The Clarence Derwent Awards are theatre awards given annually by the

Actors' Equity Association The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions without a boo ...

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in the United States and by

Equity Equity may refer to: Finance, accounting and ownership *Equity (finance), ownership of assets that have liabilities attached to them ** Stock, equity based on original contributions of cash or other value to a business ** Home equity, the diff ...

, the performers' union, in the West End in the United Kingdom. Clarence Derwent (23 March 1884 – 6 August 1959) was an English actor, director, and manager. He was educated at St Paul's School, London and the Birkbeck Institute. He joined Sir Frank Benson's stage company, with whom he stayed for five years. He then joined

Annie Horniman Annie Elizabeth Fredericka Horniman CH (3 October 1860 – 6 August 1937) was an English theatre patron and manager. She established the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and founded the first regional repertory theatre company in Britain at the Gaiety ...

's repertory company in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

. He was seen in a great variety of roles, both in London and New York. He made his last appearance on stage in 1948 in ''

The Madwoman of Chaillot ''The Madwoman of Chaillot'' (french: La Folle de Chaillot) is a play, a poetic satire, by French dramatist Jean Giraudoux, written in 1943 and first performed in 1945, after his death. The play is in two acts. The story concerns an eccentric woma ...

''. He died in New York at the age of 75. From 1946 to 1952 Derwent was President of America's Actors' Equity. His will stipulated that two $500 prizes were to be given out annually to the best individual male and female supporting performances on Broadway and a £100 prize to the best supporting performances in the West End. So that Derwent could have the gratification of seeing the awards given out, they were started in America in 1945 and in the UK in 1948. The prizes in the US are now $2,000 and an engraved crystal trophy. Equity introduced Student awards in 2006.

Winners (US)

Most promising male

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

Most Promising Female

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

Winners (UK)

Best male in a supporting role

* 1948

Colin Gordon Colin Gordon (27 April 1911 – 4 October 1972) was a British actor born in Ceylon. Biography He was educated at Marlborough College and Christ Church, Oxford. He made his first West End appearance in 1934 as the hind legs of a horse in a ...

as Rupert Billings in '' The Happiest Days of Your Life'' * 1949 Robin Bailey as Faulkland in '' The Rivals'' * 1950 Denholm Elliott as Edgar in '' Venus Observed'' * 1951

Hugh Griffith Hugh Emrys Griffith (30 May 1912 – 14 May 1980) was a Welsh film, stage, and television actor. He is best remembered for his role in the film '' Ben-Hur'' (1959), which earned him critical acclaim and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Acto ...

as The Father in '' Point of Departure'' * 1952 Paul Rogers as William Villon in '' The Other Heart'' * 1953 Ernest Clark as Dr Skillingworth in '' Escapade'' * 1954 Richard Wordsworth as Antonio in '' Venice Preserv'd'' * 1955 Noel Willman as Interrogator in ''

The Prisoner ''The Prisoner'' is a 1967 British television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors designate him as Number Six and try to find out why he abruptl ...

'' * 1956

Timothy Bateson Timothy Dingwall Bateson (3 April 1926 – 15 September 2009) was an English actor. Life and career Born in London, the son of solicitor Dingwall Latham Bateson and the great-nephew of rugby player Harold Dingwall Bateson, he was educated at ...

as Lucky in '' Waiting for Godot'' * 1957 Derek Godfrey as Iachimo in ''

Cymbeline ''Cymbeline'' , also known as ''The Tragedie of Cymbeline'' or ''Cymbeline, King of Britain'', is a play by William Shakespeare set in Ancient Britain () and based on legends that formed part of the Matter of Britain concerning the early Celti ...

'' * 1958 Paul Daneman as Henry VI in ''Henry VI'', parts '' I'', II'' and ''

III III or iii may refer to: Companies * Information International, Inc., a computer technology company * Innovative Interfaces, Inc., a library-software company * 3i, formerly Investors in Industry, a British investment company Other uses * ...

'' * 1959

Alan Bates Sir Alan Arthur Bates (17 February 1934 – 27 December 2003) was an English actor who came to prominence in the 1960s, when he appeared in films ranging from the popular children's story '' Whistle Down the Wind'' to the " kitchen sink" dram ...

as Edmund Tyrone in '' Long Day's Journey into Night'' * 1960

Alec McCowen Alexander Duncan McCowen, (26 May 1925 – 6 February 2017) was an English actor. He was known for his work in numerous film and stage productions. Early life McCowen was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, the son of Mary (née Walkden), a dance ...

as Touchstone in ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 h ...

'' * 1961 Peter Woodthorpe as Aston in ''

The Caretaker ''The Caretaker'' is a play in three acts by Harold Pinter. Although it was the sixth of his major works for stage and television, this psychological study of the confluence of power, allegiance, innocence, and corruption among two brothers a ...

'' * 1962 John Moffatt as Cardinal Cajetan in ''

Luther Luther may refer to: People * Martin Luther (1483–1546), German monk credited with initiating the Protestant Reformation * Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), American minister and leader in the American civil rights movement * Luther (gi ...

'' * 1963 Frank Finlay as Corporal Hill in ''

Chips with Everything ''Chips with Everything'' is a 1962 play by Arnold Wesker. The play shows class attitudes at the time by examining the life of a corporal. Productions ''Chips with Everything'' premiered in the West End at the Royal Court Theatre on 27 April 1 ...

'' * 1964 Charles Gray as Maxim in '' Poor Bitos'' * 1965

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...

as Godfrey in '' A Scent of Flowers'' * 1966 Edward Hardwicke as Camille Chandebise in '' A Flea in Her Ear'' * 1967

Paul Eddington Paul Clark Eddington (18 June 1927 – 4 November 1995) was an English actor best known for playing Jerry Leadbetter in the television sitcom '' The Good Life'' (1975–78) and politician Jim Hacker in the sitcom '' Yes Minister'' (1980–84) ...

as Capt M Doleful in ''

Jorrocks Robert Smith Surtees (17 May 180516 March 1864) was an English editor, novelist and sporting writer, widely known as R. S. Surtees. He was the second son of Anthony Surtees of Hamsterley Hall, a member of an old County Durham family. He is reme ...

'' * 1968

Timothy West Timothy Lancaster West, CBE (born 20 October 1934) is an English actor and presenter. He has appeared frequently on both stage and television, including stints in both ''Coronation Street'' (as Eric Babbage) and ''EastEnders'' (as Stan Carte ...

as Otto in ''

The Italian Girl ''The Italian Girl'' is a 1964 novel by Iris Murdoch. Plot introduction Edmund has escaped from his family into a lonely life. Returning for his mother's funeral he finds himself involved in the same awful problems, together with some new on ...

'' * 1969 Gordon Jackson as Horatio in ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' * 1970

Robert Eddison Robert Leadam Eddison, OBE (10 June 1908 – 14 December 1991) was an English actor, who despite his lengthy career as a classical stage actor, is probably most widely remembered in the role of the Grail Knight in ''Indiana Jones and the Last C ...

as Lightborn in ''

Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir apparent to ...

'' * 1971 Michael Bates as Charles Bisley in '' Forget-me-not Lane'' * 1972

Richard O'Callaghan Richard O'Callaghan (born Richard Brooke, 7 March 1940, London) is an English film, stage and television character actor. He is the son of actors Patricia Hayes and Valentine Brooke, whose stage name was Valentine Rooke. As a boy actor he was ...

as Joey in '' Butley'' * 1973

Alan MacNaughtan Alan MacNaughtan (4 March 1920 – 29 August 2002) was a Scottish actor, born in Bearsden, Dunbartonshire, Scotland. He was educated at the Glasgow Academy, trained at RADA, and graduated in 1940 with the Bancroft Gold Medal. An experienc ...

as Philinte in ''

The Misanthrope ''The Misanthrope, or the Cantankerous Lover'' (french: Le Misanthrope ou l'Atrabilaire amoureux; ) is a 17th-century comedy of manners in verse written by Molière. It was first performed on 4 June 1666 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris ...

'' * 1974

John Tordoff John Tordoff (born 11 September 1938 in Rochester, Kent) is an English actor and artist. Early life His father was Sidney Tordoff, a sheet metal worker and his mother Hilda (née Bartram). He also has a sister named Helen Tordoff. His early y ...

as The Man in '' Misalliance'' * 1975

Mike Gwilym Mike Gwilym (born 5 March 1949) is a Welsh actor. Early life Born in Neath, Gwilym is the brother of actor Robert Gwilym, son of Arthur Aubrey Remington Gwilym and Renée Mathilde Eugénie Léonce Dupont. His parents were the proprietors of a ...

as Death in '' King John'' * 1976 Peter Blythe as Peter Frame in '' The Chairman'' * 1977 Nigel Hawthorne as Major Flack in '' Privates on Parade'' * 1978

Jeremy Irons Jeremy John Irons (; born 19 September 1948) is an English actor and activist. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969 and has appeared in many West End theatre ...

as Jameson in '' Rear Column'' * 1979 Michael Bryant as Sir Paul Plyant in '' Double Dealer (play)'' * 1980

Richard Griffiths Richard Thomas Griffiths (31 July 1947 – 28 March 2013) was an English actor of film, television, and stage. For his performance in the stage play '' The History Boys'', Griffiths won a Tony Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, the Drama Desk ...

as Lariosik in '' White Guard'' * 1981 David Threlfall as Smike in ''

Nicholas Nickleby ''Nicholas Nickleby'' or ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'' (or also ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Containing a Faithful Account of the Fortunes, Misfortunes, Uprisings, Downfallings, and Complete Career of the ...

'' * 1982

Harold Innocent Harold Sidney Innocent (18 April 1933 – 12 September 1993) was an English actor who appeared in many film and television roles. After attending Broad Street Secondary Modern School in Coventry, Innocent worked for a short time as an office c ...

as Cayley Drummle in '' The Second Mrs Tanqueray'' * 1983

Michael Aldridge Michael William ffolliott Aldridge (9 September 1920 – 10 January 1994) was an English actor. He was known for playing Seymour Utterthwaite in the television series ''Last of the Summer Wine'' from 1986 to 1990 and he had a long career as a ...

as Selsdon Mowbray in ''

Noises Off ''Noises Off'' is a 1982 play by the English playwright Michael Frayn. Frayn conceived the idea in 1970 while watching from the wings a performance of '' The Two of Us'', a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave. He said, "It was funnier ...

'' * 1984

Bill Fraser William Simpson Fraser (5 June 1908 – 9 September 1987) was a Scottish actor who appeared on stage, screen and television for many years. In 1986 he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance for his stage role in the play '' ...

as Pischik in ''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate editio ...

'' * 1985

David Ryall David John Ryall
Retrieved 28 December 2014 (5 January 1935 – 25 December 201 ...

as Sicinius Velutus in ''

Coriolanus ''Coriolanus'' ( or ) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. The play is based on the life of the legendary Roman leader Caius Marcius Coriolanus. Shakespeare worked on it during the same yea ...

'' * 1986

Charles Kay Charles Kay (born Charles Piff, 31 August 1930) is an English actor. Early life Kay was born in Coventry, Warwickshire, the son of Frances (née Petty) and Charles Beckingham Piff. Originally educated at Warwick School, Kay went on to study m ...

as Lord Charles Canteloupe in ''

Waste Waste (or wastes) are unwanted or unusable materials. Waste is any substance discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no use. A by-product, by contrast is a joint product of relatively minor economic value. A waste pr ...

'' * 1987

Frank Grimes Frank Grimes (born 1947) is an Irish stage and screen actor. Grimes was born in Dublin. He achieved his first major success as the young Brendan Behan in the 1967 stage adaptation of Behan's autobiography, ''Borstal Boy'', at the Abbey Theatre ...

as Ned in ''

Holiday A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or t ...

'' * 1988 Clive Francis as The Detective in '' A Small Family Business'' * 1989 Niall Buggy as Casimir in ''

Aristocrats Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At the time of the word' ...

'' * 1990 Desmond Barrit as Trinculo in '' The Tempest'' * 1991

Terence Rigby Terence Christopher Gerald Rigby (2 January 1937 – 10 August 2008) was an English actor with a number of film and television credits to his name. In the 1970s he was well known as police dog-handler PC Snow in the long-running series '' Soft ...

as Dr Relling in '' The Wild Duck'' * 1992

Lennie James Lennie Michael James (born 11 October 1965) is a British actor, screenwriter, and playwright. His work includes playing Morgan Jones in the television series, '' The Walking Dead'' and in its spin-off, '' Fear the Walking Dead'', and starring ...

as Mickey Jones in ''

The Coup The Coup is an American hip hop band from Oakland, California. Their music is an amalgamation of influences, including funk, punk, hip hop, and soul. Frontman Boots Riley's revolutionarily-charged lyrics rank The Coup as a renowned political ...

'' * 1993 David Bradley as Shallow in '' Henry IV, Part 2'' and Polonius in ''

'' * 1994

Nicholas Le Prevost Nicholas Le Prevost (born 18 March 1947) is an English actor. Early life Le Prevost was born in Wiltshire. He was educated at Shaftesbury Grammar School, Shaftesbury, Dorset from 1957 to 1961 and at Kingswood School, Bath from 1961 to 19 ...

as Pontagnac in '' An Absolute Turkey'' * 1995 Philip Locke as Lyndkvist in ''

Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samue ...

'' * 1996

Tony Haygarth George Anthony Haygarth (4 February 1945 – 10 March 2017) was an English television, film and theatre actor. Life and career After leaving Marlborough College, Liverpool, Haygarth worked unsuccessfully in 1963 as a lifeguard in Torquay, and a ...

as Simms the bookmaker in '' Simpatico'' * 1997 Stephen Boxer as Barnabas Goche in '' The Herbal Bed'' * 1998

Alan Dobie Alan Russell Dobie (born 2 June 1932) is an English stage, television and film actor and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Early life and career Dobie was born in Wombwell, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, to George Russ ...

as The Fool in ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane a ...

'' * 1999 David Yelland as Buckingham in ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Bat ...

'' * 2000

Roger Allam Roger William Allam (born 26 October 1953) is a British actor, who has performed on stage, in film, on television and radio. He played Inspector Javert in the original London production of the stage musical '' Les Misérables'', First Officer ...

as Ulysses in ''

Troilus and Cressida ''Troilus and Cressida'' ( or ) is a play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1602. At Troy during the Trojan War, Troilus and Cressida begin a love affair. Cressida is forced to leave Troy to join her father in the Greek camp. Me ...

'' * 2001 Malcolm Sinclair as Gavin Ryng-Mayne in '' House & Garden'' * 2002

Ian McDiarmid Ian McDiarmid (; born 11 August 1944) is a Scottish actor and director of stage and screen, best known for portraying the Sith Lord Emperor Sheev Palpatine / Darth Sidious in the ''Star Wars'' multimedia franchise. Making his stage debut in ' ...

as Teddy in ''

Faith Healer Faith healing is the practice of prayer and gestures (such as laying on of hands) that are believed by some to elicit divine intervention in spiritual and physical healing, especially the Christian practice. Believers assert that the healing ...

'' * 2003

Bette Bourne Bette Bourne (born Peter Bourne, 22 September 1939) is a British actor, drag queen, campaigner, and activist. His theatrical career has spanned six decades. He came to prominence in the mid-1970s onwards after joining the New York-based alterna ...

as Pauncefort Quentin in '' The Vortex'' * 2004 Simon Trinder as Biondello in ''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunk ...

'' * 2005

Adrian Scarborough Adrian Philip Scarborough (born 10 May 1968) is an English actor. He has appeared in films including ''The Madness of King George'' (1994), ''Gosford Park'' (2001), ''Vera Drake'' (2004), ''The History Boys'' (2006), ''The King's Speech'' (2010 ...

as Ivan Ivanovitch in '' The Mandate'' * 2006 John Wood as Swallow in '' Henry IV, Part 2'' * 2007 Geoffrey Hutchings as Herr Schultz in ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dinin ...

'' * 2008 Phil Davis as Vassilly in '' The Philistines'' * 2009

Clifford Rose John Clifford Rose (24 October 1929 – 6 November 2021) was a British actor. Life and career Rose was born in Herefordshire. He was educated at the King's School, Worcester, and King's College London, before appearing in rep and began his ass ...

as The Judge in ''

The Chalk Garden ''The Chalk Garden'' is a play by Enid Bagnold that premiered in the US in 1955 and was produced in Britain the following year. It tells the story of the imperious Mrs St Maugham and her granddaughter Laurel, a disturbed child under the care of ...

'' * 2010 Stanley Townsend as Theseus in ''

Phèdre ''Phèdre'' (; originally ''Phèdre et Hippolyte'') is a French dramatic tragedy in five acts written in alexandrine verse by Jean Racine, first performed in 1677 at the theatre of the Hôtel de Bourgogne in Paris. Composition and premiere Wit ...

'' * 2011 William Gaunt as Worcester and Shallow in ''

Henry IV, Part 1 ''Henry IV, Part 1'' (often written as ''1 Henry IV'') is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. The play dramatises part of the reign of King Henry IV of England, beginning with the battle at ...

'' and '' Henry IV, Part 2'' * 2012 Danny Webb as Harry Kahn in '' Chicken Soup with Barley'' * 2013

Paul Chahidi Paul Chahidi (born August 22, 1969) is a British actor. An associate artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Chahidi appeared at Shakespeare's Globe and appeared on Broadway in all-male productions of ''Twelfth Night'' and ''Richard III''. Chahi ...

as Maria in ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...

'' * 2014 Charles Edwards as Charles Marsden in ''

Strange Interlude ''Strange Interlude'' is an experimental play in nine acts by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. O'Neill began work on it as early as 1923 and developed its scenario in 1925; he wrote the play between May 1926 and the summer of 1927, and complete ...

'' * 2015 Adam James as Prime Minister Tristram Evans * 2017 Peter Polycarpou as

Ahmed Qurei Ahmed Ali Mohammed Qurei (or Qureia; ar, أحمد علي محمد قريع, ), also known by his Arabic '' kunya'' Abu Alaa (, ) (born 26 March 1937) is a former Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority. First appointed to the positi ...

in ''

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

'';

Jonjo O'Neill John Joseph "Jonjo" O'Neill (born 13 April 1952) is an Irish National Hunt racehorse trainer and former jockey. He is a native of Castletownroche, County Cork in Ireland. Based at the Jackdaws Castle training establishment in England. O'Neill ...

as Ivan in ''Unreachable'' and Cymbeline in ''

'' * 2018 Irfan Shamji as Harry in ''Mayfly'', John in ''One for Sorrow'', and Luke in ''Dance Nation'' * 2019 Hammed Animashaun for two performances: Willie in Master Harold and the Boys at the National Theatre and Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Bridge

Best female in a supporting role

* 1948 Jessica Spencer as Barbara Martin in '' Royal Circle'' * 1949 Gwen Cherrell as Cherry in ''

The Beaux' Stratagem ''The Beaux' Stratagem'' is a comedy by George Farquhar, first produced at the Theatre Royal, now the site of Her Majesty's Theatre, in the Haymarket, London, on March 8, 1707. In the play, Archer and Aimwell, two young gentlemen who have fal ...

'' * 1950 Daphne Arthur as Margaret in '' The Holly and the Ivy'' * 1951 Frances Rowe as Alex Cornwall in ''

Who Goes There! ''Who Goes There!'' is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring Nigel Patrick, Valerie Hobson and George Cole. The film depicts the farcical activities of the various inhabitants of a grace and favour house near S ...

'' * 1952 Valerie Hanson as Marionetta in ''

Nightmare Abbey ''Nightmare Abbey'' is an 1818 novella by Thomas Love Peacock which makes good-natured fun of contemporary literary trends. The novel ''Nightmare Abbey'' was Peacock's third long work of fiction to be published. It was written in late March and ...

'' * 1953 Brenda De Banzie as Freda Jefferies in '' Murder Mistaken'' * 1954

Patricia Jessel Patricia Helen Mary Jessel (15 October 1920 – 8 June 1968) was an English actress of stage, film and television. Biography Jessel was born in the then British Crown Colony of Hong Kong, daughter of Clement Edward Jessel and Ursula Theodor ...

as Romaine in ''

Witness for the Prosecution In law, a witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter, whether they have sensed it or are testifying on another witnesses' behalf. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, e ...

'' * 1955

Beryl Measor Beryl Measor (22 April 1908 – 8 February 1965) was a British actress. She created roles in plays by Noël Coward and Terence Rattigan. In addition to her stage career she broadcast frequently on BBC radio and television, and appeared in severa ...

as The Housekeeper in '' Separate Tables'' * 1956

Margaret Vines Margaret Vines (16 January 1907 – 1 March 1997) was a British actress. She performed initially on stage, in the London West End, in the 1920s and 1930s. She then progressed into a career on screen, appearing in several films as well as TV pro ...

as Gibbs in '' Morning at Seven'' * 1957 Megs Jenkins as Beatrice in ''

A View from the Bridge ''A View from the Bridge'' is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was first staged on September 29, 1955, as a one-act verse drama with ''A Memory of Two Mondays'' at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. The run was unsuccessful, and M ...

'' * 1958 Lally Bowers as Madame Montrachet in '' Dinner with the Family'' * 1959 Avice Landone as Mrs Sylvia Bennett in ''

Not in the Book ''Not in the Book'' is a comedy thriller play by the British writer Arthur Watkyn. It was first performed at the Theatre Royal in Brighton before transferring to the Criterion Theatre in London's West End where it ran for 487 performances betwee ...

'' * 1960 Pauline Jameson as Mrs Prest in ''

The Aspern Papers ''The Aspern Papers'' is a novella by American writer Henry James, originally published in '' The Atlantic Monthly'' in 1888, with its first book publication later in the same year. One of James's best-known and most acclaimed longer tales, ' ...

'' * 1961 Rachel Roberts as Anna Petrovna in '' Platonov'' * 1962

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...

as Anya in ''

'' * 1963 Jessie Evans as Miriam Morton in '' The Keep'' * 1964

Eileen Atkins Dame Eileen June Atkins, (born 16 June 1934), is an English actress and occasional screenwriter. She has worked in the theatre, film, and television consistently since 1953. In 2008, she won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress and the Emmy Aw ...

as Juliet in ''

Exit the King ''Exit the King'' (french: Le Roi se meurt) is an absurdist drama by Eugène Ionesco that premiered in 1962. It is the third in Ionesco's "Berenger Cycle", preceded by '' The Killer'' (1958) and ''Rhinocéros'' (1959), and followed by ''A Stro ...

'' * 1965 Jeanne Hepple as Mary Warren in ''

The Crucible ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692–93. Miller wrote the play as ...

'' * 1966

Gemma Jones Jennifer "Gemma" Jones (born 4 December 1942) is an English actress. Appearing on both stage and screen, her film appearances include ''Sense and Sensibility (film), Sense and Sensibility'' (1995), the Bridget Jones (film series), ''Bridget Jo ...

as Adele in ''

The Cavern The Cavern Club is a nightclub on Mathew Street, Liverpool, England. The Cavern Club opened in 1957 as a jazz club, later becoming a centre of the rock and roll scene in Liverpool in the late 50s and early 1960s. The club became closely asso ...

'' * 1967

Vickery Turner Vickery Turner (3 April 1940 in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey – 4 April 2006), born Christine Hazel Turner, was a British actress, playwright, author and theatre director. Career She started out on stage and her first breakthrough role was in ...

as Sandy in '' The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'' * 1968

Anne Dyson Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in t ...

as Mrs Gascoyne in ''

The Daughter-in-law ''The Daughter-in-Law'' is the first play by D. H. Lawrence, completed in January 1913. Lawrence described it as "neither a tragedy nor a comedy - just ordinary". It was neither staged nor published in his lifetime. The first stage production, ...

'' * 1969 Elizabeth Spriggs as Claire in '' A Delicate Balance'' * 1970 Denise Coffey as Aurora Botterill in '' The Bandwagon'' * 1971

Rosemary McHale ''Salvia rosmarinus'' (), commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. Until 2017, it was known by the scientific name ''Rosmar ...

as Joanne in ''

Slag Slag is a by-product of smelting ( pyrometallurgical) ores and used metals. Broadly, it can be classified as ferrous (by-products of processing iron and steel), ferroalloy (by-product of ferroalloy production) or non-ferrous/base metals (by-p ...

'' * 1972

Heather Canning Heather Joan Canning (5 January 1933 – 30 May 1996) was an English actress, who is best known for her television roles. She played Isabel Rockmetteller in "The Full House", the second episode of the third series of the 1990s British come ...

as Christine in ''

Miss Julie ''Miss Julie'' ( sv, Fröken Julie) is a naturalistic play written in 1888 by August Strindberg. It is set on Midsummer's Eve and the following morning, which is Midsummer and the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist. The setting is an estate of ...

'' * 1973

Bridget Turner Bridget Joanna Turner (22 February 1939 – 27 December 2014) was an English actress. She played a radical English teacher, Judy Threadgold, opposite Alun Armstrong's woodwork teacher in Alan Plater's ''Get Lost!'' for Yorkshire Television, ...

as Anna in '' Time and Time Again'' * 1974

Anna Carteret Anna Carteret (born 11 December 1942) is a British stage and screen actress. Biography Carteret was born as Annabelle S. Wilkinson on 11 December 1942 in Bangalore, British India, the daughter of Peter John Wilkinson and his wife Patricia Ca ...

as Virginia in '' Saturday, Sunday, Monday'' * 1975 Dorothy Reynolds as Comtesse de la Brière in '' What Every Woman Knows'' * 1976 Lynn Farleigh as Charlotte in ''

A Room with a View ''A Room with a View'' is a 1908 novel by English writer E. M. Forster, about a young woman in the restrained culture of Edwardian era England. Set in Italy and England, the story is both a romance and a humorous critique of English society a ...

'' * 1977

Sheila Gish Sheila Gish (born Sheila Anne Syme Gash; 23 April 1942 – 9 March 2005) was an English actress. For her role in the 1995 London revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical ''Company'', she won the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Performance in ...

as four parts in '' Confusions'' * 1978 Suzanne Bertish as Octavia in '' All for Love'' * 1979 Maxine Audley as Olive in ''Here Comes Trouble'' * 1980 Felicity Kendal as Constanze in '' Amadeus'' * 1981 Sinéad Cusack as Celia in ''

'' * 1982 Barbara Leigh-Hunt as Gertrude in ''

'' * 1983

Sylvia Coleridge Sylvia Coleridge (10 December 1909 – 31 May 1986) was a British stage, film, radio and television actress. She was married to Albert George Fiddes-Watt and their daughter Kate, born 1943, is also an actress as ''Kate Coleridge.'' Birth Coler ...

as Em in ''

Clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay pa ...

'' * 1984

Nichola McAuliffe Nichola McAuliffe (born 1955) is an English television and stage actress and writer, best known for her role as Sheila Sabatini in the ITV hospital sitcom '' Surgical Spirit'' (1989–1995). She has also starred in several stage musicals and wo ...

as Queen Victoria in ''

Poppy A poppy is a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae. Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colourful flowers. One species of poppy, '' Papaver somniferum'', is the source of the narcotic drug o ...

'' * 1985 Zoë Wanamaker as Kattrin in ''

Mother Courage Mother Courage (German ''Mutter Courage'') is a character from a Grimmelshausen novel ''Lebensbeschreibung der Ertzbetrügerin und Landstörtzerin Courasche'' (''The Runagate Courage'') dating from around 1670. The character had played a cameo r ...

'' * 1986

Imelda Staunton Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre prod ...

as Bessie Watley in ''

The Corn Is Green ''The Corn Is Green'' is a 1938 semi-autobiographical play by Welsh dramatist and actor Emlyn Williams. The play premiered in London at the Duchess Theatre in September 1938; with Sybil Thorndike as Miss Moffat and Williams himself portraying Mo ...

'' * 1987 Patricia Hayes as Maria Josepha in ''

The House of Bernarda Alba ''The House of Bernarda Alba'' ( es, La casa de Bernarda Alba) is a play by the Spanish dramatist Federico García Lorca. Commentators have often grouped it with ''Blood Wedding'' and ''Yerma'' as a "rural trilogy". Garcia Lorca did not incl ...

'' * 1988

Barbara Jefford Mary Barbara Jefford, OBE (26 July 1930 – 12 September 2020) was a British actress, best known for her theatrical performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Old Vic and the National Theatre and her role as Molly Bloom in the 1 ...

as Falathiel Trennanigan in '' Ting Tang Mine'' * 1989

Sarah Woodward Sarah Woodward (born 3 April 1963) is a British actress. She won the Olivier Award for best performance in a supporting role in 1998 for her role in ''Tom & Clem'' by Stephen Churchett., directed by Richard Wilson, and was nominated for a Ton ...

as Sophie in ''

Artist Descending a Staircase ''Artist Descending a Staircase'' is a radio play by Tom Stoppard, first broadcast by the BBC in 1972, and later adapted for live theatre. The play centres on a murder mystery involving an artist who dies from falling down a set of stairs. The p ...

'' * 1990 Linda Kerr-Scott as Djigan in ''

Ghetto A ghetto, often called ''the'' ghetto, is a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially as a result of political, social, legal, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished ...

'' * 1991 Lesley Manville as Natasha in '' Three Sisters'' * 1992

Celia Imrie Celia Diana Savile Imrie (born 15 July 1952) is an English actress and author. She was described in 2003 as one of the most successful British actresses of recent decades. She is best known for her film roles, including the '' Bridget Jones'' f ...

as Jessica Tilehouse in '' The Sea'' * 1993 Helen Burns as Karen Frick in '' The Last Yankee'' * 1994

Sara Kestelman Sara Kestelman (born 12 May 1944) is an English actress. She is known for her role as Lady Frances Brandon, Lady Jane Grey's mother, in the 1986 film '' Lady Jane'', as well as for providing the voice of Kreia in '' Star Wars Knights of the Old ...

as Fraulein Schneider in ''

'' * 1995

Susan Engel Susan Engel (born 25 March 1935) is a British actress. She was born in Vienna, Austria. Career Theatre Engel's work in theatre includes: ''Angels in America'' (1992), ''Richard III'', ''King Lear'' (1990), '' The Good Person of Sezuan'', '' W ...

as Mrs Heidleberg in ''

The Clandestine Marriage ''The Clandestine Marriage'' is a comedy by George Colman the Elder and David Garrick, first performed in 1766 at Drury Lane. It is both a comedy of manners and a comedy of errors. The idea came from a series of pictures by William Hogarth entit ...

'' * 1996 Sophie Thompson as Amy in ''

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared ...

'' * 1997 Aisling O'Sullivan as The Wild Young Woman in ''

The Cripple of Inishmaan ''The Cripple of Inishmaan'' is a dark comedy by Martin McDonagh who links the story to the real life filming of the documentary ''Man of Aran''. The play is set on the small Aran Islands community of Inishmaan (Inis Meáin) off the Western C ...

'' * 1998 Miriam Karlin as Zofia in '' Tongue of a Bird'' * 1999

Faith Brook Faith Brook (16 February 1922 – 11 March 2012) was an English actress who appeared on stage, in films and on television, generally in upper-class roles. She was the daughter of actor Clive Brook. Early years Although she was born in York ...

as Mother in ''

Good In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil and is of interest in the study of ethics, morality, ph ...

'' * 2000 Kika Markham as Hilda Latymer in '' A Song at Twilight'' * 2001

Linda Bassett Linda Bassett (born 4 February 1950) is an English actress. Her television credits include Victoria Wood's '' dinnerladies'' (1999), '' Lark Rise to Candleford'' (2008–11), '' Grandma's House'' (2010–12) and '' Call the Midwife'' (2015–pres ...

as Harper in '' Far Away'' * 2002

Marcia Warren Marcia Warren (born 26 November 1942) is an English stage, film and television actress. On stage, she appeared in ''Blithe Spirit'' as Madame Arcati and '' The Sea'' (2008) at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. She is currently appearing in Netflix' ...

as Mercy Lott in ''

Humble Boy ''Humble Boy'' is a 2001 English play by Charlotte Jones. The play was presented in association with Matthew Byam Shaw and Anna Mackmin, and was first performed on the Cottesloe stage of the Royal National Theatre on 9 August 2001.Jones, Charl ...

'' * 2003 Amanda Drew as Gertrude in ''

Eastward Ho! ''Eastward Hoe'' or ''Eastward Ho!'' is an early Jacobean-era stage play written by George Chapman, Ben Jonson and John Marston. The play was first performed at the Blackfriars Theatre by a company of boy actors known as the Children of th ...

'' * 2004 Dilys Laye as Madame de Rosemond in '' Les liaisons dangereuses'' * 2005 Jaye Griffiths as Emilia in ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cyp ...

'' * 2006

Amanda Harris Amanda Harris (born 1963) is an English actress. She was born in Adelaide, South Australia and spent her childhood in Papua New Guinea before moving to Britain at the age of 10. She trained at Arts Ed. A longstanding member of the Royal Shakespea ...

as Celia in ''

'' * 2007

Sheila Hancock Dame Sheila Cameron Hancock (born 22 February 1933) is an English actress, singer, and author. Hancock trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before starting her career in repertory theatre. Hancock went on to perform in plays and music ...

as Fraulein Schneider in ''

'' * 2008

Pam Ferris Pamela Ferris (born 11 May 1948) is a Welsh actress. She has starred in numerous British television series, including ''Connie'' (1985), '' The Darling Buds of May'' (1991–1993), '' Where the Heart Is'' (1997–2000), '' Rosemary & Thyme'' ...

as Phoebe in '' The Entertainer'' * 2009 Phoebe Nicholls as Frances Trebell in ''

'' and Helen Seville in '' The Vortex'' * 2010

Josefina Gabrielle Josefina Gabrielle (born October 1963) is a British stage and television actress, and a former ballet dancer, best known for her performances in West End musicals and plays. Theatrical career Gabrielle was born in London in October 1963 to a ...

as Ursula in ''

Sweet Charity ''Sweet Charity'' is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse starring his wife and muse Gwen Verdon alongside John McMartin. It is based on ...

'' * 2011

Sheridan Smith Sheridan Caroline Sian Smith OBE (born 25 June 1981) is an English actress, singer and television personality. Smith came to prominence after playing a variety of characters on sitcoms such as ''The Royle Family'' (1999–2000), ''Two Pints of ...

as Doris in '' Flare Path'' * 2012

Vinette Robinson Vinette Robinson is a British actress, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. Her TV appearances include roles in '' Sherlock'', ''Black Mirror'', and as civil rights campaigner Rosa Parks in the ''Doctor Who'' episode "Rosa". Early life Robi ...

as Ophelia in ''

'' * 2013 Fenella Woolgar as Thea Elvsted in ''

Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. The play has been ca ...

'' * 2014 June Watson as Mammy in ''

'' and Nanny in ''Before the Party'' * 2015

Deborah Findlay Deborah Findlay (born 23 December 1947) is an English actress. She joined a theatre company while studying English at the University of Leeds. Career Findlay has worked primarily on stage and appeared in numerous productions, including the origi ...

Volumnia Volumnia is a character in William Shakespeare's play ''Coriolanus'', the mother of Caius Martius Coriolanus. She plays a large role in Coriolanus' life, encouraging him in his military success and urging him to seek political office. When t ...

in ''

'' * 2017

Sheila Atim Sheila Atim (born 1991) is a Ugandan-British actress, singer, composer, and playwright. She made her professional acting debut in 2013 at Shakespeare's Globe in '' The Lightning Child'', a musical written by her acting teacher Ché Walker. F ...

Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...

in '' The Tempest'' and the Woman in '' Les Blancs'';

Kate O'Flynn Kate O'Flynn is a British actress. She is known for her performance in National Theatre's production of ''Port'' for which she received a Critics' Circle Theatre Award in 2013, as well as starring roles in plays ''A Taste of Honey'' in 2014, a ...

as Laura Wingfield in ''

The Glass Menagerie ''The Glass Menagerie'' is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. The play has strong autobiographical elements, featuring characters based on its author, his Histrionic persona ...

'' * 2018

Michelle Fairley Michelle Fairley (born 1964–1965) is an actress from Northern Ireland. She is best known for playing Catelyn Stark in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2013). She has since appeared in the USA Network series '' Suits'' (2013), the ...

as Cassius in ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...

'' * 2019

Lucy Briers Lucy Jane Briers (born 19 August 1967) is an English actress. Her film, stage and television roles have included appearances in ''Pride & Prejudice'' (1995) and sitcom '' Game On''. Early life Briers was born on 19 August 1967 in Hammersmith, ...

for her portrayal of Mrs Helseth in Rosmersholm at the Duke of York's Theatre

Student Award

* 2015 Scott Lyons * 2015 Danielle Whitfield * 2018 Sophie Harris * 2018 David Perkins * 2019 Elizabeth Hammerton * 2019 Vincent Rosec * 2020 Sharune * 2020 Joseph Scatley

Young Student Award

* 2015 Joanne Gale * 2015 Luke Hallgarten * 2018 Tessa Carmody * 2018 Sam Elwin * 2019 Jonny Grundy * 2019 Constance Wookey * 2020 Jefferson Parlett * 2020 Abigail Carter-Simpson

References

External links

*
Clarence Derwent Award winners 1948-2008, United Kingdom
{dead link, date=April 2012 Actors' Equity Association American theater awards