Sunday 14th February 2010 marked the 10th anniversary of the Whatsonstage.com Awards, held each year to recognise the theatre-going audience’s favourite plays and musicals, both in the West End and out in the regions.
This year, Greg and I decided to go along for the craic (plus we wanted to do something fun for Valentine’s) and I think that we’re both rather pleased that we did. I’d been working all day and so was a little weary by the time 7pm came around, however once I’d been pap snapped a few times and gotten into my seat, I started to feel considerably more awake.
This is the third year that they have held a concert/gala performance when they announce the winners, and whilst the infancy was admittedly somewhat evident, I reckon that we all agree that this was a marvellous decision – it really was fun to see the performances (the awards themselves were actually rather rushed through in the end!).
The fact that these awards are voted for entirely by the general public make them a lot more open and thus also a bit of a popularity contest, which is still a great thing, but it does mean that technically great but not very popular musicals (such as Spring Awakening) are oft overlooked in my opinion. I will try not to rant about the travesty of Spring Awakening not picking up a single award… but I promise nothing! (GRR!) 😉
This year’s show was presented by Biggins and Mel Giedroyc (of Mel and Sue fame, and a very last minute replacement for Sheridan Smith; who ultimately found herself engaged with her work on Legally Blonde). Despite this pairing looking cringeworthy on paper (yes Biggins, I am thinking of you!), they were actually both on TOP form! I have not laughed so much this year I don’t think, and they managed to turn a rather ‘I can see the strings’ event into a night to remember. Be it Mel’s comedy ‘strop’ over not winning the award she was up for (including expletives), or Biggins coming out as Susan Boyle and giving it a bit of the ol’ Les Mis, it was all-in-all, totally marvellous!
There were several great musical performances given throughout the night – I really enjoyed seeing Mazz Murray on stage outside of her Killer Queen role, and it was super to see some songs from Next To Normal get showcased at these awards. I’ve been rather excited about Next To Normal for the last year or so and I am really hoping that it comes over to the West End!
Highlight of the evening for me was seeing Sirs Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen on the stage together (and their little kiss, of course!) – it was awesome to see them paired together in the West End and they rightly won the strangely named best ‘theatrical event’ award.
Alas, no linkable YouTube video at the moment, however THIS LINK will take you to the Whatsonstage website where you can see a video of all the night’s highlights and whatnot.
And so we come to the winners (and more interestingly… the break down of results!):
Source: Whatsonstage
 |
Best Actress in a Play | |
| Rachel Weisz A Streetcar Named Desire at the Donmar Warehouse |
24.8% | |
| Alison Steadman Enjoy at the Gielgud |
12.8% | |
| Fiona Shaw Mother Courage & Her Children at the NT Olivier |
9.4% | |
| Helen Mirren Phedre at the NT Lyttelton |
21.60% | |
| Juliet Stevenson Duet for One at the Almeida & Vaudeville |
7.60% | |
| Lesley Sharp The Rise & Fall of Little Voice at the Vaudeville |
23.80% | |
 |
The CAPITAL BREAKS Best Actor in a Play | |
| Jude Law Hamlet, Donmar West End at Wyndham’s |
40.80% | |
| David Harewood The Mountaintop at Theatre 503 & Trafalgar Studios 1 |
6.00% | |
| Dominic West Life Is a Dream at the Donmar Warehouse |
13.60% | |
| Ken Stott A View from the Bridge at the Duke of York’s |
14.90% | |
| Mark Rylance Jerusalem at the Royal Court Downstairs |
13.90% | |
| Samuel West Enron at the Royal Court Downstairs |
10.80% | |
 |
Best Supporting Actress in a Play | |
| Miriam Margolyes Endgame at the Duchess |
31.7% | |
| Amanda Drew Enron at the Royal Court Downstairs |
13.2% | |
| Carol Macready Enjoy at the Gielgud |
9.1% | |
| Hayley Atwell A View from the Bridge at the Duke of York’s |
18.8% | |
| Kate Fleetwood Life Is a Dream at the Donmar Warehouse |
16.90% | |
| Michelle Dockery Burnt by the Sun at the NT Lyttelton |
10.3% | |
 |
Best Supporting Actor in a Play | |
| Patrick Stewart Hamlet, RSC at the Novello |
38.0% | |
| David Dawson Comedians at the Lyric Hammersmith |
6.30% | |
| John Shrapnel Phedre at the NT Lyttelton & King Lear at the Young Vic |
6.3% | |
| Mackenzie Crook Jerusalem at the Royal Court Downstairs |
13.3% | |
| Marc Warren The Rise & Fall of Little Voice at the Vaudeville |
30.2% | |
| Simon Paisley Day Entertaining Mr Sloane at Trafalgar Studios 1 |
5.9% | |
 |
The BABY GRAND Best Actress in a Musical | |
| Patina Miller Sister Act at the London Palladium |
31.2% | |
| Charlotte Wakefield Spring Awakening at the Lyric Hammersmith & Novello |
22.4% | |
| Hannah Waddingham A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory & Garrick |
14.3% | |
| Jane Horrocks Annie Get Your Gun at the Young Vic |
16.3% | |
| Kathryn Evans Sunset Boulevard at the Comedy |
8.1% | |
| Samantha Spiro Hello, Dolly! at the Open Air |
7.7% | |
 |
The SEE TICKETS Best Actor in a Musical | |
| Rowan Atkinson Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane |
31.6% | |
| Alexander Hanson A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory & Garrick |
9.2% | |
| Aneurin Barnard Spring Awakening at the Lyric Hammersmith & Novello |
15.60% | |
| Jason Donovan Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at the Palace |
20.5% | |
| Julian Ovenden Annie Get Your Gun at the Young Vic |
5.0% | |
| Tony Sheldon Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at the Palace |
18.1% | |
 |
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical | |
| Jodie Prenger Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane |
29.1% | |
| Jessie Buckley A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory & Garrick |
9.7% | |
| Julia Sutton Sister Act at the London Palladium |
16.1% | |
| Lesley Garrett Carousel at the Savoy |
6.90% | |
| Maureen Lipman A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory & Garrick |
14.1% | |
| Sheila Hancock Sister Act at the London Palladium |
24.0% | |
 |
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical | |
| Oliver Thornton Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at the Palace |
28.7% | |
| Burn Gorman Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane |
24.2% | |
| Clive Carter Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at the Palace |
10.8% | |
| Daniel Crossley Hello, Dolly! at the Open Air |
8.0% | |
| Gabriel Vick A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory & Garrick |
9.6% | |
| Iwan Rheon Spring Awakening at the Lyric Hammersmith & Novello |
18.7% | |
 |
The MOBIUS INDUSTRIES Best Solo Performance | |
| Derren Brown Derren Brown: Enigma at the Adelphi |
25.8% | |
| Alan Cumming I Bought a Blue Car Today at the Vaudeville |
22.9% | |
| Clare Higgins The Fever at the Royal Court Downstairs |
10.1% | |
| David Hare Berlin at the NT Lyttelton & Wall at the Royal Court Downstairs |
6.8% | |
| Rob Brydon Rob Brydon Live! at the Apollo |
25.7% | |
| Sadie Frost Touched at Trafalgar Studios 2 |
8.7% | |
 |
The LES MISERABLES 25th Anniversary Award for Best Ensemble Performance | |
| On the Waterfront at the Theatre Royal Haymarket |
25.5% | |
| Arcadia at the Duke of York’s |
20.0% | |
| Dancing at Lughnasa at the Old Vic |
23.50% | |
| Our Class at the NT Cottesloe |
11.6% | |
| The Great Game at the Tricycle |
7.8% | |
| The Power of Yes at the NT Lyttelton |
11.6% | |
 |
The MILK TWO SUGARS Best Takeover in a Role | |
| John Barrowman La Cage aux Folles at the Playhouse |
29.9% | |
| Brian Conley Hairspray at the Shaftesbury |
15.3% | |
| Edward Bennett Hamlet, RSC at the Novello |
9.0% | |
| Melanie C Blood Brothers at the Phoenix |
21.0% | |
| Omid Djalili Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane |
14.4% | |
| Roger Allam La Cage aux Folles at the Playhouse |
10.4% | |
 |
The NICK HERN BOOKS Best New Play | |
| Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth at the Royal Court Downstairs |
23.8% | |
| Burnt by the Sun by Peter Flannery at the NT Lyttelton |
10.1% | |
| Enron by Lucy Prebble at the Royal Court Downstairs |
19.6% | |
| Punk Rock by Simon Stephens at the Lyric Hammersmith |
18.9% | |
| The Habit of Art by Alan Bennett at the NT Lyttelton |
19.0% | |
| The Mountaintop by Katori Hall the Theatre503 & Trafalgar Studios 1 |
8.6% | |
 |
The WALDORF HILTON Best New Comedy | |
| Calendar Girls by Tim Firth at the Noel Coward |
48.3% | |
| England People Very Nice by Richard Bean at the NT Olivier |
14.4% | |
| New Boy by Russell Labey at Trafalgar Studios 2 |
9.8% | |
| Public Property by Sam Peter Jackson at Trafalgar Studios 2 |
7.8% | |
| The Priory by Michael Wynne at the Royal Court Downstairs |
10.4% | |
| Timing by Alistair McGowan at the Kings Head |
9.3% | |
 |
The SUPERBREAK Best New Musical | |
| Priscilla, Queen of the Desert by Allan Scott & Stephan Elliott at the Palace |
31.7% | |
| Been So Long by Arthur Darvill & Che Walker at the Young Vic |
2.9% | |
| Dreamboats & Petticoats by Laurence Marks & Maurice Gran at the Savoy |
4.9% | |
| Sister Act by Alan Menken, Glenn Slater, Cheri & Bill Steinkellner at the London Palladium |
29.5% | |
| Spring Awakening by Duncan Sheik & Steven Sater at the Lyric Hammersmith & Novello |
19.5% | |
| Thriller Live! by Adrian Grant at the Lyric |
11.5% | |
 |
The EMG Best Play Revival | |
| A Streetcar Named Desire at the Donmar Warehouse |
28.7% | |
| A View from the Bridge at the Duke of Yorks |
13.1% | |
| Arcadia at the Duke of Yorks |
11.3% | |
| Enjoy at the Gielgud |
8.2% | |
| Three Days of Rain at the Apollo |
12.3% | |
| Waiting for Godot at the Theatre Royal Haymarket |
26.4% | |
 |
The AMBASSADOR TICKETS Best Musical Revival | |
| Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane |
43.2% | |
| A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory & Garrick |
18.2% | |
| Annie Get Your Gun at the Young Vic |
8.6% | |
| Carousel at the Savoy |
5.8% | |
| Hello, Dolly! at the Open Air |
11.7% | |
| Sunset Boulevard at the Comedy |
12.5% | |
|
The SHAKESPEARE 4 KIDZ Best Shakespearean Production | |
| Hamlet RSC at the Novello |
29.80% | |
| All’s Well That Ends Well at the NT Olivier |
9.6% | |
| Hamlet Donmar West End at Wyndham’s |
18.6% | |
| Othello at Trafalgar Studios 1 |
14.2% | |
| The Winters Tale at the Old Vic |
12.9% | |
| Twelfth Night Donmar West End at Wyndhams |
14.9% | |
 |
Best Director | |
| Trevor Nunn Inherit the Wind at the Old Vic & A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory & Garrick |
23.9% | |
| Gregory Doran Hamlet, RSC at the Novello |
22.9% | |
| Ian Rickson Parlour Song at the Almeida & Jerusalem at the Royal Court |
7.6% | |
| Nicholas Hytner Phedre & The Habit of Art at the NT Lyttelton |
10.9% | |
| Rupert Goold Enron at the Royal Court Downstairs |
14.7% | |
| Sam Mendes The Cherry Orchard & The Winter’s Tale at the Old Vic |
20.1% | |
 |
Best Set Designer | |
| Brian Thomson Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at the Palace |
42.00% | |
| Christopher Oram A Streetcar Named Desire at the Donmar Warehouse & Twelfth Night, Donmar West End at Wyndham’s |
14.30% | |
| Lizzie Clachan Money, Shunt at Bermondsey Street & Treasure Island at the Theatre Royal Haymarket |
6.9% | |
| Miriam Buether Judgment Day & When the Rain Stops Falling at the Almeida |
5.30% | |
| Peter McKintosh Prick Up Your Ears at the Comedy, Entertaining Mr Sloane at Trafalgar Studios 1 & Hello, Dolly! at the Open Air |
10.80% | |
| William Dudley Peter Pan at Kensington Gardens |
20.70% | |
 |
The WHITE LIGHT Best Lighting Designer | |
| Natasha Katz Sister Act at the London Palladium |
41.30% | |
| Johanna Town Speaking in Tongues at the Duke of York’s |
6.70% | |
| Kevin Adams Spring Awakening at the Lyric Hammersmith & Novello |
23.20% | |
| Mark Henderson Enron at the Royal Court |
11.30% | |
| Mike Robertson On the Waterfront at the Theatre Royal Haymarket |
8.20% | |
| Neil Austin Life Is a Dream at the Donmar Warehouse & Madame de Sade, Donmar West End at Wyndham’s |
9.30% | |
|
Best Choreographer | |
| Ross Coleman Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at the Palace |
27.4% | |
| Adam Cooper Carousel at the Savoy & Shall We Dance at Sadler’s Wells |
8.70% | |
| Anthony Van Laast Sister Act at the London Palladium |
22.80% | |
| Bill T Jones Spring Awakening at the Lyric Hammersmith & Novello |
16.00% | |
| Gary Lloyd Thriller Live! at the Lyric |
15.80% | |
| Stephen Mear Hello, Dolly! at the Open Air |
9.20% | |
 |
The DEWYNTERS London Newcomer of the Year | |
| Diana Vickers The Rise & Fall of Little Voice at the Vaudeville |
34.50% | |
| Jaime Winstone The Fastest Clock in the Universe at Hampstead |
4.00% | |
| Lenny Henry Othello at the Trafalgar Studios 1 |
13.50% | |
| Nicholas Hoult New Boy at Trafalgar Studios 2 |
9.10% | |
| Patina Miller Sister Act at the London Palladium |
31.30% | |
| Tom Sturridge Punk Rock at the Lyric Hammersmith |
7.60% | |
 |
Best Off-West End Production | |
| The Pirates of Penzance at the Union Theatre |
29.90% | |
| F**king Men at the King’s Head |
19.80% | |
| Forbidden Broadway at the Menier Chocolate Factory |
29.10% | |
| Kursk at the Young Vic |
6.90% | |
| Kurt & Sid at Trafalgar Studios 2 |
7.50% | |
| Stovepipe at the West 12 Shopping Centre |
6.90% | |
 |
The BOOKING OFFICE Best Regional Production | |
| Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall Bristol Old Vic & tour |
25.80% | |
| It’s a Wonderful Life New Wolsey, Ipswich |
23.20% | |
| Spend Spend Spend Watermill, Newbury |
11.10% | |
| The Caretaker Liverpool Everyman & Theatre Royal Bath |
12.20% | |
| The Light in the Piazza Leicester Curve |
14.80% | |
| The Winslow Boy Rose, Kingston & tour |
12.90% | |
 |
The GROUPLINE Best West End Show | |
| Wicked | 18.80% | |
| Billy Elliot | 9.20% | |
| Hairspray | 10.10% | |
| Jersey Boys | 9.20% | |
| Les Miserables | 7.6% | |
| Mamma Mia! | 5.5% | |
| The Lion King | 6.5% | |
| The Phantom of the Opera | 6.20% | |
| War Horse | 18.0% | |
| We Will Rock You | 8.80% | |
 |
The AKA Theatre Event of the Year | |
| The pairing of Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in Waiting for Godot | 38.00% | |
| Peter Pan returning to Kensington Gardens in a purpose-built theatre pavilion | 28.0% | |
| The Bridge Project at the Old Vic | 10.7% | |
| The inaugural Udderbelly season at the Southbank Centre | 7.90% | |
| The launch of NT Live | 9.30% | |
| Two outstanding Tricycle cycles: The Great Game (Afghanistan) and Not Black and White | 6.10% |
Gari Wellingham 