Productions soon to be seen in the capital, along with many seen in London over the past year, are among those in the running for the 2013 UK Theatre Awards.
National Theatre of Scotland’s stage adaptation of cult vampire movie Let The Right One In and Tom Wells’ Jumpers For Goalposts, which play at the Royal Court and Bush theatres this winter, and Sheffield Theatre’s new production of The Full Monty, which opens at London’s Noël Coward theatre in the spring, are all up for the prizes that celebrate the best theatre has to offer across the UK.
Wells’ latest play is pitted against Mike Bartlett’s Bull and Alan Ayckbourn’s Surprises in the Best New Play category, with Let The Right One In nominated for Best Design against Tamasha and Circus Space’s The Arrival and Royal Exchange Manchester’s The Accrington Pals.
The stage adaptation of the British tale of stripping steel workers faces off against Green Day musical American Idiot and the Royal & Derngate, Northampton’s Dancing At Lughnasa in the Best Touring Production category.
Shows that have already wowed London audiences, including My Perfect Mind (Young Vic), Glasgow Girls (Theatre Royal Stratford East), The Butterfly Lion, Mister Holgado (both Unicorn theatre), Rutherford & Son (St James theatre) Deca Dance and The Great Gatsby (both Sadler’s Wells), are also in the running to take home prizes at the annual awards ceremony that is run by UK-wide trade body the Theatrical Management Association.
Commenting on this year’s nominees, Julian Bird, Chief Executive of 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.”
The winners will be announced at an exclusive lunchtime ceremony held at the Grade I listed Guildhall on Sunday 20 October.
In addition to the categories celebrating the excellence of productions, there are also a quintet of awards for theatres and employees, in which Sadler’s Wells and Shakespeare’s Globe could win Best Presentation of Touring Theatre, Hampstead theatre might win for Achievement in Marketing or James Haddrell, Greenwich theatre’s Artistic and Executive Director, could be crowned Theatre Employee/Manager of the Year.
The nominees for one final category are yet to be announced. The My Theatre Matters! UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award is being voted for by the public via the Classic FM website. Voting closes on 30 September, so there is still time to support your favourite theatre before the shortlist is announced on 3 October.