cole

| London | London's West End |

18 February 2016

Ian McKellen

Won: Theatre Event of the Year for Aladdin

Sir Ian McKellen made his panto debut at the Old Vic and wowed both critics and the public alike, causing him to beat Harold Pinter and Mike Leigh to win the WhatsOnStage Award for Theatre Event of the Year. McKellen has had a pretty scorching career before and after we gave him our award, but since 2006, he's taken on King Lear at the RSC, Waiting for Godot opposite his buddy Patrick Stewart and starred in not one, not two, but three Hobbit movies. Plus he's maintained his title as all round theatre legend. Bravo.

Michael Ball

Won: Best Takeover in a Role for The Woman in White

We love Michael Ball. He not only won in 2006, he has cropped up in the WhatsOnStage Awards time and time again. Since the year he won for Best Takeover, he returned to our shortlists in 2013 to win for Sweeney Todd at the Adelphi, and this year is up against stiff competition for Best Actor in a Musical against the likes of Ben Forster, Matt Henry, Killian Donnelly and Sam Mackay. Aside from repeatedly appearing in our illustrious awards, since 2006 Ball has also starred as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray, and starred in Kismet at the ENO.

Jane Krakowski

Won: Best Actress in a Musical, Guys & Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre

Jane and Jenna Russell at the 2006 WOSAwards — Jenna Russell (L) and Jane at the 2006 WOSAwards
© Dan Wooller

Krakowski scooped her WhatsOnStage Award for her performance as Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls starring alongside Jenna Russell and Ewan McGregor and went on to win an Olivier Award too. Krakowski has since played long-runner Jenna Maroney in hit comedy series 30 Rock for which she has received four Primetime Emmy nominations, had a regular role in Netflix sitcom Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and has even appeared in a Simpsons episode.

Megan Dodds

Won: Best Solo Performance, My Name is Rachel Corrie at the Royal Court

Since Dodds won Best Actress for her role in the one woman show My Name is Rachel Corrie, she has starred in numerous series including CSI: NY, House and Spooks. Corrie strongly backed taking My Name is Rachel Corrie to New York despite it being postponed due to the show's Gaza Strip-based political content. She eventually appeared in the transfer to sellout audiences. Alan Rickman compiled and directed the British play and also won Best Director at the WhatsOnStage Awards in the same year as Dodds.

Suranne Jones

Won: Best Supporting Actress in a Play, A Few Good Men at the Theatre Royal Haymarket

Previously known for her stint on Corrie, Suranne has again made herself a household name in ITV detective drama Scott & Bailey and the brilliant Doctor Foster by Mike Cock and Bull Bartlett.

As if one WhatsOnStage Award wasn't enough, Jones was nominated again in 2013 for her performance in Jonathan Harvey's Beautiful Thing.

George Maguire, James Lomas & Liam Mower

Won: Best Newcomer, Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace

Liam Mower on stage with George Maguire (left) and James Lomas (right)
© Dan Woller

After each playing a Billy in Elton John's miner's strike musical and taking theatreland by storm, the lads continued to work, semi-successfully in theatre. Two of them, George Maguire (not the Sunny Afternoon chap) and James Lomas, are now pursuing careers in music.

The youngest of the three and possibly most successful, Liam Mower has worked extensively with Matthew Bourne's company New Adventures, starring in the critically acclaimed productions of Nutcracker!, Swan Lake and Edward Scissorhands.

In 2014, Mower returned to Billy Elliot for a one-off live screening in the role of Older Billy.