News - UK Theatre Awards

This year's UK Theatre Award winners have been announced...

Nominated for 9 different awards, the big winners yesterday at the UK Theatre Awards were Sheffield Theatres who took home a total of five of the awards, including both Best New Play and Best Musical Production, at yesterday's ceremony which took place at London's Guildhall. The awards were compèred by Lesley Manville, with a performance from the award-winning Clare Burt and appearances from guest presenters including Dame Eileen Atkins, Owen Teale, Laura Pitt-Pulford, Stephanie Beacham, Don Warrington and Preeya Kalidas.

Other notable winners on the day were Paapa Essiedu, who picked up Best Performance in a Play for his role of Hamlet in the Royal Shakespeare Production at Stratford upon Avon, and Northern Ballet, up for 3 Awards, who took home the title of Achievement in Marketing for their work on 1984 (read our review of the ballet here).

Two special awards were handed out at the ceremony, with the Outstanding Contribution award going to Sir Ian McKellen and the John Gielgud Award for Excellence going to Vanessa Redgrave.

The annual UK Theatre awards are the only nationwide awards to honour and celebrate achievements in regional theatre throughout the UK and do not cover National Theatre productions or West End shows unless they have transferred from a theatre outside the capital.

Full lists of nominees and winners can be found below.

Best New Play 
CUTTIN’ IT by Charlene James, a Young Vic/Royal Court Theatre co-production with Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Sheffield Theatres and The Yard Theatre

Best Musical Production 
FLOWERS FOR MRS HARRIS directed by Daniel Evans, a Sheffield Theatres Production and SHOW BOAT directed by Daniel Evans, a Sheffield Theatres production

Best Touring Production 
THE HERBAL BED directed by James Dacre, a co-production by Royal & Derngate Northampton, English Touring Theatre and Rose Theatre Kingston

Best Show For Children And Young People 
THE HOBBIT, a The Dukes production

Best Director 
Raz Shaw for WIT, a Royal Exchange Theatre production

Best Performance In A Play 
Paapa Essiedu for HAMLET, a Royal Shakespeare Company production

Best Performance In A Musical 
Clare Burt for FLOWERS FOR MRS HARRIS, a Sheffield Theatres Production

Best Supporting Performance 
Rebecca Trehearn for SHOW BOAT, a Sheffield Theatres production

Best Design 
Lez Brotherston for FLOWERS FOR MRS HARRIS and SHOW BOAT, a Sheffield Theatres productions

Achievement In Opera 
The Royal Opera and Guildhall School Of Music and Drama for 4.48 PSYCHOSIS in association with the Lyric Hammersmith

Achievement in Dance 
Gary Clarke for COAL

Promotion Of Diversity 
Belgrade Theatre

Theatre Employee Or Manager Of The Year 
Diane Belding - Liverpool Empire Theatre

Achievement In Marketing 
Northern Ballet

The Renee Stepham Award For Best Presentation Of Touring Theatre 
Northern Stage

UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre in association with Smooth Radio 
The Mill at Sonning

Clothworkers’ Award 
Northern Stage

Outstanding Contribution To British Theatre 
Ian McKellen

The Gielgud Award For Excellence In The Dramatic Arts 
Vanessa Redgrave

Image & info - UK Theatre Awards