‘Sunset Boulevard’ and ‘Guys and Dolls’ lead the wins at the WhatsOnStage Awards 2024.
The winners of the WhatsOnStage Awards 2024 have now been revealed! The ceremony, which took place at the London Palladium, saw the Savoy Theatre’s Sunset Boulevard win an impressive seven awards, while the Bridge Theatre’s Guys and Dolls took home three.
The WhatsOnStage Awards have run annually since 2008, and see the winners of each category voted for by the public. Last year, they made each category gender neutral, replacing the typical ‘Best Actor’ and ‘Best Actress’ categories into ‘Best Performer’.
We were thrilled to see Spotlight members among the award winners, including Luke Thompson for ‘Best Supporting Performer in a Play’, Grace Hodgett Young for ‘Best Professional Debut Performance’, James Norton for ‘Best Performer in a Play’, Jack Wolfe for ‘Best Supporting Performer in a Musical’, and casting director Jill Green for ‘Best Casting Direction’.
Without further ado, the winners of the 24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards are:
Best Supporting Performer in a Play
- Luke Thompson, A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre / Savoy Theatre – WINNER
- Michele Austin, The Effect, National Theatre
- Will Close, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
- Bryony Corrigan, I, Daniel Blake, UK tour
- Zubin Varla, A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre / Savoy Theatre
- Anjana Vasan, A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre / Phoenix Theatre
Best Lighting Design (sponsored by White Light)
- Jack Knowles, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre – WINNER
- Rory Beaton and Lucy Carter, The Time Traveller’s Wife, Apollo Theatre
- Jon Clark, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
- Jon Clark, The Effect, National Theatre
- Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
- Paule Constable, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Best Takeover Performance (sponsored by AKT London)
- Aimee Lou Wood, Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre – WINNER
- Karis Anderson, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, Aldwych Theatre
- Cory English, Back to the Future: The Musical, Adelphi Theatre
- Mason Alexander Park, Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
- Lucy St. Louis, Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre
- Rebecca Lucy Taylor, Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Best Graphic Design (sponsored by Hexagon Print)
- Muse Creative, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre – WINNER
- Bob King Creative, Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre
- Jeremy Coysten and North Design, Free Your Mind, Factory International
- The Creative Partnership, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
- Feast Creative, La Cage aux Folles, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
- Rick Guest, Rob Rae and the NT Graphics Studio, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
Best Professional Debut Performance (sponsored by AKA)
- Grace Hodgett Young, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre – WINNER
- Rita Bernard-Shaw, Trouble in Butetown, Donmar Warehouse
- Laura Dawkes, Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- Lou Henry, SIX, UK tour
- Louis McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
- Andrew Richardson, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Best Choreography (sponsored by Tandem Marketing)
- Matt Cole, Disney’s Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre – WINNER
- Fabian Aloise, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
- Ellen Kane and Hannes Langolf, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
- Stephen Mear, La Cage aux Folles, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
- Arlene Phillips with James Cousins, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
- Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy, Free Your Mind, Factory International
Best Musical Direction/Supervision
- Alan Williams, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre – WINNER
- Mark Aspinall and Sioned Saunders, The Lord of the Rings, The Watermill Theatre
- Nick Barstow and Nigel Lilley, Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse
- Cat Beveridge and Nigel Lilley, The Witches, National Theatre
- Tom Brady, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
- Stephen Brooker, Alfonso Casado Trigo and Stephen Metcalfe, Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, Gielgud Theatre
Best Costume Design
- Ryan Dawson Laight, La Cage aux Folles, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre – WINNER
- Bunny Christie and Deborah Andrews, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
- Lizzie Clachan, The Witches, National Theatre
- Gregory Gale, To Wong Foo The Musical, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
- Gareth Pugh, Free Your Mind, Factory International
- Grace Smart, Cowbois, Swan Theatre
Best Video Design (sponsored by GDL)
- Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre – WINNER
- 59 Productions, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
- Andrzej Goulding, Miss Saigon, Sheffield Crucible
- Andrzej Goulding, The Time Traveller’s Wife, Apollo Theatre
- Ash J Woodward, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
- Ash J Woodward, The Witches, National Theatre
Best Casting Direction
- Jill Green, The Little Big Things, @sohoplace – WINNER
- Alastair Coomer and Naomi Downham, The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre
- Anna Cooper, Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse
- Bryony Jarvis-Taylor, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
- Bryony Jarvis-Taylor, The Witches, National Theatre
- Jessica Ronane, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
Best Play Revival (sponsored by Edwardian Hotels London – Official Hotel Partner)
- VANYA, Duke of York’s Theatre – WINNER
- A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre / Phoenix Theatre
- The Effect, National Theatre
- The Merchant of Venice 1936, UK tour
- The Pillowman, Duke of York’s Theatre
- Shirley Valentine, Duke of York’s Theatre
Best Performer in a Play (sponsored by Sine Digital)
- James Norton, A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre / Savoy Theatre – WINNER
- Paapa Essiedu, The Effect, National Theatre
- Joseph Fiennes, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
- Taylor Russell, The Effect, National Theatre
- Andrew Scott, VANYA, Duke of York’s Theatre
- Sheridan Smith, Shirley Valentine, Duke of York’s Theatre
Best Off-West End Production (sponsored by Theatrical Rights Worldwide)
- Flowers for Mrs Harris, Riverside Studios – WINNER
- George Takei’s Allegiance, Charing Cross Theatre
- Othello, Riverside Studios
- Rebecca, Charing Cross Theatre
- Scouts! The Musical, The Other Palace Studio
- The Shape of Things, Park Theatre
Best Sound Design
- Adam Fisher, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre – WINNER
- Paul Arditti, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
- Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
- Dan Balfour and Tom Gibbons, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
- Adam Fisher, The Lord of the Rings, The Watermill Theatre
- Tony Gayle, Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse
Best Set Design (sponsored by Preevue)
- Bunny Christie, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre – WINNER
- Miriam Buether, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
- Lizzie Clachan, Assassins, Chichester Festival Theatre
- Lizzie Clachan, The Witches, National Theatre
- Chloe Lamford, Phaedra, National Theatre
- Morgan Large, Disney’s Newsies, Wembley Troubadour Park Theatre
Best Concert Event
- Love Never Dies in Concert, Theatre Royal Drury Lane – WINNER
- Ariana DeBose in Concert, The London Palladium
- Darren Criss, The London Palladium
- Evita in Concert, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- Once: In Concert, The London Palladium
- Schwartz at 75, Lyric Theatre
Best Supporting Performer in a Musical (sponsored by Newman Displays)
- Jack Wolfe, Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse – WINNER
- Aynrand Ferrer, Miss Saigon, Sheffield Crucible
- Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre
- Jason Manford, The Wizard of Oz, The London Palladium
- Cedric Neal, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
- Amy Trigg, The Little Big Things, @sohoplace
Best Regional Production (sponsored by Music Theatre International)
- The Lord of the Rings, The Watermill Theatre – WINNER
- Boys from the Blackstuff, Royal Court, Liverpool
- Choir Boy, Bristol Old Vic
- In Dreams, Leeds Playhouse
- Miss Saigon, Sheffield Crucible
- To Wong Foo The Musical, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
Best Direction (sponsored by LOVEtheatre)
- Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre – WINNER
- Polly Findlay, Assassins, Chichester Festival Theatre
- Rebecca Frecknall, A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre / Phoenix Theatre
- Rupert Goold, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
- Nicholas Hytner, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
- Sam Mendes, The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre
Best West End Show (sponsored by Dewynters)
- Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre – WINNER
- Back to the Future: The Musical, Adelphi Theatre
- Les Misérables, Sondheim Theatre
- Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Piccadilly Theatre
- The Phantom of the Opera, His Majesty’s Theatre
- SIX, Vaudeville Theatre
Best Performer in a Musical (sponsored by TickX)
- Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre – WINNER
- Michael Ahomka-Lindsay, Disney’s Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
- Natasha Hodgson, Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre
- Ed Larkin, The Little Big Things, @sohoplace
- Caissie Levy, Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse
- Marisha Wallace, Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Best Musical Revival (sponsored by Concord Theatricals)
- Guys and Dolls, Bridge Theatre – WINNER
- La Cage aux Folles, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
- The Lord of the Rings, The Watermill Theatre
- The Sound of Music, Chichester Festival Theatre
- Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
- The Wizard of Oz, Curve, Leicester / The London Palladium
Best New Play (sponsored by Ticketmaster)
- Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre, by Kate Trefry with original story by Jack Thorne, Kate Trefry and the Duffer Brothers – WINNER
- A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre / Savoy Theatre, adapted by Koen Tachelet, Ivo van Hove and Hanya Yanagihara
- Cowbois, Swan Theatre, written by Charlie Josephine
- Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre, written by James Graham
- Hamnet, Swan Theatre / Garrick Theatre, by Lolita Chakrabarti
- The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre, by Jack Thorne
Best New Musical (sponsored by Travelzoo)
- Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre, with music, book and lyrics by SpitLip, composed of David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts – WINNER
- Disney’s Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman and book by Harvey Fierstein
- The Little Big Things, @sohoplace, with music by Nick Butcher, lyrics by Nick Butcher and Tom Ling, and book by Joe White
- Mrs Doubtfire, Shaftesbury Theatre, with music and lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, and book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell
- Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse, with music by Tom Kitt, and book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey
- The Time Traveller’s Wife, Apollo Theatre, with music and lyrics by Joss Stone and Dave Stewart, book by Lauren Gunderson and additional lyrics by Kait Kerrigan
A huge congratulations to all the winners and nominees!
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