Whatsonstage.com Awards 2009
Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Patrick Stewart, Rowan Atkinson and X-Factor star Diana Vickers scooped prestigious theatre awards this week, voted for by the public in record numbers. Theatregoers voted online for their favourites across 26 different categories between December 2009 and January 2010. There was a record 46,000 voters who took part which was 11,000 more than the previous record set last year for the 2008 awards.
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s rival production of Hamlet, headed by former Doctor Who star David Tennant, was also a winner. Sir Patrick Stewart picked up two awards – best supporting actor in a play for playing scheming ruler Claudius in Hamlet and theatre event of the year award, shared with Sir Ian McKellen (X-Men) for Waiting for Godot.
Oliver! picked up three awards; the best Musical Revival category, Rowan Atkinson (Blackadder, Mr Bean) winning best actor in a musical for Fagin and Jodie Prenger (I’d Do Anything winner) receiving the best supporting acress in a musical award for her portrayal of Nancy.
Rowan Atkinson’s acceptance video told how he had tackled the role with some trepidation, having never sung in a musical before.
He said:
“This is absolutely great. I’m genuinely very pleased and very touched.
“When I embarked on this journey to play the part of Fagin in Oliver!, I did so with a degree of apprehension.
“I hadn’t been on the West End stage in 20 years and I had never sung in a musical – well, I’d never sung really.
“So it was quite a scary time, and what made it all possible was the warmth and accommodation and tolerance of the company of the production of Oliver!, all those actors, the adults and the children, and our directors and choreographers and designers, and, in particular, our director Rupert Goold for being so helpful to someone who was stepping with such trepidation into the project.
“Also, of course, the warmth and accommodation and tolerance of the audience who kindly came to see us.
“As this is more than anything an audience award – and the audience in the end, I think, is the most important element in any theatrical event – it really means something.
“So I’d like to thank you all sitting there very much indeed, but I’d also like to thank mostly all those who voted for me, and all those real people who spent real money to come and see the show. Thank you.”
Best West End show was taken by Wicked, which just won a very close vote with War Horse which was was the only play nominated in this category. Wicked is now in its 4th year at the Apollo Theatre in London and has been visited by over 2.5 million people, and taken over £90m in the UK.
Wicked’s executive producer Michael McCabe said in a statement:
“It has been an incredible year for West End theatre, and the productions that made the shortlist for this special award are proof of the diversity and quality that have helped maintain London as the world leader for live entertainment.
“We are therefore truly honoured that the public has chosen Wicked as London’s ‘best West End show’, and our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who voted.”
Priscilla Queen of the Desert received the highest number of awards with four, including Best Choreographer for the late Ross Coleman, Best New Musical, Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for Oliver Thornton and Best Set Designer for Brian Thomson.
Winning his fourth Whatsonstage.com award for Best Director was Sir Trevor Nunn for Inherit The Wind at the Old Vic and A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory.
Jerusalem won the very close battle for Best New Play, narrowly beating Enron. Jerusalem had 23.7% of the vote, with Enron taking 19.6%. With their recent transferrals to the West End, both productions have been very well received.
Diana Vickers (X-Factor) fought off competition from Lenny Henry, Jaime Winston, Nicholas Hoult, Patina Miller and Tom Sturridge to win the Best Newcomer category for her peformance in The Rise and Fall of Litte Voice.
However, Patina Miller did win the Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Deloris in Whoopi Goldberg’s Sister Act.
Best New Comedy award was taken by Tim Firth’s stage version of Calendar Girls, and Derren Brown beat Rob Brydon by only 10 votes to win the best solo performance.
Illusionist Derren Brown said:
“Obviously, I knew that I was going to win, but I wasn’t aware that I’d pipped Rob Brydon so closely at the last minute – I just found out that I won by 10 votes.
“So really this should go to both me and Rob, but it doesn’t; it goes to me as it turns out.”
John Barrowman (Touchwood) took the Best Takeover in a Role award for his return to the West End in La Cage Aux Folles. In his acceptance speech Barrowman said:
“I accept this on behalf of the entire cast and company of La Cage Aux Folles, particularly the Cagelles, who worked their butts off.
“Thank you very much.”
The full list of this years Whatsonstage.com Award winners are:-
- Best actress in a play
Rachel Weisz – A Streetcar Named Desire at the Donmar Warehouse
- The Capital Breaks best actor in a play
Jude Law – Hamlet, Donmar West End at Wyndham’s
- Best supporting actress in a play
Miriam Margolyes – Endgame at the Duchess
- Best supporting actor in a play
Sir Patrick Stewart – Hamlet, RSC at the Novello
- The Baby Grand best actress in a musical
Patina Miller – Sister Act at the London Palladium
- The See Tickets best actor in a musical
Rowan Atkinson – Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- Best supporting actress in a musical
Jodie Prenger – Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- Best supporting actor in a musical
Oliver Thornton – Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert at the Palace
- The Mobius Industries best solo performance
Derren Brown – Derren Brown: Enigma at the Adelphi
- The Les Miserables 25th anniversary award for best ensemble performance
On The Waterfront – at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
- The Milk Two Sugars best takeover in a role
John Barrowman – La Cage Aux Folles at the Playhouse
- The Nick Hern Books best new play
Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth – at the Royal Court Downstairs
- The Waldorf Hilton best new comedy
Calendar Girls by Tim Firth – at the Noel Coward
- The Superbreak best new musical
Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert by Allan Scott & Stephan Elliott – at the Palace
- The EMG best play revival
A Streetcar Named Desire – at the Donmar Warehouse
- The Ambassador Tickets best musical revival
Oliver! – at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- The Shakespeare 4 Kidz best Shakespearean production
Hamlet – RSC at the Novello
- Best director
Sir Trevor Nunn – Inherit The Wind at the Old Vic & A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory & Garrick
- Best set designer
Brian Thomson – Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert at the Palace
- The White Light best lighting designer
Natasha Katz – Sister Act at the London Palladium
- Best choreographer
Ross Coleman – Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert at the Palace
- The Dewynters London newcomer of the year
Diana Vickers – The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice at the Vaudeville
- Best off-West End production
The Pirates Of Penzance – at the Union Theatre
- The Booking Office best regional production
Adolf Hitler: My Part In His Downfall – Bristol Old Vic & tour
- The Groupline best West End show
Wicked
- The Aka theatre event of the year
The pairing of Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart in Waiting For Godot.
Megan Mullally
Another first for the UK is internationally acclaimed acress Megan Mullally on stage at the Vaudeville Theatre in London’s West End, with her band, Supreme Music Program, for a very limited run of only 8 performances – opening on 16th February, until 21st February 2010.
The new show at the Vaudeville Theatre will include songs from her three albums (The Sweetheart Break-In, Big As A Berry and Free Again!) and previously unheard material. Although she has performed with the Supreme Music Program in locations such as The Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, The Seattle Symphony and the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, this is the first time she has toured with her band outside the US.
Holding The Man
Holding the Man is based on the award winning book by Tim Conigrave and is adapted for the stage by playwright Tommy Murphy. This is an hilariously funny, tender and moving play which follows the remarkable true life love story of Tim Conigrave and John Caleo and speaks across generations, sexual preferences and culture.
Teenage love rarely runs a smooth course, but add a gay boy, and all-male school, Melbourne in the 1970s, a crush on the football team captain and this love could never be smooth! Despite all this the pair survive 15 years of all that can be thrown at them until the only problem that love can’t solve turns up to part them.
For more information and to check availability of Holding The Man, which opens at the Trafalgar Studios in London on 23rd April 2010, go to Holding the Man Theatre Tickets.
Not suitable for anyone under the age of 15.
Mrs Warren’s Profession
The question her daughter, Vivie, is asking is “what is Mrs Warren’s Profession?”. Felicity Kendall stars in one of Shaw’s most witty and provocative plays which was actually written in 1894 but not allowed to be performed until the 1920s.
Vivie is a prim young woman, with a Cambridge education and a generous monthly allowance. She has, until she has ambitions to go into “law”, never questioned what it is, exactly, that her monther does – how will she react when she finds out that her life has been financed by the oldest of all professions?
Mrs Warren’s Profession, which portrays the hypocrisy of Victorian society and its constrained morals, opens at the Comedy theatre, London on 16th March 2010.
To get more information, seating layout and check availability, go to Mrs Warrens Profession Tickets.
Lion King Dinner & Show Offers
The current dinner & show offers combining a ticket for The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre, London with a value of £35.00 and a pre-theatre 2-course meal at a choice of London restaurants.
Thai Square Strand, Livebait or Palm Court are all included in this offer, starting at £40.00 inclusive.
To get more information on these offers, and to check availability go to The Lion King Dinner & Show Offers.
Dirty Dancing – Special Offers
Our Dirty Dancing special offers include dinner & show deals and also discounted ticket prices.
Save over 35% on top price tickets for Dirty Dancing at the Aldwych Theatre, London – giving a saving of £22.50 per ticket. This offer is valid Monday to Thursday evenings and Friday matinees until the 26th February but excluding school holidays.
Dinner & show deals start at £53.00 for a 2-course meal at Thai Square Strand plus ticket worth £62.50. Also available is a 2-course meal and Dirty Dancing ticket for Christopher’s American Grill at just £62.50.
For more information on Dirty Dancing, seat layout, example menues and availability, go to Dirty Dancing Special Offers.
Shirley Jones
Shirley Jones, legendary Hollywood and Broadway star, is making her UK debut at the Arts Theatre in London from 22nd March to 3rd April 2010, which means ONLY 12 performances.
As a virtually unknown actress, Shirley Jones was cast as Laurie in the 1955 Rodgers & Hammerstein version of their hit stage musical, Oklahoma! This brought world wide fame and she followed up with films of The Music Man and Carousel – winning the 1960 Academy Award for Elmer Ganty.
Other performances include the matriarch of The Partridge Family and appearing on Broadway in South Pacific, Maggie Flynn and 42nd Street. Shirley Jones was called “the first lady of American song” by Bob Hope – and so the UK concerts promise to be something very, very special.
The UK premiere of a living legend at the Arts Theatre, London.
The Real Thing
The new production of Tom Stoppard’s play, The Real Thing, is to star Toby Stephens (Die Another Day, tv series Jane Eyre).
This comedy examines the complex nature of love, art and reality through the story of Henry who is a successful and talented playwright, married to Charlotte – who is an actress playing the lead in his current play about adultery. Her co-star and friend Max is married to Annie, also an actor. Henry and Annie have fallen in love but is it any more real than the subjects in Henry’s play? As the story unravels, Henry discovers that love – ‘the real thing’ – can be unpredictable and painful.
The Real Thing opens in London at the Old Vic Theatre on 10th April and we have ticket availability until 5th June 2010. For more information, seating plan and to check availability go to The Real Thing Theatre Tickets.
The Little Dog Laughed Review – Times Online
Benedict Nightingale reviews The Little Dog Laughed at the Garrick Theatre, London for the Times Online - awarding it a 3 star rating.
This is a Broadway comedy on the subject being in teh closet, wanting to come out and feeling that the public won’t allow it.
Tamsin Greig gives a terrific performance as Diane, a Californian agent, Harry Lloyd plays Alex, the improbably sophisticated rentboy.
To read the review go to The Little Dog Laughed Times Online Review.
This comedy is booking until Saturday 10th April 2010 with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 3.00pm and evening performances Monday to Saturday at 7.45pm – for more information and to check availability of tickets go to The Little Dog Laughed Theatre Tickets.
Nunsense A-Men
Nunsense A-Men is an hilarious comedy spoof following the misadventures of five nuns trying to manage a fundraiser – with all of the characters being portrayed by male musical comedy performers!
Sister Julia’s vichyssoise is contaminated with botulism, resulting in the death of the rest of the sisterhood and the remaining nuns – ballet-loving Sister Leo, street-wise Sister Robert Anne, befuddled Sister Mary Amnesia, the Mother Superior Sister Regina, and mistress of the novices Sister Mary Hubert – stage a talent show in order to raise the money to bury their dearly departed!
Think Mrs. Doubtfire enters the Convent!
Nunsense A-Men comes to the Arts Theatre, London from 25th January to 25th March 2010 – for more information and to check ticket availability go to Nunsense A-Men Theatre Tickets.
