Women swept the board in the first-ever gender-neutral performance categories at the 23rd WhatsOnStage Awards.
Legally Blonde’s Courtney Bowman and Lauren Drew collected the Best Performer in a Musical and Best Supporting Performer in a Musical awards respectively while another musical theatre favourite, Lucie Jones, won Best Takeover for her portrayal of Elphaba in Wicked.
The Best Performer in a Play award went to Jodie Comer for Prima Facie while Gwyneth Keyworth collected the Best Supporting Performer award for her performance as Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird. The only male to pick up a performance award was Joe Locke who took home the Best Professional Debut trophy for The Trials.
The Best New Musical title went to Bonnie and Clyde the Musical while Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! was judged to be the Best Musical Revival for its sell-out run at the Young Vic.
Other genre winners included Six which picked up the Best West End Show title for the third time, Curve Leicester’s production of Billy Elliot The Musical which claimed the prize for Best Regional Production, the Turbine Theatre’s But I’m A Cheerleader: The Musical was awarded the trophy for Best Off-West End Production and the star-studded Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends was crowned the Best Theatre Event.
The event also included tributes to producer and theatre owner Nica Burns who was honoured with the Services to Theatre Award, in recognition of her extraordinary career and her unfailing commitment to the health of the theatre industry.
THE WINNERS:
BEST PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL
Courtney Bowman, Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL
Lauren Drew, Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
BEST PERFORMER IN A PLAY
Jodie Comer, Prima Facie, Harold Pinter Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A PLAY
Gwyneth Keyworth, To Kill a Mockingbird, Gielgud Theatre
BEST TAKEOVER PERFORMANCE
Lucie Jones, Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre
BEST PROFESSIONAL DEBUT PERFORMANCE
Joe Locke, The Trials, Donmar Warehouse
BEST NEW MUSICAL
Bonnie & Clyde the Musical, Arts Theatre
BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, Young Vic
BEST NEW PLAY
Prima Facie, Harold Pinter Theatre
BEST PLAY REVIVAL
Cock, Ambassadors Theatre
BEST WEST END SHOW
Six, Vaudeville Theatre
BEST REGIONAL PRODUCTION
Billy Elliot the Musical, Curve, Leicester
BEST OFF-WEST END PRODUCTION
But I’m A Cheerleader: The Musical, The Turbine Theatre
BEST CONCERT EVENT
Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, Sondheim Theatre
BEST DIRECTION
Phelim McDermott, My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre
BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION/SUPERVISION
Bruce O’Neil and Matt Smith, My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre
BEST CASTING DIRECTION
Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher, Spring Awakening, Almeida Theatre
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Arlene Phillips, Grease, Dominion Theatre
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Gabriella Slade, The Cher Show, UK tour
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Jessica Hung Han Yun, My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre
BEST SET DESIGN
Tom Pye and Basil Twist, My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Tony Gayle, My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre
BEST VIDEO DESIGN
Joshua Thorson, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, Young Vic
BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN
Studio Doug, Prima Facie, Harold Pinter Theatre
Angela Thomas