The Stage has today announced the shortlists for The Stage Awards 2024, in association with Tysers Live.
The annual awards celebrate excellence in British theatre and this year’s shortlist features theatres across the UK from Leeds to Liverpool, Cardiff to Chichester as well as Birmingham, London and Manchester.
Nominees include new cultural venue Aviva Studios, Manchester, international festival Transform Leeds, Ellie Keel Productions, the producer who founded The Women’s Prize for Playwriting, and a multimedia fashion-opera, #CAPITAL.
In the running for Theatre of the Year are Almeida Theatre, London; Birmingham Rep;
Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, London; National Theatre, London; Sherman Theatre, Cardiff and Watermill Theatre, Newbury.
The Fringe Theatre of the Year category, sponsored by encore insure, sees Little Angel Theatre, London, Orange Tree Theatre, London and Reading Rep Theatre competing for the award, with Actors Touring Company, Ellie Keel Productions and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru up for the Producer of the Year award.
Shortlisted for the Theatre Building of the Year award, sponsored by TAIT, is Roundhouse Works, London, Southwark Playhouse Elephant, London and Aviva Studios, Manchester’s new landmark £240 million cultural venue which opened fully in October.
The nominees for the Innovation Award, sponsored by Charcoalblue, are Actors Touring Company and Greenwich+Docklands International Festival for The Architect, Mercury Theatre for I Really Do Think This Will Change Your Life and ZU-UK for Within Touching Distance – an intimate, one-on-one, mixed-reality production that is a collaboration with health professionals, researchers and community organisations.
A podcast series for children from dance-theatre company Peut-Être Theatre has been shortlisted for Digital Project of the Year, sponsored by Cabbells, for Audiomoves at the Zoo. Also up for the award are Alastair White and Gemma A Williams for their fashion-opera #CAPITAL and Parade-Fest and Artists on the Frontline for With Fire and Rage.
Six organisations have been shortlisted for Community Project of the Year, sponsored by Evolution Productions: Culture Collective; Theatre by the Lake for Every Brilliant Thing;
LUNG, the North Wall and the University of Nottingham for Woodhill; Creu Cymru and Diverse Cymru for Hynt; Freelancers Make Theatre Work; and Chickenshed for The Space Between Us programme.
In the International Award, Battersea Arts Centre and Complicité are nominated alongside Transform Leeds for its international festival featuring more than 100 artists from across the globe.
Winners will be announced on January 29, 2024 at a ceremony at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London.
Alistair Smith, editor of The Stage, said: “It’s wonderful to see such a diverse and widespread representation of exceptional talent in The Stage Awards shortlist. The recognition of organisations from different cities including Birmingham, Cardiff, Liverpool and Reading and across various performance mediums, ranging from traditional theatres to festivals, podcasts and online platforms, highlights the dynamic and evolving landscape of the performing arts in the UK.
“It is so encouraging to see so many varied organisations of all types continue to create outstanding work for audiences across the UK. Any of our shortlist are a testament to the creativity of, and dedication to, the industry and we look forward to celebrating with them all on January 29 at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.”
The Stage Awards in association with Tysers Live 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.
Former winners of The Stage Awards have included Alphabetti Theatre, Sonia Friedman Productions, Battersea Arts Centre, Leeds Playhouse, Lyric Theatre, Belfast, ATG Productions and Michael Harrison Entertainment as well as understudies, casting directors and front-of-house staff.
Sponsors for this year’s event include Cabbells, Charcoalblue, Concord Theatricals, encore insure, Evolution Productions, Kindred Partners and TAIT with support from Crossroads Live, Spotlight, Ticketmaster and White Light.
For more information about The Stage Awards visit thestage.co.uk/awards/the-stage-awards
The Stage Awards 2024 Shortlist in Full:
Theatre of the Year
Almeida Theatre, London
Birmingham Rep
Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, London
National Theatre, London
Sherman Theatre, Cardiff
Watermill Theatre, Newbury
Fringe Theatre of the Year
sponsored by encore insure
Little Angel Theatre, London
Orange Tree Theatre, London
Reading Rep Theatre
Theatre Building of the Year
sponsored by TAIT
Aviva Studios, Manchester
Roundhouse Works, London
Southwark Playhouse Elephant, London
Producer of the Year
Actors Touring Company
Ellie Keel Productions
Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru
Innovation Award
sponsored by Charcoalblue
Actors Touring Company and Greenwich+Docklands International Festival for The Architect
Mercury Theatre for I Really Do Think This Will Change Your Life
ZU-UK for Within Touching Distance
Digital Project of the Year
sponsored by Cabbells
Peut-Être Theatre for Audiomoves at the Zoo
Alastair White and Gemma A Williams for #CAPITAL
Parade-Fest and Artists on the Frontline for With Fire and Rage
Community Project of the Year
sponsored by Evolution Productions
Culture Collective
Theatre by the Lake for Every Brilliant Thing
LUNG, the North Wall and the University of Nottingham for Woodhill
Creu Cymru and Diverse Cymru for Hynt
Freelancers Make Theatre Work
Chickenshed for The Space Between Us programme
International Award
sponsored by Concord Theatricals
Battersea Arts Centre
Complicité
Transform, Leeds
An Unsung Hero award, sponsored by Kindred Partners, (for which there is no shortlist) will also be announced at the ceremony.
