PICS: WhatsOnStage Awards 2016 winners

The 2016 WhatsOnStage Awards took place last night (21st February) at the Prince of Wales Theatre. Click here to find out who won what. Check out some of the winners with their awards below (click picture to enlarge).

Kinky Boots' Matt Henry & Amy Lennox 

WhatsOnStage Awards 2016: Full winners list

The 2016 WhatsOnStage Awards took place last night (21st February) at the Prince of Wales Theatre.

Hamlet and Gypsy led the awards this year with four victories each – Hamlet won for Benedict Cumberbatch in the Best Actor in a Play category, Best Play Revival, Best Set Design and Best Lighting Design with Gypsy picking up Best Actress in a Musical for Imelda Staunton, Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for Lara Pulver, Best Musical Revival and Best Direction for Jonathan Kent.

Just behind Hamlet and Gypsy is Kinky Boots which received awards for Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical for Matt Henry, who also performed 'Hold Me in Your Heart', and Best Choreography for Jerry Mitchell.

Editor's Blog: Top 10 Performances of 2015

Check out my top ten favourite performances of 2015 below! Please note that as I saw Gypsy in Chichester in 2014, Imelda Staunton was included in last year's list.

10

Andrew Scott

for The Dazzle at Found111

Photo by Marc Brenner

I usually start drafting my ‘top ten’ lists in November, but earlier this month - during my final week of reviewing - Andrew Scott reminded my why these lists shouldn’t be finalised until the year is actually through. A temporary theatre on the site of the old Central St Martins School of Art on Charing Cross Road, Scott embraced the intimacy of Found111 where he starred in The Dazzle, performing with such intricate detail and giving a performance to remember!

Read our 4* review of The Dazzle

Andrew Scott is in "advanced discussions" to play Hamlet

9

Amy Lennox

for Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre

Photo by Matt Crockett

Amy Lennox is an absolute revelation as Lauren in Kinky Boots. As her character develops a crush on her new boss Charlie, Lennox brings the house down with her rendition of 'The History of Wrong Guys' - I have never witnessed so many mid-song applauses during a musical number. She is silly, weird and wacky and the audience couldn't get enough of her impeccably delivered one-liners. 

Read our 5* review of Kinky Boots

Check out our previous interview with Amy Lennox

8

Michael Urie

for Buyer and Cellar at the Menier Chocolate Factory

Photo by Joan Marcus

Feature: August round-up

Star of the Month

Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet / Photo Credit: Johan Persson

Taking on the title role in Lyndsey Turner’s production of Hamlet at the Barbican Theatre, Benedict Cumberbatch lives up to the hype. He takes to the stage with great intensity, giving a compellingly focused performance. Cumberbatch is an example of how stunt casting should be done. He has the talent and ability to pull off the mammoth task of taking on such an epic role whilst also attracting new people to the theatre. A triumphant performance - let's hope Cumberbatch finds a gap in his schedule so he can take the show to the West End or Broadway! Read our 4* review of Hamlet.

Show of the Month

Grand Hotel 

The cast of Grand Hotel / Photo Credit: Aviv Ron

Review: Hamlet at the Barbican Theatre starring Benedict Cumberbatch

Hamlet
Barbican Theatre
Reviewed on Wednesday 26th August 2015
★★★★

It's the show everyone's talking about, but does Lyndsey Turner’s production of Hamlet live up to the hype? Benedict Cumberbatch's Hamlet is certainly triumphant; he takes to the stage with great intensity, giving a compellingly focused performance.

Production images released for Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch

Production images have been released for Lyndsey Turner’s production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role. Check out the images below (click picture to enlarge).

The production officially opens at the Barbican Theatre on 25th August (currently in previews) and runs until 31st October 2015. Set design is by Es Devlin with video design by Luke Halls. Hamlet will be broadcast to cinemas around the world on Thursday 15th October 2015 as part of National Theatre Live. Click here to find out details about £10 tickets for Hamlet.

The production also stars: They join the previously announced Leo Bill as Horatio, Sian Brooke as Ophelia, Anastasia Hille as Gertrude, Ciarán Hinds as Claudius, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Laertes and Jim Norton as Polonius.

Rehearsal images released for Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch

Rehearsal images have been released for Lyndsey Turner’s production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role. Check out the images below (click picture to enlarge).

The production opens at the Barbican Theatre on 25th August (previews from 5th August) for a limited run until 31st October 2015. Set design is by Es Devlin with video design by Luke Halls. Hamlet will be broadcast to cinemas around the world on Thursday 15th October 2015 as part of National Theatre Live. Click here to find out details about £10 tickets for Hamlet.

The production also stars: They join the previously announced Leo Bill as Horatio, Sian Brooke as Ophelia, Anastasia Hille as Gertrude, Ciarán Hinds as Claudius, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Laertes and Jim Norton as Polonius.

Full casting announced for Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch

With rehearsals beginning today (15th June 2015), full casting has been announced for Lyndsey Turner’s production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role. 

Completing the cast are: Barry Aird (Soldier), Eddie Arnold (Danish Captain, Servant), Nigel Carrington (Servant, Cornelius), Ruairi Conaghan (Player King), Rudi Dharmalingam (Guildenstern), Colin Haigh (Priest, Messenger), Paul Ham (Official), Diveen Henry (Player Queen, Messenger), Karl Johnson (Ghost of Hamlet’s father), Amaka Okafor (Official), Dan Parr (Barnardo), Jan Shepherd (Courtier), Morag Siller (Voltemand), Matthew Steer (Rosencrantz), Sergo Vares (Fortinbras) and Dwane Walcott (Marcellus).

They join the previously announced Leo Bill as Horatio, Sian Brooke as Ophelia, Anastasia Hille as Gertrude, Ciarán Hinds as Claudius, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Laertes and Jim Norton as Polonius.

Details announced for £10 tickets to Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch

Sonia Friedman Productions, in partnership with Sky Arts, has allocated 100 £10 tickets, spread throughout the auditorium for every performance of Lyndsey Turner’s production of Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role at the Barbican Theatre from 5th August 2015.

60 of the Sky Arts £10 tickets will be sold in advance via the Barbican website in an on-line ticket ballot and 30 will be available each day as day-seats. The final 10 will be sold via a select number of charities who work with under-privileged young people. In total, there will be over 8,500 £10 seats made available for this production during the run. 

From 10am on Friday 29th May and until 10am on Tuesday 16th June 2015, the general public will have the opportunity to enter the lottery ticket ballot by visiting www.hamlet.barbican.org.uk to apply for up to 2 tickets. On Friday 19th June 2015 the successful applicants will be notified by email with further information about how to purchase their winning tickets from Monday 22nd June onwards.

Details announced for NT Live broadcast of Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch

Following reports, it has been confirmed that Lyndsey Turner’s production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet will be broadcast to cinemas around the world on Thursday 15th October 2015 as part of National Theatre Live. 

Produced by Sonia Friedman, Benedict Cumberbatch plays the title role in the production which opens at the Barbican Theatre on 25th August (previews from 5th August) for a limited run until 31st October 2015. 

The National Theatre’s project, NT Live, broadcasts plays live from the stage to over 550 cinemas in the UK and over 44 countries internationally. Tickets for the Hamlet NT Live will go on sale on 16th March 2015. 

GOSSIP: NT Live to broadcast Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch?

According to the Daily Mail, NT Live are in negotiations to broadcast next year's sold out production of Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch at the Barbican to cinemas around the world.

Baz Bamigboye claims discussions between NT Live and producer Sonia Friedman are "well advanced".  Lyndsey Turner’s production opens at the Barbican Theatre on Tuesday 25th August 2014 (previews from 5th August) and runs until Saturday 31st October 2015.

At each performance there will be 100 seats at £10, positioned throughout the auditorium. These seats will be released for sale at a later date. 

Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch releases first official images

Tickets for Lyndsey Turner’s production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch go on public sale on Monday 11th August 2014 at 10am (priority booking for Barbican members begins today).

The show opens at the Barbican Theatre on Tuesday 25th August 2014 (previews from 5th August) and runs until Saturday 31st October 2015. Take a look at official images below (click picture to enlarge). Hamlet has set design is by Es Devlin and is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions. Further casting and details for this production will be announced at a later date.

Benedict Cumberbatch in talks to play Hamlet next year

According to the Daily Mail, Benedict Cumberbatch is in talks to play the title role in Shakespeare's Hamlet next year, following in the footsteps of Ben Whishaw, Jude Law, Simon Russell Beale, Mark Rylance, David Tennant and John Simm.

Benedict was last seen on stage in Danny Boyle’s production of Frankenstein in 2011 at the National Theatre. Producer Sonia Friedman confirmed that she is in "active discussions" with Benedict and director Lyndsey Turner, who most recently directed Chimerica which transferred to the West End from the Almeida Theatre (and is also produced by Sonia Friedman).

Olivier Awards: The Winners List 2012

The Matilda's after winning Best Actress in a Musical

Mastercard best new play

Collaborators at the Cottesloe

Best revival

Anna Christie at the Donmar Warehouse

Best entertainment and family

Derren Brown – Svengali at the Shaftesbury

Best actress

Ruth Wilson for Anna Christie at the Donmar Warehouse

Best actor

Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller for Frankenstein at the Olivier

Best performance in a supporting role

Sheridan Smith for Flare Path at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket

Best actress in a musical

The Matildas for Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge (Cleo Demetriou, Kerry Ingram, Sophia Kiely and Eleanor Worthington Cox)

Best actor in a musical

Bertie Carvel for Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge

Best performance in a supporting role in a musical

Nigel Harman for Shrek the Musical at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Best new musical

Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge

Best musical revival

Crazy for You at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Best director

Matthew Warchus for Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge

Best theatre choreographer

Peter Darling for Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge

Best lighting design

Frankenstein, designed by Bruno Poet at the Olivier

XL Video award for best set design

Matilda the Musical, designed by Rob Howell at the Cambridge

Best costume design

Crazy for You, designed by Peter McKintosh at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Best sound design

Matilda the Musical, designed by Simon Baker at the Cambridge

Outstanding achievement in an affiliate theatre

Theatre Royal, Stratford East in association with the Barbican and Traverse Theatre for Roadkill

Best new opera production

English National Opera's Castor and Pollux at the London Coliseum

Outstanding achievement in opera

ENO, for the breadth and diversity of its artistic programme

Outstanding achievement in dance

Edward Watson for his performance in The Metamorphosis at the Linbury Studio at the Royal Opera House

Best new dance production

Desh by Akram Khan Company at Sadler's Wells, choreographed by Akram Khan

BBC Radio 2 Olivier audience award

Les Misérables