Picture: Manuel Harlan
The Bridge Theatre’s critic and crowd-pleasing production of Guys & Dolls leads the nominees for the 24th WhatsOnStage Awards.
The production’s director Nicholas Hytner and three of its stars (Marisha Wallace, Cedric Neal and Andrew Richardson) feature among the musical’s 12 nominations for the awards which will be handed out during a star-studded ceremony at the London Palladium on 11 February 2024 co-hosted by West End stars Melanie La Barrie and Bonnie Langford. Other musicals to feature strongly on the shortlist include Jamie Lloyd’s Sunset Boulevard with nine nominations and Michael Longhurst’s Next To Normal with six nominations.
Guys & Dolls and Sunset Boulevard will battle it out for the title of Best Musical Revival alongside Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s La Cage aux Folles, the Watermill Theatre’s Lord of the Rings, Chichester Festival Theatre’s The Sound of Music and Curve/London Palladium’s The Wizard of Oz.
The Best New Musical category will be contested by Disney’s Newsies, The Little Big Things, Mrs Doubtfire, Next To Normal, Operation Mincemeat and The Time Traveller’s Wife.
An exceptional year for the National Theatre has been rewarded with 24 nominations in total including 10 for its production of James Graham’s Dear England which leads the play categories.
The winners of the only major theatre awards decided by the theatregoing public will be announced during a ceremony featuring exclusive live performances from top stage stars accompanied by a 24-piece orchestra. There will be appearances from Disney’s Newsies, Flowers for Mrs Harris, Guys & Dolls, La Cage aux Folles, Next To Normal, Operation Mincemeat and The Sound of Music.
The ceremony will be co-produced with creative directors Alex Parker and Damian Sandys.
NOMINATIONS IN FULL:
BEST PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL
Michael Ahomka-Lindsay, Disney’s Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Natasha Hodgson, Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre
Ed Larkin, The Little Big Things, @sohoplace
Caissie Levy, Next To Normal, Donmar Warehouse
Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
Marisha Wallace, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL
Aynrand Ferrer, Miss Saigon, Sheffield Crucible
Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre
Jason Manford, The Wizard of Oz, The London Palladium
Cedric Neal, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Amy Trigg, The Little Big Things, @sohoplace
Jack Wolfe, Next To Normal, Donmar Warehouse
BEST PERFORMER IN A PLAY
Paapa Essiedu, The Effect, National Theatre
Joseph Fiennes, Dear England, National Theatre/Prince Edward Theatre
James Norton, A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre/Savoy Theatre
Taylor Russell, The Effect, National Theatre
Andrew Scott, VANYA, Duke of York’s Theatre
Sheridan Smith, Shirley Valentine, Duke of York’s Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A PLAY
Michele Austin, The Effect, National Theatre
Will Close, Dear England, National Theatre/Prince Edward Theatre
Bryony Corrigan, I, Daniel Blake, UK tour
Luke Thompson, A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre/Savoy Theatre
Zubin Varla, A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre/Savoy Theatre
Anjana Vasan, A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre/Phoenix Theatre
BEST TAKEOVER PERFORMANCE
Karis Anderson, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, Aldwych Theatre
Cory English, Back to the Future: The Musical, Adelphi Theatre
Mason Alexander Park, Cabaret, The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Lucy St. Louis, Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre
Rebecca Lucy Taylor, Cabaret, The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Aimee Lou Wood, Cabaret, The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
BEST PROFESSIONAL DEBUT PERFORMANCE
Rita Bernard-Shaw, Trouble in Butetown, Donmar Warehouse
Laura Dawkes, Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Lou Henry, SIX, UK tour
Grace Hodgett-Young, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
Louis McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
Andrew Richardson, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
BEST NEW MUSICAL
Disney’s Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
The Little Big Things, @sohoplace
Mrs Doubtfire, Shaftesbury Theatre
Next To Normal, Donmar Warehouse
Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre
The Time Traveller’s Wife, Apollo Theatre
BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL
Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
La Cage aux Folles, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
The Lord of the Rings, The Watermill Theatre
The Sound of Music, Chichester Festival Theatre
Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
The Wizard of Oz, Curve, Leicester and the London Palladium
BEST NEW PLAY
A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre/Savoy Theatre
Cowbois, Swan Theatre
Dear England, National Theatre/Prince Edward Theatre
Hamnet, Swan Theatre/Garrick Theatre
The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre
Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
BEST PLAY REVIVAL
A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre/Phoenix Theatre
The Effect, National Theatre
The Merchant of Venice 1936, UK tour
The Pillowman, Duke of York’s Theatre
Shirley Valentine, Duke of York’s Theatre
VANYA, Duke of York’s Theatre
BEST WEST END SHOW
Back to the Future: The Musical, Adelphi Theatre
Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Les Misérables, Sondheim Theatre
Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Piccadilly Theatre
The Phantom of the Opera, His Majesty’s Theatre
SIX, Vaudeville Theatre
BEST REGIONAL PRODUCTION
Boys from the Black Stuff, Royal Court, Liverpool
Choir Boy, Bristol Old Vic
In Dreams, Leeds Playhouse
The Lord of the Rings, Watermill Theatre
Miss Saigon, Sheffield Crucible
To Wong Foo The Musical, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
BEST OFF-WEST END PRODUCTION
Flowers for Mrs Harris, Riverside Studios
George Takei’s Allegiance, Charing Cross Theatre
Othello, Riverside Studios
Rebecca, Charing Cross Theatre
Scouts! The Musical, The Other Palace Studio
The Shape of Things, Park Theatre
BEST CONCERT EVENT
Ariana DeBose in Concert, London Palladium
Darren Criss, London Palladium
Evita in Concert, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Love Never Dies in Concert, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Once – In Concert, London Palladium
Schwartz at 75, Lyric Theatre
BEST DIRECTION
Polly Findlay, Assassins, Chichester Festival Theatre
Rebecca Frecknall, A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre/Phoenix Theatre
Rupert Goold, Dear England, National Theatre/Prince Edward Theatre
Nicholas Hytner, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
Sam Mendes, The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre
BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION/SUPERVISION
Mark Aspinall and Sioned Saunders, The Lord of the Rings, The Watermill Theatre
Nick Barstow and Nigel Lilley, Next To Normal, Donmar Warehouse
Cat Beveridge and Nigel Lilley, The Witches, National Theatre
Tom Brady, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Stephen Brooker, Alfonso Casado Trigo and Stephen Metcalfe, Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, Gielgud Theatre
Alan Williams, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
BEST CASTING DIRECTION
Alastair Coomer and Naomi Downham, The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre
Anna Cooper, Next To Normal, Donmar Warehouse
Jill Green, The Little Big Things, @sohoplace
Bryony Jarvis-Taylor, Dear England, National Theatre/Prince Edward Theatre
Bryony Jarvis-Taylor, The Witches, National Theatre
Jessica Ronane, Charlotte Sutton and Jim Carnahan, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Fabian Aloise, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
Matt Cole, Disney’s Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Ellen Kane and Hannes Langolf, Dear England, National Theatre/Prince Edward Theatre
Stephen Mear, La Cage aux Folles, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Arlene Phillips with James Cousins, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy, Free Your Mind, Factory International
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Bunny Christie, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Lizzie Clachan, The Witches, National Theatre
Ryan Dawson Laight, La Cage aux Folles, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Gregory Gale, To Wong Foo The Musical, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
Gareth Pugh, Free Your Mind, Factory International
Grace Smart, Cowbois, Swan Theatre
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Rory Beaton and Lucy Carter, The Time Traveller’s Wife, Apollo Theatre
Jon Clark, Dear England, National Theatre/Prince Edward Theatre
Jon Clark, The Effect, National Theatre
Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
Paule Constable, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Jack Knowles, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
BEST SET DESIGN
Miriam Buether, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
Bunny Christie, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Lizzie Clachan, Assassins, Chichester Festival Theatre
Lizzie Clachan, The Witches, National Theatre
Chloe Lamford, Phaedra, National Theatre
Morgan Large, Disney’s Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Paul Arditti, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
Dan Balfour and Tom Gibbons, Dear England, National Theatre/Prince Edward Theatre
Adam Fisher, The Lord of the Rings, Watermill Theatre
Adam Fisher, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
Tony Gayle, Next To Normal, Donmar Warehouse
BEST VIDEO DESIGN
59 Productions, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
Andrzej Goulding, Miss Saigon, Sheffield Crucible
Andrzej Goulding, The Time Traveller’s Wife, Apollo Theatre
Ash J Woodward, Dear England, National Theatre/Prince Edward Theatre
Ash J Woodward, The Witches, National Theatre
BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN SPONSORED BY HEXAGON PRINT
Bob King Creative, Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre
Bridge Theatre, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Jeremy Coysten and North Design, Free Your Mind, Factory International
The Creative Partnership, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
Feast Creative, La Cage aux Folles, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Rick Guest, Rob Rae and the NT Graphics Studio, Dear England, National Theatre/Prince Edward Theatre
Angela Thomas
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