Double Stage Debut nominations for Hugh Coles and Ben Joyce

Back to the Future’s Hugh Coles and Jersey Boys’ Ben Joyce will battle it out in two categories at The Stage Debut Awards.

The two actors have received nominations in both the Best Performer in a Musical and Best West End Debut categories. In the musical category they will be up against Elijah Ferreira for Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and Bella Maclean and Joe Pitts for Spring Awakening. The Best West End Debut category will pit the pair against Lizzie Annis for The Glass Menagerie, Emilia Clarke for The Seagull, Jodie Comer for Prima Facie, Emma Corrin for Anna X, Sutton Foster for Anything Goes, and Hannah Jarrett-Scott for Pride and Prejudice*(*sort of).

Mark Cornell, chief executive officer of the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), added: “ATG is thrilled to be supporting British theatre’s emerging talent through The Stage Debut Awards. At ATG we know that people are at the heart of successful theatre and that new ideas and voices are essential to bringing great live experiences to new audiences. We look forward to being part of an exceptional night celebrating professional debuts at these awards in September.”

Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony at 8 Northumberland Avenue in central London on 18 September 2022. The ceremony will be live streamed across The Stage’s Facebook page.

The Best West End Debut Performer award is the only category in which the winner is determined by an online public vote. Votes can be cast online. This award celebrates a performer’s first time in London’s West End and voting closes at midday on 4 September.

The full list of nominees:

Best Performer in a Play:

• Samuel Creasey for Book of Dust at Bridge Theatre, London
• Elisabeth Gunawan for Unforgettable Girl at Voila! Festival, London
• Kudzai Mangombe for Malindadzimu at Hampstead Theatre, London
• Saba Shiraz for An Adventure at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
• Tommy Sim’aan for Starcrossed at Wilton’s Music Hall, London
• Joe Usher for Rock/Paper/Scissors at Sheffield Theatres
• Michael Workeye for House of Ife at the Bush Theatre, London
• Dewi Wykes for Petula at National Theatre Wales
• Ensemble of For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy at the New Diorama and Royal Court, London (Mark Akintimehin, Emmanuel Akwafo, Nnabiko Ejimofor, Darragh Hand, Aruna Jalloh, Kaine Lawrence)

Best Performer in a Musical:

• Hugh Coles for Back to the Future at the Adelphi Theatre, London
• Elijah Ferreira for Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Leeds Playhouse
• Ben Joyce for Jersey Boys at Trafalgar Theatre, London
• Bella Maclean for Spring Awakening at the Almeida, London
• Joe Pitts for Spring Awakening at the Almeida, London

Best Director:

• Anthony Almeida for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Curve, Leicester
• Alice Fitzgerald for Purple Snowflakes and Titty Wanks at the Royal Court, London
• Monique Touko for Malindadzimu at Hampstead Theatre, London

Best Designer:

• TK Hay (set and costume) for An Adventure at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
• Caitlin Mawhinney (set and costume) for My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored/Teechers Leavers at Leeds Playhouse/Hull Truck
• Liz Whitbread (set and costume) for Favour at the Bush Theatre, London

Best Writer:

• Kemi-Bo Jacobs for All White Everything But Me at the Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle
• Eilidh Loan for Moorcroft at the Tron Theatre, Glasgow
• Tyrell Williams for Red Pitch at the Bush Theatre, London

Best Composer, Lyricist or Book Writer:

• John Patrick Elliott for Cruise at the Duchess Theatre, London
• Jordan Paul Clarke and Francesca Forristal for Public Domain at the Vaudeville Theatre, London
• Lauryn Redding for Bloody Elle at the Royal Exchange, Manchester

Best West End Debut Performer:

• Lizzie Annis for The Glass Menagerie at the Duke of York’s Theatre
• Emilia Clarke for The Seagull at the Harold Pinter Theatre
• Hugh Coles for Back to the Future the Musical at the Adelphi Theatre
• Jodie Comer for Prima Facie at the Harold Pinter Theatre
• Emma Corrin for Anna X at the Harold Pinter Theatre
• Sutton Foster for Anything Goes at the Barbican
• Hannah Jarrett-Scott for Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) at the Criterion Theatre
• Ben Joyce for Jersey Boys at the Prince Edward Theatre

Best Creative West End Debut

• Julia Cheng (choreographer) for Cabaret at the Playhouse Theatre
• Tacita Dean (designer) for The Dante Project at the Royal Opera House
• Jack Holden (writer) for Cruise at the Duchess Theatre
• Yasmin Joseph (writer) for J’Ouvert at the Harold Pinter Theatre
• Isobel McArthur (writer) for Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) at the Criterion Theatre
• Rebekah Murrell (director) for J’Ouvert at the Harold Pinter Theatre

The Stage Debut Awards highlight breakthrough actors, writers, directors, designers, composers or lyricists. Previous winners and nominees include performers Miriam-Teak Lee (Hamilton, & Juliet), Sam Tutty (Dear Evan Hansen), Danielle Fiamanya (& Juliet, Frozen) and Daniel Monks (The Normal Heart, The Seagull), and directors Katy Rudd (The Ocean at the End of the Lane) and Lekan Lawal (now artistic director and joint CEO of Eclipse Theatre).

Angela Thomas