At a ceremony tonight at the Prince of Wales Theatre hosted by Jodie Prenger and Tom Read Wilson, the winners of the 22nd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards were announced – the only major theatre awards decided entirely by the theatregoers themselves.
WhatsOnStage’s Sarah Coleman said today, “Today’s awards are testament to the brilliance and resilience of an industry, who even in the bleakest moments of the past two years kept faith and kept going. The breadth of talent honoured today – in the first major theatre awards to return in full post pandemic – demonstrates that theatre is back, and then some. And today we also honour the audiences who stuck with us, and have voted this year in numbers never seen before. We’re nothing without them, and we are enormously grateful for their unwavering support. Together we build our industry back.”
The big winner of the night was Frozen with 7 awards from its 13 nominations, receiving Best Direction for Michael Grandage, Best Set Design and Best Costume Design for Christopher Oram, Best Choreography for Rob Ashford, Best Video Design for Finn Ross, Best Musical Direction or Supervision for Stephen Oremus and Best Graphic Design for Bob King Creative.
However, the coveted Best New Musical Award went to Back to the Future the Musical, which received 4 awards in total – additionally, Best Supporting Performer in a Male Identifying Role in a Musical for Hugh Coles, Best Lighting Design for Tim Lutkin, and Best Sound Design for Gareth Owen.
Musical theatre acting honours went to Eddie Redmayne for his turn as the Emcee in Cabaret, and previous WhatsOnStage Award-winner Carrie Hope Fletcher for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella. In the supporting categories, Carly Mercedes Dyer won for Anything Goes, alongside Coles for Back the Future the Musical. Anything Goes also triumphed in the Best Musical Revival category.
Dominating the straight play categories was 2:22 A Ghost Story – which is about to begin its 3rd West End run in less than a year – taking Best New Play, as well as Best Performer in a Female Identifying Role in a Play for Lily Allen; and Best Supporting Performer in a Male Identifying Role in a Play for Jake Wood. Winning Best Play Revival was Cyrano de Bergerac, which also saw James McAvoy win for his critically acclaimed performance. Completing the straight play acting categories, Akiya Henry won for Best Supporting Performer in a Female Identifying Role in a Play for The Tragedy of Macbeth.
In recognition of his extraordinary career, and the incredible undertaking of his 80th birthday tour, and the fundraising efforts on behalf of theatres and arts organisations across the UK, Ian McKellen receives the Services to Theatre Award.
Hope Mill Theatre’s production of RENT takes Best Regional Production; with My Son’s a Queer but What Can You Do? wining Best Off-West End Production; and in the most closely run contest of the night, SIX wins Best West End Show by just 7 votes.
The Winners of The WhatsOnStage Awards 2022:
BEST PERFORMER IN A MALE IDENTIFYING ROLE IN A MUSICAL – SPONSORED BY INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE OF MUSICAL THEATRE
Eddie Redmayne – Cabaret, Playhouse Theatre – Kit Kat Club
BEST PERFORMER IN A FEMALE IDENTIFYING ROLE IN A MUSICAL – SPONSORED BY LONDON THEATRE DIRECT
Carrie Hope Fletcher – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, Gillian Lynne Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A MALE IDENTIFYING ROLE IN A MUSICAL – SPONSORED BY TANDEM MARKETING
Hugh Coles – Back to the Future the Musical, Manchester Opera House & Adelphi Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A FEMALE IDENTIFYING ROLE IN A MUSICAL – SPONSORED BY NEWMAN DISPLAYS
Carly Mercedes Dyer – Anything Goes, Barbican Centre
BEST PERFORMER IN A MALE IDENTIFYING ROLE IN A PLAY
James McAvoy – Cyrano de Bergerac, Playhouse Theatre
BEST PERFORMER IN A FEMALE IDENTIFYING ROLE IN A PLAY – SPONSORED BY EDWARDIAN HOTELS LONDON
Lily Allen – 2:22 A Ghost Story, Noël Coward Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A MALE IDENTIFYING ROLE IN A PLAY
Jake Wood – 2:22 A Ghost Story, Noël Coward Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A FEMALE IDENTIFYING ROLE IN A PLAY
Akiya Henry – The Tragedy of Macbeth, Almeida Theatre
BEST NEW MUSICAL – SPONSORED BY TRAVELZOO
Back to the Future the Musical – Adelphi Theatre
BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL – SPONSORED BY CONCORD THEATRICALS
Anything Goes – Barbican Centre
BEST NEW PLAY – SPONSORED BY TICKETMASTER
2:22 A Ghost Story – Noël Coward Theatre
BEST PLAY REVIVAL – SPONSORED BY AKA
Cyrano de Bergerac – Playhouse Theatre
BEST OFF-WEST END PRODUCTION – SPONSORED BY LES MISÉRABLES
My Son’s A Queer but What Can You Do? – The Turbine Theatre
BEST REGIONAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
Rent – Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
BEST WEST END SHOW – SPONSORED BY DEWYNTERS
Six the Musical – Vaudeville Theatre
BEST DIRECTION – SPONSORED BY LOVETHEATRE
Michael Grandage – Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Rob Ashford – Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
BEST SET DESIGN – SPONSORED BY PREEVUE
Christopher Oram – Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Christopher Oram – Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN – SPONSORED BY WHITE LIGHT
Tim Lutkin – Back to the Future the Musical, Adelphi Theatre
BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION OR SUPERVISION
Stephen Oremus – Frozen – Theatre Royal Drury Lane
BEST SOUND DESIGN – SPONSORED BY STAGE SOUND SERVICES
Gareth Owen – Back to the Future the Musical, Manchester Opera House & Adelphi Theatre
BEST VIDEO DESIGN
Finn Ross – Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN – SPONSORED BY HEXAGON PRINT
Bob King Creative – Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
