Cameron Macintosh’s acclaimed revival of Miss Saigon dominated the winners at yesterday’s WhatsOnStage Awards, taking home a staggering nine prizes at the 15th annual ceremony.
While the legendary Vietnam War-set tale triumphed in the musical categories, the Tom Hiddleston-led production of Coriolanus led the way for the plays, winning in three categories, and former Doctor Who stars David Tennant and Billie Piper walked away with the coveted Best Actor and Best Actress Awards.
The annual publicly voted awards, which took place at the Prince of Wales Theatre, saw Miss Saigon pick up every single award for individual musical performances. Teenager Eva Noblezada fought off competition from Olivier Award-winning Urinetown The Musical star Jenna Russell, Made In Dagenham’s Gemma Arterton, international recording artist Beverley Knight (Memphis The Musical) and Evita’s Madalena Alberto to win Best Actress in a Musical.
Jon Jon Briones triumphed over fellow Miss Saigon co-star Alistair Brammer, Memphis The Musical’s Killian Donnelly, multi Olivier Award-winning Dirty Rotten Scoundrels The Musical actor Robert Lindsay and Evita’s Marti Pellow to take home the Best Actor in a Musical Award for his performance as the Engineer in the Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg hit.
Completing Miss Saigon’s haul of individual performance accolades, Rachelle Ann Go and Kwang-Ho Hong were crowned Best Supporting Actress in a Musical and Best Supporting Actor in a Musical respectively.
The epic love story also walked away with the prizes for Best Musical Revival, Best Direction (Laurence Connor), Best Choreography (Bob Avian and Geoffrey Garratt), Best Set Design (Totie Driver and Matt Kinley) and Best West End Show.
In the hotly contested Best Actor category, Broadchurch’s Tennant fought off stiff competition from Mark Strong (A View From The Bridge), Richard Armitage (The Crucible), Tom Bateman (Shakespeare In Love) and Tom Hiddleston (Coriolanus) for his portrayal of the title character in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Richard II at the Barbican Theatre.
Tennant’s Doctor Who co-star Piper rose victorious over Critics’ Circle Award winner Helen McCrory (Medea), Evening Standard Theatre Award-winning actress Gillian Anderson (A Streetcar Named Desire), Good People star Imelda Staunton and Shakespeare In Love’s Lucy Briggs-Owen in the Best Actress category for her performance in Richard Bean’s hit comedy Great Britain.
While Shakespeare In Love’s Bateman and Briggs-Owen missed out on individual accolades, Lee Hall’s hit adaptation of the much-loved film, in which the pair originated the roles of William Shakespeare and Viola De Lesseps, was awarded the hugely sought-after Best New Play Award.
In the other play categories, Vanessa Kirby took home the Best Supporting Actress in a Play Award for her performance in the Young Vic’s A Streetcar Named Desire and Coriolanus’ Mark Gatiss was voted Best Supporting Actor in a Play, with Josie Rourke’s take on the Shakespeare tragedy also walking away with the Best Play Revival prize.
Elsewhere, Memphis The Musical was awarded the coveted Best New Musical accolade and Kerry Ellis, who is currently playing Grizabella in Cats, triumphed in the Best Takeover in a Role category for her return to hit musical Wicked last year.
Yesterday’s ceremony, which was presented by Mel Giedroyc and Steve Furst, brings us one step closer to the most prestigious of theatre awards ceremonies. The Olivier Awards 2015 with MasterCard will bring together the crème de la crème of stage talent, glamorous presenters and special guests on 12 April at London’s iconic Royal Opera House.
The countdown to the most theatrical night of the year will begin tomorrow, when you’ll be able to cast your vote for the This Morning Audience Award and help decide which of the West End’s long-running shows will take home that hugely sought-after statuette.
Full list of winners:
Best Actor in a Play sponsored by Radisson Blu Edwardian
David Tennant, Richard II
Best Actress in a Play
Billie Piper, Great Britain
Best Actor in a Musical
Jon Jon Briones, Miss Saigon
Best Actress in a Musical sponsored by STAR
Eva Noblezada, Miss Saigon
Best Supporting Actor in a Play
Mark Gatiss, Coriolanus
Best Supporting Actress in a Play
Vanessa Kirby, A Streetcar Named Desire
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical
Kwang-Ho Hong, Miss Saigon
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
Rachelle Ann Go, Miss Saigon
Best New Play
Shakespeare In Love
Best New Musical sponsored by Autograph
Memphis The Musical
Best Play Revival
Coriolanus
Best Musical Revival sponsored by R&H Theatricals Europe
Miss Saigon
Best Direction sponsored by Managed Networks
Laurence Connor, Miss Saigon
Best Choreography sponsored by Capezio
Bob Avian & Geoffrey Garratt, Miss Saigon
Best Set Design sponsored by Feast Creative
Totie Driver & Matt Kinley, Miss Saigon
Best Lighting Design sponsored by White Light
Mark Henderson, Coriolanus
Best Off-West End Production
Sweeney Todd, Twickenham Theatre
Best Regional Production sponsored by Travelzoo
Oliver!, Sheffield Crucible
Best Takeover in a Role sponsored by Equity
Kerry Ellis, Wicked
Best West End Show
Miss Saigon