New musicals In The Heights and Kinky Boots, along with the Benedict Cumberbatch-led production of Hamlet, lead the running for the 16th WhatsOnStage Awards.
The hit productions lead the way with nine nominations apiece for the awards run by the popular theatre website, voted for by the theatregoing public.
Star names are prominent in the list for this year’s awards, with Cumberbatch, James McAvoy, Bradley Cooper, Mark Rylance, Nicole Kidman, Michael Ball, Imelda Staunton, Beverley Knight, Kimberley Walsh, Mark Gatiss and Dame Judi Dench all in the running for prizes.
2015’s winner of the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical’s Katie Brayben, is also in the awards mix, as is her production, which sits alongside Kinky Boots, Bend It Like Beckham The Musical, Elf and In The Heights in the Best New Musical category.
In a strong year for new writing, Hangmen, Oppenheimer, Photograph 51, People, Places And Things and Farinelli And The King face off in the Best New Play category.
Speaking about the awards, WhatsOnStage’s Chief Operating Officer Sita McIntosh said: “We’re thrilled to see our awards go from strength to strength – with more members of the public voting than ever before. It’s this that makes our awards so special – we give the public the voice to decide, the people who buy the tickets and ultimately decide on the success of a production.”
The winners will be revealed at a ceremony to be held on 21 February at the Prince of Wales Theatre.
Full list of nominees:
Best Actor in a Play sponsored by Radisson Blu Edwardian
Benedict Cumberbatch for Hamlet, Barbican Theatre
James McAvoy for The Ruling Class, Trafalgar Studio 1
Bradley Cooper for The Elephant Man, Theatre Royal Haymarket
Mark Rylance for Farinelli And The King, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse & Duke of York’s
Alex Hassell for Henry V, RSC & Barbican Theatre
Best Actress in a Play
Nicole Kidman for Photograph 51, Noël Coward Theatre
Denise Gough for People, Places And Things, National Theatre
Lia Williams for Oresteia, Almeida Theatre & Trafalgar Studios
Rosalie Craig for As You Like It, National Theatre
Harriet Walter for Death Of A Salesman, RSC & Noël Coward Theatre
Best Actor in a Musical
Killian Donnelly for Kinky Boots, Adelphi Theatre
Michael Ball for Mack And Mabel, Chichester Festival Theatre
Matt Henry for Kinky Boots, Adelphi Theatre
Sam Mackay for In the Heights, King’s Cross Theatre
Ben Forster for Elf, Dominion Theatre
Best Actress in a Musical sponsored by STAR
Imelda Staunton for Gypsy, Chichester Festival Theatre & Savoy Theatre
Beverley Knight for Cats, London Palladium
Kimberley Walsh for Elf, Dominion Theatre
Lily Frazer for In The Heights, King’s Cross Theatre
Katie Brayben for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, Aldwych Theatre
Best Supporting Actor in a Play
Ciaran Hinds for Hamlet, Barbican Theatre
Mark Gatiss for Three Days In The Country, National Theatre
Bertie Carvel for Bakkhai, Almeida Theatre
Johnny Flynn for Hangmen, Royal Court Theatre
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith for Hamlet, Barbican Theatre
Best Supporting Actress in a Play
Sian Brooke for Hamlet, Barbican Theatre
Anastasia Hille for Hamlet, Barbican Theatre
Imogen Doel for The Importance Of Being Earnest, Vaudeville Theatre
Patsy Ferran for As You Like It, National Theatre
Judi Dench for The Winter’s Tale, Garrick Theatre
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical
Lucas Rush for American Idiot, Arts Theatre
Alexis Gerred for American Idiot, Arts Theatre
David Bedella for In The Heights, King’s Cross Theatre
Jack Edwards for Mack And Mabel, Chichester Festival Theatre
Peter Davison for Gypsy, Chichester Festival Theatre & Savoy Theatre
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
Lara Pulver for Gypsy, Chichester Festival Theatre & Savoy Theatre
Jennie Dale for Elf, Dominion Theatre
Amy Lennox for Kinky Box, Adelphi Theatre
Lauren Samuels for Bend It Like Beckham, Phoenix Theatre
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt for In The Heights, King’s Cross Theatre
Best New Play
Hangmen, Royal Court Theatre
Oppenheimer, RSC & Trafalgar Studios
Photograph 51, Noël Coward Theatre
People, Places And Things, National Theatre
Farinelli And The King, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse & Duke of York’s
Best New Musical sponsored by Autograph
Kinky Boots, Adelphi Theatre
Bend It Like Beckham, Phoenix Theatre
Elf, Dominion Theatre
Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, Aldwych Theatre
In The Heights, King’s Cross Theatre
Best Play Revival
Hamlet, Barbican Theatre
The Importance Of Being Earnest, Vaudeville Theatre
The Ruling Class, Trafalgar Studios
Death Of A Salesman, RSC & Noël Coward Theatre
Oresteia, Almeida Theatre & Trafalgar Studios
Best Musical Revival sponsored by R&H Theatricals Europe
Gypsy, Chichester Festival Theatre & Savoy Theatre
Cats, London Palladium
High Society, The Old Vic
Mack And Mabel, Chichester Festival Theatre
American Idiot, Arts Theatre
Best Direction sponsored by Managed Networks
Lyndsey Turner for Hamlet, Barbican Theatre
Luke Sheppard for In The Heights, King’s Cross Theatre
Racky Plews for American Idiot, Arts Theatre
Jerry Mitchell for Kinky Boots, Adelphi Theatre
Jonathan Kent for Gypsy, Chichester Festival Theatre & Savoy Theatre
Best Choreography sponsored by Capezio
Jerry Mitchell for Kinky Boots, Adelphi Theatre
Drew McOnie for In The Heights, King’s Cross Theatre
Nathan M Wright for High Society, The Old Vic
Stephen Mear for Gypsy, Chichester Festival Theatre & Savoy Theatre
Racky Plews for American Idiot, Arts Theatre
Best Set Design sponsored by Feast Creative
Es Devlin for Hamlet, Barbican Theatre
Sara Perks for American Idiot, Arts Theatre
David Rockwell for Kinky Boots, Adelphi Theatre
Takis for In The Heights, King’s Cross Theatre
Anthony Ward for Gypsy, Chichester Festival Theatre & Savoy Theatre
Best Lighting Design sponsored by White Light
Jane Cox for Hamlet, Barbican Theatre
Howard Hudson for In The Heights, King’s Cross Theatre
Tim Deiling for American Idiot, Arts Theatre
Kenneth Posner for Kinky Boots, Adelphi Theatre
Mark Henderson for Gypsy, Chichester Festival Theatre & Savoy Theatre
Best Off-West End Production
Shock Treatment, King’s Head Theatre
Carrie, Southwark Playhouse
You Won’t Succeed On Broadway If You Don’t Have Any Jews, St James Theatre
Grand Hotel, Southwark Playhouse
Assassins, Menier Chocolate Factory
Best Regional Production sponsored by Travelzoo
Mack And Mabel, Chichester Festival Theatre and tour
Mary Poppins, tour
Anything Goes, Sheffield Crucible and tour
Hairspray, tour
Henry V, RSC
Best West End Show
Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre
Les Misérables, Queen’s Theatre
Kinky Boots, Adelphi Theatre
Miss Saigon, Prince Edward Theatre
Matilda The Musical, Cambridge Theatre