The Scottsboro Boys is Best Musical at Critics’ Circle Awards

A scene from The Scottsboro Boys at the Young Vic. Picture: Roy Tan

The Young Vic’s production of The Scottsboro Boys has been named as best musical at the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards 2013.

Young Vic artistic director David Lan and producer Catherine Schreiber received the Peter Hepple Award for Best Musical from reviewer Heather Neill at the ceremony, held at the Prince of Wales Theatre.

The trophy is presented for the year’s best new musical or revival and is named after the late former editor of The Stage.

Musical Theatre Review’s Barrie Jerram said of the Tony-nominated The Scottsboro Boys: “John Kander and the late Fred Ebb were never afraid to take on dark subject material and turn it into great theatrical entertainment. The rise of Nazism in Cabaret, political and gay imprisonment in South America – Kiss of the Spider Woman and Chicago’s murder and corruption. And now their last collaboration, focuses on the true story of nine young men who were wrongly accused of rape in 1931, and who faced the threat of the electric chair for years as trials and appeals dragged on (the book is by David Thompson). Having set those earlier musicals in the genres of cabaret, silent films and vaudeville, this telling of injustice and wasted lives is told in the form of a minstrel show. For this one time popular form of entertainment, white artists used to black up and play on stereotypes like the ‘slave’ and ‘mammy’. Here the tables are turned with black actors impersonating whites.

“Director and choreographer Susan Stroman manages to weld the diverse elements of the show into a thoroughly entertaining piece that also leaves the audience with a lot to think about.”

Kander, Stroman and Thompson sent this message to be read at the ceremony: “Over ten years ago, when we began this project, we never could have guessed that it would be honoured by London’s critical community. At the time, we only knew that we had stumbled upon a story that demanded to be written. Fred Ebb was passionate about the project, urging us on at every turn to finish. When Fred died, the project was nearly put on the shelf forever. But there was something about the story of the Scottsboro Boys that compelled us to continue.

“We are so proud to have brought this story to London. Our audiences at the Young Vic proved to us that this is not just an American tale, but a universal one as well. We would like to thank the members of the Critics’ Circle who have been so generous with their support, leaning into the discussion and recognising the power of this story. What an honour it is to accept this award on behalf of everyone who has been part of this project – and dedicate it to the memory of the nine Scottsboro Boys.”

Now in their 25th year, the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards were hosted by drama section chairman Mark Shenton in association with Nyman Libson Paul accountants and supported by Prince of Wales owner Delfont Mackintosh Theatres. Comedian Arthur Smith was guest speaker.

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The Scottsboro Boys – Young Vic – Review

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