The Book of Mormon is big winner at WhatsOnStage Awards

The Book of Mormon dominated the musicals categories at the WhatsOnStage Awards

It seemed somehow appropriate that the WhatsOnStage Awards took place at the Prince of Wales Theatre as so many of the awards this year were won by The Book Of Mormon, which plays at the venue. In what turned out to be a star-studded evening, a packed house cheered as the musical picked up no less than four awards, rivalled only by the Michael Grandage Company for its season at the Duke of York’s.

Hosted by comedian Mel Giedroyc and comedian/musical theatre hopeful Rufus Hound (currently in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) the WhatsOnStage Awards are now in their 14th year and the ceremony and its award concert have become an important date in the West End calendar. Cynthia Erivo, soon to open in the X Factor musical I Can’t Sing at the Palladium proved that she most definitely can sing with a hearty rendition of ‘One Night Only’ from Dreamgirls to kick off the proceedings.

Before long, Giedroyc and Hound were let loose on stage and the presentations begin in earnest. Dominating the musical theatre categories, The Book Of Mormon by Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez, won Best New Musical ahead of The Light Princess, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, From Here to Eternity and Once.

Awards were also presented to Gavin Creel as Best Actor in a Musical for his role as Elder Price, Stephen Ashfield as Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his tap-dancing role as Elder McKinley, and Alexia Khadime as Nabulungi won Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.

The Award for Best Actress in musical was presented to Scarlett Strallen for her roles in both A Chorus Line and Candide, while the musical A Chorus Line also picked up a gong for Best Ensemble.

The Best Regional Production was awarded to the Sheffield Crucible’s production of My Fair Lady, while the Best Musical Revival was awarded to the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s production of The Sound Of Music. The award for Best Original Music was won by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova for Once at the Phoenix Theatre and both Declan Bennett and Zrinka Cvitesic popped up to sing ‘Falling Slowly’ from the show.

The Best Off-West End production went to Titanic at the Southwark Playhouse (here the cast is pictured with the show’s composer Maury Yeston). Picture: Roy Tan

The prize for Best West End show was awarded to Matilda – The Musical, which is still wowing audiences at the Cambridge Theatre, while Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane won two awards. The first going to Mark Thompson for his set and costume designs and the second to Peter Darling for his choreography.

Carrie Hope Fletcher won the award for Best Takeover in a Role for her work as Eponine in Les Miserables at the Queen’s Theatre and the the Best Off–West End production went to Titanic, which ran at the Southwark Playhouse and is about to transfer to New York.

Adding to the star-studded nature of the event, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, David Walliams and past host Sheridan Smith all turned up to collect awards, and there were further performances from Michael Xavier, Rosalie Craig, and the Drew McOnie Company with an excerpt from their inaugural production, Drunk.

Paul Vale

The full list of musical theatre award winners is as follows:

Best New Musical – The Book of Mormon by Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez (Prince of Wales Theatre)

Best Actress in a Musical – Scarlett Strallen – A Chorus Line (London Palladium) and Candide (Menier Chocolate Factory)

Best Actor in a Musical – Gavin Creel – The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre)

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical – Alexia Khadime – The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre)

Best supporting Actor in a Musical – Stephen Ashfield – The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre)

Best Ensemble Performance – A Chorus Line (London Palladium)

Best Takeover in a Role – Carrie Hope Fletcher – Les Miserables (Queen’s Theatre)

Best Musical Revival – The Sound of Music (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre)

Best Set Designer – Mark Thompson – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane)

Best Choreographer – Peter Darling – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane)

Award for Best Original Music – Once – Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (Phoenix Theatre)

Best Off-West End production – Titanic (Southwark Playhouse)

Best Regional Production – My Fair Lady (Sheffield Crucible)

Best West End show – Matilda the Musical – Royal Shakespeare Company (Cambridge Theatre)

Best Solo Performance – Barry Humphries – Eat Pray Laugh! Barry Humphries’ Farewell Tour (London Palladium)

Theatre Event of the Year – the National Theatre’s 50th anniversary gala, broadcast live on the BBC