2024 Best Lead Performance in a Play

Winners

Lesley Manville, Oedipus
Mark Strong, Oedipus
Could it have been anyone else? And could they ever have been split? Expectations were high for this and both Manville and Strong met the moment with scorching work, wrestling Greek tragedy into a contemporary world and devastating us all in the process.

Honourable mentions

Sinéad Matthews, Till the Stars Come Down
Meera Syal, A Tupperware of Ashes
In a shining ensemble, Matthews’ bride led the way with heartbreaking openness in this fractious family drama. And in a magisterial central role, Syal’s wrenching work was surely amongst some of the best she’s ever delivered. A storming year for the Dorfman – soon to reopen with new treasures to behold.

Other nominees

Alex Brain, Cassie and the Lights
Emma D’Arcy, Kayla Meikle, Ben Whishaw, Bluets
Mariah Gale, The Bleeding Tree
Ncuti Gatwa, The Importance of Being Earnest
John Lithgow, Giant
Tobias Menzies, The Other Place
Rosie Sheehy, Machinal
Hugh Skinner, The Importance of Being Earnest

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.