Winners last year: Cameron Mackintosh and the cast of Hamilton. Picture: Peter Jones
The Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards 2018 will be presented on Tuesday 29 January 2019 at the Prince of Wales Theatre.
With regular guest speaker Arthur Smith as presenter, the informal event will mark host Mark Shenton’s final appearance as Critics’ Circle Drama Section chairman.
The respected arts journalist and theatre critic will follow his nine years at the helm of the theatre section of the prestigious awards by taking on the role of president of the Critics’ Circle for a two-year term. During the ceremony Shenton will hand over the reins to incoming chairman Henry Hitchings, chief theatre critic of the London Evening Standard.
Launched in 1989, the awards involve each member of the Drama Section independently casting their votes based on their own personal choices.
One of the most popular events in the theatre awards calendar, the informal gathering brings together drama critics, performers, theatre practitioners for an afternoon celebrating the best of UK theatre. Acceptance speeches will once more be broadcast, streamed by Facebook Live.
Awards include the Jack Tinker Award for Most Newcomer, named in 1996 in honour of the much-loved critic for the Daily Mail; the award for Best Shakespearean Performance of the year, originally set up in memory of the husband and wife critical partnership of John and Wendy Trewin in 2001 and renamed the Trewin Medal after the death of their son Ion Trewin; and the award for the best new or revived musical which was renamed the Peter Hepple Award for Best Musical in 2016 in honour of the late Hon. Gen. Secretary and former editor of The Stage’s outstanding contribution to the Critics’ Circle.
Last year a new Special Award was added honouring an individual for their services to theatre; it was awarded in its inaugural year to former Young Vic artistic director David Lan.
The awards are once again presented in association with long-time headline sponsor Nyman Libson Paul Chartered Accountants, leading entertainment industry specialists. They are also generously supported by Delfont Mackintosh Theatres (now involved for the fourteenth year), and The British Theatre Academy (providers inaccessible theatre training and performance opportunities for young people, who will also perform at the ceremony). The awards are produced by leading industry figure Terri Paddock.
Angela Thomas
SHARE THIS POST:
Comments are closed.