The forthcoming West End transfer of The Full Monty has been crowned Best Touring Production at today’s UK Theatre Awards.
The glamorous ceremony, which was held earlier today at London’s historic Guildhall, celebrates the outstanding work that has taken place both on and off the stage in UK theatres over the past year.
Sheffield Theatres’ production of Simon Beaufoy’s much-loved tale about a group of out-of-work steelworkers with nothing to lose, which will embark on a limited West End season at the Noël Coward theatre next year, rose triumphant over Green Day musical American Idiot, which played at London’s Hammersmith Apollo earlier in the year, and the Royal & Derngate, Northampton production of Dancing At Lughnasa.
Also flying the flag for London was the Unicorn theatre’s production of Mister Holgado, which delighted children and critics alike with its fantastic tale about an only child at the London bridge venue back in April, sharing the award for Best Show for Children and Young People with Northern Stage’s The Borrowers.
Three actresses, whose names have made frequent appearances on both London cast lists and nomination announcements of late, also took home accolades for their outstanding individual performances on the UK stage in the past year.
Cush Jumbo, Janie Dee and Siân Phillips, all of whom were nominated for prizes at this year’s Olivier Awards with MasterCard, fought off male and female opposition to take home the awards for Best Performance in a Play, Best Performance in a Musical and Best Supporting Performance respectively.
Emerging director Blanche McIntyre, whose recent London credits include E V Crowe’s Liar Liar at the Unicorn theatre and the forthcoming production of Ciphers at the Bush theatre, was awarded the title of Best Director, beating opponents including Jonathan Miller, who directed the Northern Broadsides production of Rutherford & Son at the St James theatre earlier this year.
London stage regular Simon Callow, who recently brought his one-man show Inside Wagner’s Head to the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Studio theatre, was presented with The Stage Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre.
The awards, previously known as the Theatre Awards UK, were relaunched this year by the Theatrical Management Association (TMA) and celebrate performance and management success in theatres across the UK.
Hosted by West End regular and star of the Regent’s Park Open Air theatre’s 2013 hit The Sound Of Music Michael Xavier, this year’s ceremony welcomed guest presenters including Olivier Award winners Katherine Kingsley and Ed Watson, Wicked’s Gina Beck and Louise Dearman, Olivier Award nominees Hattie Morahan and Sharon D Clarke, The Lion King’s Shaun Escoffery and stage and screen actress Maureen Lipman, alongside performances by winner Dee and musical theatre actress Frances Ruffelle.
Talking about the awards, Julian Bird, Chief Executive of the TMA and Society of London Theatre, said: “It has been a year of great achievement for theatre throughout the length and breadth of the UK, as demonstrated by the range of nominations celebrating skill and variety, both on and off stage. All the shortlists were hotly contested and we offer special congratulations to the winners.”
Full list of winners:
Best New Play
BULL by Mike Bartlett, a Sheffield Theatres production
Best Performance in a Play
Cush Jumbo for A DOLL’S HOUSE, a Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester production
Best Supporting Performance
Siân Phillips for THIS IS MY FAMILY, a Sheffield Theatres production
Best Musical Production
THIS IS MY FAMILY, directed by Daniel Evans, a Sheffield Theatres production
Best Performance in a Musical
Janie Dee for HELLO, DOLLY!, a Curve, Leicester production
Best Show for Children and Young People
THE BORROWERS, a Northern Stage, Newcastle production
MISTER HOLGADO, a Unicorn theatre production
Best Director
Blanche McIntyre for THE SEAGULL, a Headlong and Nuffield, Southampton production in association with Derby theatre
Best Design
Jonathan Fensom and Charles Balfour for THE ACCRINGTON PALS, a Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester production
Best Touring Production
THE FULL MONTY, a Sheffield Theatres production, presented by David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers
Achievement in Dance
Independent dance artist Wendy Houstoun for her insightful funny solo 50 ACTS
Achievement in Opera
Welsh National Opera for the productions of LULU & LOHENGRIN, conducted by Lothar Koenigs
The Renee Stepham Award for Best Presentation of Touring Theatre
Scottish Opera
Achievement in Marketing
Northern Ballet
Theatre Employee/Manager of the Year
Brenda Walliss – Princess Theatre, Torquay
Promotion of Diversity
Contact Theatre Manchester
My Theatre Matters! UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre in association with Classic FM
The Bike Shed theatre
The Stage Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre
Simon Callow