2023 What’s On Stage Award nominations

The nominations for the 24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards have now been revealed, with the full list of nominees below. You can vote in all 24 categories here.


The nominees in full:

Best Performer in a Musical – sponsored by TickX

– Michael Ahomka-Lindsay, Disney’s Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
– Natasha Hodgson, Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre
– Ed Larkin, The Little Big Things, @sohoplace
– Caissie Levy, Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse
– Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
– Marisha Wallace, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre

Best Supporting Performer in a Musical – sponsored by Newman Displays

– Aynrand Ferrer, Miss Saigon, Sheffield Crucible
– Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre
– Jason Manford, The Wizard of Oz, The London Palladium
– Cedric Neal, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
– Amy Trigg, The Little Big Things, @sohoplace
– Jack Wolfe, Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse

Best Performer in a Play – sponsored by Sine Digital

– Paapa Essiedu, The Effect, National Theatre
– Joseph Fiennes, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
– James Norton, A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre / Savoy Theatre
– Taylor Russell, The Effect, National Theatre
– Andrew Scott, VANYA, Duke of York’s Theatre
– Sheridan Smith, Shirley Valentine, Duke of York’s Theatre

Best Supporting Performer in a Play

– Michele Austin, The Effect, National Theatre
– Will Close, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
– Bryony Corrigan, I, Daniel Blake, UK tour
– Luke Thompson, A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre / Savoy Theatre
– Zubin Varla, A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre / Savoy Theatre
– Anjana Vasan, A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre / Phoenix Theatre

Best Takeover Performance – sponsored by AKT London

– Karis Anderson, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, Aldwych Theatre
– Cory English, Back to the Future: The Musical, Adelphi Theatre
– Mason Alexander Park, Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
– Lucy St. Louis, Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre
– Rebecca Lucy Taylor, Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
– Aimee Lou Wood, Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre

Best Professional Debut Performance – sponsored by AKA

– Rita Bernard-Shaw, Trouble in Butetown, Donmar Warehouse
– Laura Dawkes, Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
– Lou Henry, SIX, UK tour
– Grace Hodgett-Young, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
– Louis McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
– Andrew Richardson, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre

Best New Musical – sponsored by Travelzoo

– Disney’s Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman and book by Harvey Fierstein
– The Little Big Things, @sohoplace, with music by Nick Butcher, lyrics by Nick Butcher and Tom Ling, and book by Joe White
– Mrs Doubtfire, Shaftesbury Theatre, with music and lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, and book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell
– Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse, with music by Tom Kitt, and book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey
– Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre, with music, book and lyrics by Spitlip, composed of David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts
– The Time Traveller’s Wife, Apollo Theatre, with music and lyrics by Joss Stone and Dave Stewart, book by Lauren Gunderson and additional lyrics by Kait Kerrigan

Best Musical Revival – sponsored by Concord Theatricals

– Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
– La Cage aux Folles, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
– The Lord of the Rings, The Watermill Theatre
– The Sound of Music, Chichester Festival Theatre
– Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
– The Wizard of Oz, Curve, Leicester / The London Palladium

Best New Play – sponsored by Ticketmaster

– A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre / Savoy Theatre, adapted by Koen Tachelet, Ivo van Hove and Hanya Yanagihara
– Cowbois, Swan Theatre, written by Charlie Josephine
– Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre, written by James Graham
– Hamnet, Swan Theatre / Garrick Theatre, by Lolita Chakrabarti
– The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre, by Jack Thorne
– Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre, by Kate Trefry with original story by Jack Thorne, Kate Trefry and the Duffer Brothers

Best Play Revival – sponsored by Edwardian Hotels London – Official Hotel Partner

– A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre / Phoenix Theatre
– The Effect, National Theatre
– The Merchant of Venice 1936, UK tour
– The Pillowman, Duke of York’s Theatre
– Shirley Valentine, Duke of York’s Theatre
– VANYA, Duke of York’s Theatre

Best West End Show – sponsored by Dewynters

– Back to the Future: The Musical, Adelphi Theatre
– Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
– Les Misérables, Sondheim Theatre
– Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Piccadilly Theatre
– The Phantom of the Opera, His Majesty’s Theatre
– SIX, Vaudeville Theatre

Best Regional Production – sponsored by Music Theatre International

– Boys from the Blackstuff, Royal Court, Liverpool
– Choir Boy, Bristol Old Vic
– In Dreams, Leeds Playhouse
– The Lord of the Rings, The Watermill Theatre
– Miss Saigon, Sheffield Crucible
– To Wong Foo The Musical, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester

Best Off-West End Production – sponsored by Theatrical Rights Worldwide

– Flowers for Mrs Harris, Riverside Studios
– George Takei’s Allegiance, Charing Cross Theatre
– Othello, Riverside Studios
– Rebecca, Charing Cross Theatre
– Scouts! The Musical, The Other Palace Studio
– The Shape of Things, Park Theatre

Best Concert Event

– Ariana DeBose in Concert, The London Palladium
– Darren Criss, The London Palladium
– Evita in Concert, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
– Love Never Dies in Concert, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
– Once: In Concert, The London Palladium
– Schwartz at 75, Lyric Theatre

Best Direction – sponsored by LOVEtheatre

– Polly Findlay, Assassins, Chichester Festival Theatre
– Rebecca Frecknall, A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre / Phoenix Theatre
– Rupert Goold, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
– Nicholas Hytner, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
– Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
– Sam Mendes, The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre

Best Musical Direction/Supervision

– Mark Aspinall and Sioned Saunders, The Lord of the Rings, The Watermill Theatre
– Nick Barstow and Nigel Lilley, Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse
– Cat Beveridge and Nigel Lilley, The Witches, National Theatre
– Tom Brady, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
– Stephen Brooker, Alfonso Casado Trigo and Stephen Metcalfe, Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, Gielgud Theatre
– Alan Williams, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre

Best Casting Direction

– Alastair Coomer and Naomi Downham, The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre
– Anna Cooper, Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse
– Jill Green, The Little Big Things, @sohoplace
– Bryony Jarvis-Taylor, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
– Bryony Jarvis-Taylor, The Witches, National Theatre
– Jessica Ronane, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre

Best Choreography – sponsored by Tandem Marketing

– Fabian Aloise, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
– Matt Cole, Disney’s Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
– Ellen Kane and Hannes Langolf, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
– Stephen Mear, La Cage aux Folles, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
– Arlene Phillips with James Cousins, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
– Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy, Free Your Mind, Factory International

Best Costume Design

– Bunny Christie and Deborah Andrews, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
– Lizzie Clachan, The Witches, National Theatre
– Ryan Dawson Laight, La Cage aux Folles, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
– Gregory Gale, To Wong Foo The Musical, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
– Gareth Pugh, Free Your Mind, Factory International
– Grace Smart, Cowbois, Swan Theatre

Best Lighting Design – sponsored by White Light

– Rory Beaton and Lucy Carter, The Time Traveller’s Wife, Apollo Theatre
– Jon Clark, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
– Jon Clark, The Effect, National Theatre
– Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
– Paule Constable, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
– Jack Knowles, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre

Best Set Design – sponsored by Preevue

– Miriam Buether, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
– Bunny Christie, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
– Lizzie Clachan, Assassins, Chichester Festival Theatre
– Lizzie Clachan, The Witches, National Theatre
– Chloe Lamford, Phaedra, National Theatre
– Morgan Large, Disney’s Newsies, Wembley Troubadour Park Theatre

Best Sound Design

– Paul Arditti, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
– Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
– Dan Balfour and Tom Gibbons, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
– Adam Fisher, The Lord of the Rings, The Watermill Theatre
– Adam Fisher, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
– Tony Gayle, Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse

Best Video Design – sponsored by GDL

– 59 Productions, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
– Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
– Andrzej Goulding, Miss Saigon, Sheffield Crucible
– Andrzej Goulding, The Time Traveller’s Wife, Apollo Theatre
– Ash J Woodward, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
– Ash J Woodward, The Witches, National Theatre

Best Graphic Design – sponsored by Hexagon Print

– Bob King Creative, Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre
– Muse Creative, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
– Jeremy Coysten and North Design, Free Your Mind, Factory International
– The Creative Partnership, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
– Feast Creative, La Cage aux Folles, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
– Rick Guest, Rob Rae and the NT Graphics Studio, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre

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