Stars and nominees gathered at h Club London on Friday 6 December to celebrate being shortlisted for the 20th annual WhatsOnStage Awards. The announcement, made via WhatsOnStage’s social channels, marks the opening of the final voting stage with winners announced at the annual Awards Concert held on 1 March 2020 at the Prince of Wales Theatre.
Leading the musical categories is & Juliet currently playing at the Shaftesbury Theatre, with 13 nominations covering acting and creative categories, and including nominations for leading actors Miriam-Teak Lee and Oliver Tompsett who play Juliet and Shakespeare respectively, supporting actor nominations for Jordan Luke Gage, Cassidy Janson and Melanie La Barrie, Best New Musical, Best Choreography, Best Costume Design, Best Graphic Design, Best Lighting Design, Best Set Design, Best Sound Design and Best Video Design.
Evita follows in the musical categories with 8 nominations whilst Mame follows closely with 7 nominations, ahead of Waitress with 6 nominations and Come From Away and Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with 5 nominations each.
WhatsOnStage’s Chief Operating Officer Sita McIntosh said, “As we enter our 20th year, we’re thrilled to announce the nominations for the WhatsOnStage Awards. 2019 has proved a strong year for musicals with & Juliet dominating the field with 13 nominations – more than either Hamilton or Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in previous years. There’s also been a strong showing for work outside the capital with venues including Hope Mill Theatre, Curve Leicester and Sheffield Theatres receiving multiple nominations. This is the particular joy of the WhatsOnStage Awards, that work from across the breadth of the UK is represented and championed.”
Leading strong in the straight play categories is Present Laughter with 8 nominations including: Best Actors in a play for Andrew Scott, Best Supporting Actress in a Play nominations for Sophie Thompson and Indira Varma and Best Direction for Matthew Warchus. In a significantly nominated year for The Old Vic, Warchus receives a double nomination in the Best Direction category for Lungs, as well as Present Laughter. His rivals include Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell for Death Of A Salesman, Robert Icke for The Doctor and Jamie Lloyd for Evita.
In addition to the WhatsOnStage Awards, we are very excited for the Olivier Awards 2020 with Mastercard which will take place on Sunday 5 April at the Royal Albert Hall. Tickets will be on public sale from Friday 24 January. Be inspired by theatre’s biggest night!