Nominees announced for Understudy of the Year 2016

The full nominations list has been confirmed for West End Frame's Understudy of the Year 2016. Running as part of the 2016 West End Frame Awards, voting opens tomorrow (Friday 12th August) at 1pm. 

Voting closes on Monday 29th August at 3pm and the result will be announced on Wednesday 31st August. Understudy of the Year is a celebration of standbys, alternates and understudies, without whom the West End wouldn’t be able to function. 

VOTING IS NOW OPEN FOR

UNDERSTUDY OF THE YEAR

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Understudies nominated include: Adam Boakes (The Play That Goes Wrong), Adam Collier (The Railway Children), Billy Cullum (Jesus Christ Superstar), Callum Francis (Kinky Boots), Cellen Chugg Jones (American Idiot), Christina Bennington (Show Boat), Dale Evans (Show Boat),  Gareth Tempest (The Comedy About A Bank Robbery), Hollie O'Donoghue (Les Miserables), Jocasta Almgill (In The Heights), Johnathan Tweedie (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Jonathan Stewart (Guys and Dolls), Jonny McPherson (The End of Longing), Kane Oliver Parry (Wicked), Lauren Ingram (The Rocky Horror Show), Matt Nalton (Beautiful), Michael Cortez (In The Heights), Oliver Brooks (Matilda), Oliver Ormson (The Book of Mormon), Robbie White (Sunny Afternoon), Ross Dawes (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Tanya Edwards (Motown The Musical), Tom Hanson (Romeo and Juliet) and Tosh Wanogho-Maud (Show Boat).

Alternates nominated include: Carole Stennett (The Bodyguard), Dayle Hodge (Jersey Boys), Lisa-Anne Wood (The Phantom of the Opera), Natasha Barnes (Funny Girl), Sorelle Marsh (Mamma Mia) and Thomas Dennis (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time)

Standbys nominated include: Andy Mace (The Lion King), Carina Gillespie (Wicked), Leon Craig (Aladdin), Oliver Lidert (Aladdin) and Ria Jones (Sunset Boulevard).

Last year's Understudy of the Year Award was won by Jacqueline Hughes for standing by as Elphaba in Wicked. Zoë Birkett (alternate Rachel/The Bodyguard) finished second whilst Ryan O'Donnell (understudy Ray Davies/Sunny Afternoon) finished third. All three have since gone on to play their respective roles full-time. 

Previous winners also include Carolyn Maitland (understudy Ellen/Miss Saigon), Ashley Day (understudy Elder Price/The Book of Mormon) and Katy Treharne (alternate Christine/The Phantom of the Opera).

Unlike other theatre awards, West End Frame only opens voting for one category at a time and combines male and female actors from new and long-running productions into the same categories (where applicable). The 2016 West End Frame Awards began in June with Rachelle Ann Go winning Best Performance of a Song for her rendition of 'I Dreamed A Dream' in Les Miserables. 

Voting opens tomorrow (Friday 12th August) at 1pm