Shortlist for The Stage Awards 2023 Announced

The Stage has today announced the shortlists for The Stage Awards 2023, in association with Tysers Insurance Brokers.

The annual awards celebrate excellence in British theatre and this year’s shortlist features theatres across the UK from Belfast to Bolton, Leicester to Liverpool as well as a project at the National Theatre and producers and theatres in London’s West End.

Nominees also include new West End Theatre, @sohoplace, Cabaret’s Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre, Empire Street Productions, the production company behind Jodie Comer’s Prima Facie, and a digital project combining Hamlet and Grand Theft Auto.

In the running for Theatre of the Year, sponsored by Cabbells, are Bush Theatre, London; Curve Theatre, Leicester; Harold Pinter Theatre, London; Liverpool’s Royal Court; Lyric Theatre, Belfast and Octagon Theatre, Bolton.

The Fringe Theatre of the Year category, sponsored by Encore Insure, sees Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle, Little Angel Theatre, London and Omnibus Theatre, London competing for the award, with Empire Street Productions, Improbable and Jamie Wilson Productions up for the Producer of the Year award, sponsored by TodayTix.

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Shortlisted for the Theatre Building of the Year award is Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre, London, Shakespeare North Playhouse, Prescot and @sohoplace, London which is the first new purpose-built West End theatre for 50 years. A flexible 602 seater with perfect sight lines that can be reconfigured into different shapes, including a fully in-the-round theatre space for both in-house and commercial transfers of small and mid-scale productions.

The nominees for the Innovation Award, sponsored by Charcoalblue, are Donmar Warehouse for The Trials, New Diorama Theatre for Intervention 01 and Sam Crane / Rustic Mascara for Hamlet in Grand Theft Auto. Sam Crane staged a full production of Hamlet inside GTA which featured himself in the title role and other actors he had auditioned in the game. The final production, at two hours and 53 minutes, was streamed on gaming platform Twitch.

Dante or Die’s Odds On has been shortlisted for Digital Project of the Year. Fusing narrative, gameplay and animation, Odds On is an ambitious and interactive short film created by site-specific company Dante Or Die which provokes conversation about one of the UK’s hidden addictions: online gambling.

Also up for the award are Derby Theatre for Odyssey and Megaverse for SURGE.

Six organisations have been shortlisted for Community Project of the Year, sponsored by Evolution Productions. Blackpool Grand for the Story-Led Resilience programme are up against Derby CAN for Over to You; The Lowry for Show Selectors; Perth Theatre for Oh When the Saints; Protein Dance for There and Here and Turtle Key Arts for JOY.

We also see a return of the International Award where Another Route, Tara Theatre for Artists Make Space and the National Theatre for its casting day for Ukrainian performers are recognised in the shortlist. The National Theatre held a casting day for Ukrainian actors who had recently moved to the UK, backed by Spotlight and the Casting Directors’ Guild. It was attended by about 30 actors and featured individual meetings with casting directors from theatre, film and TV, as well as a networking evening with other actors, directors, agents and casting directors.

Alistair Smith, editor of The Stage, said: “The Stage Awards shortlist showcases the extraordinary quality and astonishing variety of work being undertaken across the UK. Our shortlisted organisations come from across the country, including nominees from Belfast, Bolton, Derby, Leicester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Perth, while also reflecting work that has taken place on small fringe stages, in tents and large proscenium theatres, on screen or via virtual reality headsets and even within the live environment of an online computer game.

“Despite the huge difficulties that theatre has faced over the past two years, these shortlists underline the fact that it is bouncing back and that companies of all types continue to create outstanding work for audiences everywhere. Any of our shortlisted organisations would be worthy winners and we look forward to celebrating with them all on January 30 at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.”

The Stage Awards in association with Tysers Insurance Brokers celebrate the very best achievements in UK theatre during the past 12 months. The awards recognise performing arts organisations and teams who have been making fantastic work and those helping to shape and rebuild the sector for the better.

Winners will be announced on January 30, 2023 at a ceremony at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London.

Former winners of The Stage Awards have included Sonia Friedman Productions, Battersea Arts Centre, Leeds Playhouse, ATG Productions, Michael Harrison Entertainment and Nica Burns, as well as theatre technicians, casting directors and stage door keepers.

Sponsors for this year’s event include Cabbells, Charcoalblue, Concord Theatricals, Encore Insure, Evolution Productions, Kindred Partners and TodayTix, with support from Blue-i Theatre Technology, Plann, The Society of Theatre Research, Spotlight and TAIT.

For more information about The Stage Awards visit thestage.co.uk/awards/the-stage-awards

The Stage Awards 2023 Shortlist in full

Theatre of the Year

sponsored by Cabbells

Bush Theatre, London

Curve Theatre, Leicester

Harold Pinter Theatre, London

Liverpool’s Royal Court

Lyric Theatre, Belfast

Octagon Theatre, Bolton

Fringe Theatre of the Year

sponsored by Encore Insure