The end of year round-up continues with the acting performances that stood out for me, the ones that made me sit up, and sometimes stand up. As ever, I have used the label ‘best’, the categories should really be considered ‘favourite’ as that is what the fosterIANs (fos-tîr’ē-ən) are – my favourites. So please find below the 2016 fosterIAN award nominations, categories expanded to 7 nominees (and sometimes more!) because I am that indecisive, winners to be announced in the coming days.
Best Actress in a Play
Uzo Aduba/Zawe Ashton, The Maids
Gemma Arterton, Nell Gwynn
Linda Bassett, Escaped Alone
Helen McCrory, The Deep Blue Sea
Maxine Peake, A Streetcar Named Desire
Juliet Stevenson/Lia Williams, Mary Stuart
Harriet Walter, The Tempest
Best Actor in a Play
Phil Dunster, Pink Mist
Paapa Essiedu, Hamlet
O-T Fagbenle, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Rhys Isaac-Jones, Jess and Joe Forever
Lucian Msamati, Amadeus
Lucian Msamati, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Danny Sapani, Les Blancs
Best Supporting Actress in a Play
Jade Anouka, The Tempest
Lizzy Connolly/Amanda Lawrence, Once in a Lifetime
Nadine Marshall, Father Comes Home From The War (Parts 1, 2, and 3)
Tanya Moodie, Hamlet
Sian Phillips, Les Blancs
Rachael Stirling, The Winter’s Tale
Susan Wokoma, A Raisin In The Sun
Best Supporting Actor in a Play
Anthony Boyle, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Rudi Dharmalingham, Mary Stuart
Dex Lee, Father Comes Home From The War (Parts 1, 2, and 3)
Nick Fletcher, The Deep Blue Sea
Jonjo O’Neill, Unreachable
Peter Polycarpou, Scenes from 68* Years
Alan Williams, Mary Stuart
Best Actress in a Musical
Samantha Barks, The Last 5 Years
Clare Burt, Flowers for Mrs Harris
Glenn Close, Sunset Boulevard
Kaisa Hammarlund, Sweet Charity
Cassidy Janson, Beautiful
Landi Oshinowo, I’m Getting My Act Together…
Jenna Russell, Grey Gardens
Best Actor in a Musical
Declan Bennett, Jesus Christ Superstar
Dex Lee, Grease
Louis Maskell, The Grinning Man
Hugh Maynard, Sweeney Todd
Ako Mitchell, Ragtime
Charlie Stemp, Half A Sixpence
Mark Umbers, She Loves Me
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
Josie Benson, Sweet Charity
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Murder Ballad
Sheila Hancock, Grey Gardens
Rachel John, The Bodyguard
Katherine Kingsley, She Loves Me
Gloria Onitiri, The Grinning Man
Jennifer Saayeng, Ragtime
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical
Adam J Bernard, Dreamgirls
Julian Bleach, The Grinning Man
Daniel Crossley, Sweet Charity
Tyrone Huntley, Jesus Christ Superstar
Stuart Neal, The Grinning Man
Dominic Tighe, She Loves Me
Gary Tushaw, Ragtime