Jamael Westman (Alexander Hamilton) with the West End cast of Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre, London. Picture: Matthew Murphy
Opening just before Christmas to rave reviews, the London version of the multi award-winning Broadway hit Hamilton has won its first major prize outside the USA – Best Musical at the 2017 Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards.
Earmarked by Cameron Mackintosh as the production to launch his multi-million-pound refurbishment of the Victoria Palace Theatre, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop flavoured show was one of 2017’s most eagerly-anticipated West End premieres.
This first major British award – voted for by secret ballot by London’s top theatre critics – can be added to its 11 Tony Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album in its trophy cabinet.
Musicals dominated the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards ceremony today at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London’s West End, hosted by Critics’ Circle Drama Section chairman Mark Shenton.
The staging of Stephen Sondheim’s legendary musical Follies in the Olivier at the National Theatre, with a cast of 37 and an orchestra of 21, saw Dominic Cooke named Best Director and Vicki Mortimer Best Designer.
Meanwhile, two stars of acclaimed new British musicals, Sheila Atim in Girl From the North Country and John McCrea in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, were jointly named Best Newcomer.
Follies at the National Theatre. Picture: Johan Persson
American Bryan Cranston was named Best Actor for his performance as TV news anchorman Howard Beale in Network at the National Theatre.
Victoria Hamilton won Best Actress for her performance as Audrey Walters in Albion at the Almeida. This is her fourth Critics’ Circle Award (third for Best Actress).
Andrew Scott was named Best Shakesperean Performance for Hamlet at the Almeida Theatre and West End transfer to the Harold Pinter Theatre.
Jez Butterworth’s Best New Play win for The Ferryman is his third Critics award for Best New Play: he previously won for Mojo in 1995 and Jerusalem (2009).
Drama Section Chair Mark Shenton said: “Critics are invited to reward their favourite contributions to creative excellence equally across plays and musicals, so it is particularly striking this year to see the National Theatre’s production of Follies rewarded for Best Director and Best Designer, as well as both of the Most Promising Newcomer recipients seen in other musical-led shows, plus the UK’s first major award so far for Hamilton.”
The exclusive invited audience also enjoyed three special musical performances:
John McCrea in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. Picture: Roy Tan
Joint Best Newcomer winner John McCrea sang ‘Out of the Darkness’ from Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
Members of the British Theatre Academy, now also a sponsor of the event, sang ‘One Perfect Moment’ from Bring It On The Musical. Written by a crack team including Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), the Broadway musical will receive its UK premiere in The Large at Southwark Playhouse from 2 August.
Renée Lamb sang ‘No Way’ from SIX by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, which sees the six wives of Henry VIII sing their way out of the history books and into the spotlight… from Tudor queens to pop princesses. A hit in Edinburgh, the concert-style musical has just completed six sell-out performances at the Arts Theatre. A full production will be announced soon.
Both Bring It On The Musical and SIX will be eligible for next year’s awards.
For a second year, the awards were produced by Terri Paddock.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS:
The Peter Hepple Award for Best Musical
Hamilton – Victoria Palace Theatre, London
Sheila Atim with Shirley Henderson in Girl From the North Country
The Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer (a tie)
Sheila Atim for Girl From the North Country – Old Vic & Noël Coward Theatres, London
John McCrea for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – Sheffield Crucible & Apollo Theatre, London
Best Designer
Vicki Mortimer for Follies – National Theatre, London
Best Director
Dominic Cooke for Follies – National Theatre, London
The Trewin Award for Best Shakespearean Performance
Andrew Scott in Hamlet – Almeida & Harold Pinter Theatres, London
Most Promising Playwright
Brandon Jacob-Jenkins for An Octoroon at Orange Tree Theatre & Gloria at Hampstead Theatre, London
Best Actress
Victoria Hamilton for Albion – Almeida Theatre, London
Best Actor
Bryan Cranston for Network – National Theatre, London
Best New Play
The Ferryman by Jez Butterworth – Royal Court & Gielgud Theatres, London
Special Award
David Lan for services to theatre
www.criticscircletheatreawards.com
Tickets for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Tickets for Girl From a North Country
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