National Theatre productions collected more than half the awards on offer at today’s Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards, winning in five of the nine categories.
Danny Boyle’s production of Frankenstein triumphed in two categories, with Sherlock, War Horse and soon to be The Hobbit star Benedict Cumberbatch named Best Actor and Mark Tildesley crowned Best Designer.
Cumberbatch’s win sees the actor following up success at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards, where he was named Best Actor alongside his Frankenstein co-star Jonny Lee Miller, with whom he shared the roles of Dr Frankenstein and his creation.
Richard Bean, who won Best New Play for One Man, Two Guvnors, Sheridan Smith, who won Best Actress for Flare Path and Mike Leigh, named Best Director for Grief, also left today’s ceremony at the Prince of Wales theatre having continued an award-winning run started at last autumn’s Evening Standard Theatre Awards.
Completing the quintet of awards for the National Theatre, London Road, Alecky Blythe’s production about the Ipswich murders, was named Best Musical.
In the Critics’ Circle’s Most Promising categories, The Kitchen Sink playwright Tom Wells was named Most Promising Playwright, while director Blanche McIntyre won the Most Promising Newcomer award for her productions of Accolade and Foxfinder at the Finborough theatre.
Former Most Promising Newcomer winner Eddie Redmayne continued his climb into the higher eschelons of the acting community by picking up the Best Shakespearean Performance Award for Richard II at the Donmar Warehouse.
MA
Full list of winners:
Best New Play: One Man, Two Guvnors (National Theatre, Lyttelton and Theatre Royal Haymarket) by Richard Bean
The Peter Hepple Award for Best Musical (new or revival): London Road (National Theatre, Cottesloe) by Alecky Blythe & Adam Cork
Best Actor: Benedict Cumberbatch for Frankenstein (National Theatre, Olivier)
Best Actress: Sheridan Smith for Flare Path (Theatre Royal Haymarket)
The John and Wendy Trewin Award for Best Shakespearean Performance: Eddie Redmayne for Richard II (Donmar Warehouse)
Best Director: Mike Leigh for Grief (National Theatre, Cottesloe)
Best Designer: Mark Tildesley for Frankenstein (National Theatre, Olivier)
Most Promising Playwright: Tom Wells for The Kitchen Sink (Bush theatre)
The Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer (other than a playwright): Blanche McIntyre for Accolade & Foxfinder (Finborough theatre)