The nominees for the annual WhatsOnStage Awards have been announced, the only major theatre awards that are voted for by the general public. Leading the way with a grand total of 13 nominations, matching a record set by & Juliet in 2019, is the West End transfer of Disney’s Frozen which opened this September. Leading the nominations for plays is The Tragedy of Macbeth, with five.
Following closely behind Frozen, are Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical Cinderella, the West End transfer of Moulin Rouge! and the revival of Cabaret, all with seven nominations apiece.
Voting for the awards is open now, and will close on 21 January, with the winners being announced in an awards ceremony on 27 February. The ceremony will take place in its usual home of the Prince of Wales Theatre, and will feature performances from shows in the West End.
WhatsOnStage’s Sarah Coleman said of the nominee announcements: “Given the events of the past 21 months, it’s truly wonderful to celebrate the return of theatre and the vast array of excellence on our stages across the UK—and we look forward to coming together in February to present the WhatsOnStage Awards.”
Full List of Nominees:
Best Performer In A Male Identifying Role In A Musical:
Roger Bart, Back to the Future the Musical
Olly Dobson, Back to the Future the Musical
Arinzé Kene, Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical
Julian Ovenden, South Pacific
Eddie Redmayne, Cabaret
Ivano Turco, Cinderella
Best Performer In A Female Identifying Role In A Musical:
Aimie Atkinson, Pretty Woman
Samantha Barks, Frozen
Jessie Buckley, Cabaret
Carrie Hope Fletcher, Cinderella
Beverley Knight, The Drifter’s Girl
Stephanie McKeon, Frozen
Best Supporting Performer In A Male Identifying Role In A Musical:
Blake Patrick Anderson, Be More Chill
Hugh Coles, Back to the Future the Musical
Robert Lindsay, Anything Goes
Cedric Neal, Back to the Future the Musical
Oliver Ormson, Frozen
Obioma Ugoala, Frozen
Best Supporting Performer In A Female Identifying Role In A Musical:
Joanna Ampil, South Pacific
Gabrielle Brooks, Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Cinderella
Carly Mercedes Dyer, Anything Goes
Millie O’Connell, Rent
Rebecca Trehearn, Cinderella
Best Performer In A Male Identifying Role In A Play:
Richard Armitage, Uncle Vanya
Ben Daniels, The Normal Heart
Omari Douglas, Constellations
Hadley Fraser, 2:22 A Ghost Story
Henry Lewis, Magic Goes Wrong
James McAvoy, Cyrano de Bergerac
Best Performer In A Female Identifying Role In A Play:
Lily Allen, 2:22 A Ghost Story
Gemma Arterton, Walden
Sheila Atim, Constellations
Emma Corrin, Anna X
Patsy Ferran, Camp Siegfried
Saoirse Ronan, The Tragedy of Macbeth
Best Supporting Performer In A Male Identifying Role In A Play:
Stephen K Amos, My Night With Reg
Dino Fetscher, The Normal Heart
Nathaniel Parker, The Mirror and the Light
Richard Rankin, The Tragedy of Macbeth
Jonathan Sayer, Magic Goes Wrong
Jake Wood, 2:22 A Ghost Story
Best Supporting Performer In A Female Identifying Role In A Play:
Michelle Fox, Shining City
Akiya Henry, The Tragedy of Macbeth
Penny Layden, The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Isobel McArthur, Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of)
Aimee Lou Wood, Uncle Vanya
Nancy Zamit, Magic Goes Wrong
Best New Musical—Sponsored by Travelzoo:
Back to the Future the Musical
Cinderella
Frozen
Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical
Pretty Woman the Musical
Moulin Rouge!
Best Musical Revival—Sponsored By Concord Theatricals:
Anything Goes
Cabaret
Carousel
Rent
South Pacific
West Side Story
Best New Play—Sponsored By Ticketmaster:
2:22 A Ghost Story
J’Ouvert
Leopoldstadt
Magic Goes Wrong
Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Best Play Revival:
Constellations
Cyrano de Bergerac
My Night With Reg
The Normal Heart
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Uncle Vanya
Best Off-West End Production—Sponsored by Les Miserables:
Anything is Possible if You Think About it Hard Enough
My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?)
Old Bridge
Pippin
Saving Britney
The Last Five Years
Best Regional Theatre Production:
Bedknobs and Broomsticks the Musical
Bloody Elle-A Gig Musical
Rent
South Pacific
West Side Story
What’s New Pussycat?
Best West End Show—Sponsored by Dewynters:
Come From Away
Hamilton
Les Misérables
Six the Musical
The Play That Goes Wrong
Wicked
Best Direction—Sponsored by LOVEtheatre:
Clint Dyer, Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical
Yaël Farber, The Tragedy of Macbeth
Rebecca Frecknall, Cabaret
Michael Grandage, Frozen
Jamie Lloyd, Cyrano de Bergerac
Katy Rudd, The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Best Choreography:
Rob Ashford, Frozen
Drew McOnie, Carousel
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Shelley Maxwell, Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical
Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge!
Ann Yee, South Pacific
Best Set Design:
Fly Davis and Samuel Wyer, The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Jamie Harrison, Bedknobs and Broomsticks the Musical
Tim Hatley, Back to the Future the Musical
Derek McLane, Moulin Rouge!
Christopher Oram, Frozen
Tom Scutt, Cabaret
Best Costume Design:
Lisa Duncan, Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical
Christopher Oram, Frozen
Tom Scutt, Cabaret
Gabriella Slade, Bedknobs and Broomsticks the Musical
Gabriela Tylesova, Cinderella
Catherine Zuber, Moulin Rouge!
Best Lighting Design—Sponsored By White Light:
Neil Austin, Frozen
Charles Balfour, Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical
Isabella Byrd, Cabaret
Tim Lutkin, Back to the Future the Musical
Bruno Poet, Cinderella
Justin Townsend, Moulin Rouge!
Best Musical Direction—Sponsored by AKA:
Leo Munby, The Last Five Years
Tom Deering, Carousel
Sean Green, Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical
Justin Levine, Moulin Rouge!
Stephen Oremus, Frozen
Katy Richardson, Rent
Best Sound Design—Sponsored by Stage Sound Services:
Adam Cork, Leopoldstadt
Adam Fisher, The Last Five Years
Paul Groothuis, South Pacific
Peter Hylenski, Moulin Rouge!
Gareth Owen, Back to the Future the Musical
Ben and Max Ringham, Cyrano de Bergerac
Best Video Design:
Nina Dunn, The Shark Is Broken
Akhila Krishnan, What’s New Pussycat?
Mikaela Liakata and Tal Yarden, Anna X
Finn Ross, Back to the Future the Musical
Finn Ross, Frozen
Tal Yarden, Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical
Best Graphic Design—Sponsored by Hexagon Print:
Christopher D Clegg, The Wiz
Feast Creative, Romeo and Juliet
Feast Creative, Rent
Bob King Creative, Frozen
Muse Creative Communications, RE:EMERGE Season
Michael Nash Associates, Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical
You can vote for the winners of the WhatsOnStage Awards here.
Words by Jo Elliott
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