2023 Best Lead Performance in a Musical

Winners

Carl Mullaney, La Cage aux Folles
Rachael Wooding/Faith Omole/Alex Young, Standing at the Sky’s Edge
Has ‘I Am What I Am’ ever been so moving? In the current climate and in this production, I’d wager not – Mullaney cracking open all of our hearts with his cri de coeur. And at the heart of each of their three strands, Wooding, Omole and Young were nigh-on perfection – it’s a bit gutting on Wooding is transferring to the West End but I do look forward to the new cast as well.

Honourable mentions

Billy Carter, La Cage aux Folles
Rachel Tucker, Sunset Boulevard
It’s not all about Albin, Carter made us care just as much about Georges, particularly where his sense of being the betrayer cut so deep. And Scherzinger may have had her name above the title but for my money, the real star was alternate Tucker, a leading lady who chimed so well with the company.

Other nominees

Rosalind Ford, In Clay
Tom Francis, Sunset Boulevard
Katherine Kingsley, The Witches
Ed Larkin/Jonny Amies, The Little Big Things
Anoushka Lucas, Elephant
Molly Osborne, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Jamie Parker, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Andrew Richardson, Guys and Dolls

After some reflection and looking at how other theatre awards have addressed the issue of gendered awards, I’ve come up with my own solution. I’ve merged categories but doubled the number of awards, so that I’m still recognising the same number of performances rather than halving them, as so many others seem to have done. Each to their own, but I’d always want to celebrate more than less of the performances I’ve loved throughout the year.