The Manchester Theatre Awards were established in 2011 to replace the
Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards The Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards (MENTA) were a theatre awards ceremony that recognised live theatre within Greater Manchester. They were administered by the ''Manchester Evening News'', and presented at an annual ceremony in Manchester
...
. The MEN awards, created in 1981 by Alan Hulme, the paper's theatre critic, had long been recognised as the most important theatrical prize-giving outside London and were an important part of the Greater Manchester theatrical calendar. When the
Manchester Evening News
The ''Manchester Evening News'' (''MEN'') is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in North West England, founded in 1868. It is published Monday–Saturday; a Sunday edition, the ''MEN on Sunday'', was launched in February 20 ...
withdrew its support, the critics already involved, led by Alan Hulme and his MEN successor Kevin Bourke, and with the support of the Greater Manchester theatres, set up a new organisation to carry on the awards. The first winners, for 2011, were announced on 14 March 2012.
Winners and nominations
2017
Winners of the 2017 awards were announced on 9 March 2018 at
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Actor In A Leading Role:
Kenneth Alan Taylor, ''The Father'',
Oldham Coliseum
Oldham Coliseum Theatre is a theatre in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.
Found on Fairbottom Street in the town centre, Oldham's Coliseum is a repertory theatre which celebrated its centenary in 1987. Its interior makes it a great period ...
* Actress In A Leading Role:
Janet Suzman
Dame Janet Suzman, (born 9 February 1939) is a South African-born British actress who enjoyed a successful early career in the Royal Shakespeare Company, later replaying many Shakespearean roles, among others, on TV. In her first film, ''Nichol ...
, ''Rose'',
HOME (Manchester)
HOME is an arts centre in Manchester, a central part of the city’s artistic ecology, and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Since opening in 2015, HOME has built a reputation for high-quality, adventurous cultural progra ...
* Actor In A Supporting Role: Andrew Sheridan, ''People, Places & Things'',
HOME (Manchester)
HOME is an arts centre in Manchester, a central part of the city’s artistic ecology, and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Since opening in 2015, HOME has built a reputation for high-quality, adventurous cultural progra ...
* Actress In A Supporting Role: Katie West, ''
Uncle Vanya
''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the dir ...
'',
HOME (Manchester)
HOME is an arts centre in Manchester, a central part of the city’s artistic ecology, and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Since opening in 2015, HOME has built a reputation for high-quality, adventurous cultural progra ...
* Actor in a Visiting Production:
Danny Mac
Danny Mac (born 26 February 1988) is an English actor, best known for playing the role of Dodger Savage in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2011 to 2015.
Early and personal life
Mac was born in Bromley, London, but then grew up in ...
, ''Sunset Boulevard'', Palace Theatre
* Actress in a Visiting Production:
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 ...
, ''Funny Girl'', Palace Theatre
* Performance in a Studio Production: Rhodri Meillir, ''How My Light Is Spent'', Royal Exchange Studio
* Performance in a Fringe Production: Alexandra Maxwell, ''The Loves Of Others/Freaks'', Greater Manchester Fringe
* Ensemble: ''
The Suppliant Women'',
Royal Exchange
* Production: ''The Father'', Oldham Coliseum
* Visiting Production: ''
The Weir
''The Weir'' is a play written by Conor McPherson in 1997. It was first produced at The Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London, England, on 4 July 1997. It opened on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre on 1 April 1999. As well as several oth ...
'', Oldham Coilseum
* Studio Production: ''Man On The Moon'', Contact Theatre
* Fringe Production: ''Moth'', Hope Mill Theatre
* Musical: ''Sunset Boulevard'',
* Dance: ''
English National Ballet double bill'',
Palace Theatre
* Opera: ''The Snow Maiden'',
Opera North
Opera North is an English opera company based in Leeds. The company's home theatre is the Leeds Grand Theatre, but it also presents regular seasons in several other cities, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, the Lowry Centre, Salford Quays and ...
,
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Design: Jenny Melville (set) and Lysander Ashton (video),
Paul Auster
Paul Benjamin Auster (born February 3, 1947) is an American writer and film director. His notable works include '' The New York Trilogy'' (1987), '' Moon Palace'' (1989), '' The Music of Chance'' (1990), '' The Book of Illusions'' (2002), ''The ...
’s ''City of Glass'', HOME
* New Play: ''Narcissist In The Mirror'', Rosie Fleeshman, Greater Manchester Fringe',
* Special Entertainment: ''Dick Whittington'', The Palace
* Youth Panel Award: ''Singin’ in the Rain'', RNCM Young Company
* Newcomer: Scott Hunter, ''Yank!'', Hope Mill Theatre
2016
Winners of the 2016 awards were announced on 17 March 2017 at
HOME (Manchester)
HOME is an arts centre in Manchester, a central part of the city’s artistic ecology, and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Since opening in 2015, HOME has built a reputation for high-quality, adventurous cultural progra ...
* Actor In A Leading Role:
Daniel Rigby
Daniel Rigby (born 6 December 1982) is an English actor and comedian. He received a BAFTA TV Award for his leading role as Eric Morecambe in the 2011 television film ''Eric and Ernie''.
Early life
Rigby was born in Stockport, Greater Mancheste ...
, ''
Breaking the Code
''Breaking the Code'' is a 1986 play by Hugh Whitemore about British mathematician Alan Turing, who was a key player in the breaking of the German Enigma code at Bletchley Park during World War II and a pioneer of computer science. The play th ...
'',
Royal Exchange, Manchester
* Actress In A Leading Role:
Julie Hesmondhalgh, ''Wit'',
Royal Exchange, Manchester
* Actor In A Supporting Role: Daniel Crossley, ''
Sweet Charity'',
Royal Exchange, Manchester
* Actress In A Supporting Role: Natalie Dew, ''
Breaking the Code
''Breaking the Code'' is a 1986 play by Hugh Whitemore about British mathematician Alan Turing, who was a key player in the breaking of the German Enigma code at Bletchley Park during World War II and a pioneer of computer science. The play th ...
'',
Royal Exchange, Manchester
* Actor in a Visiting Production:
Rufus Hound
Rufus Hound (born Robert James Blair Simpson 6 March 1979) is an English actor, comedian and presenter.
Early life
Hound was born on 6 March 1979, in Essex and moved to Surrey at the age of seven. He was educated at Hoe Bridge School Woking ...
, ''
Wind in the Willows
''The Wind in the Willows'' is a children's novel by the British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. It details the story of Mole, Ratty, and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad, after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and gets ...
'',
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Actress in a Visiting Production: Aiofe Duffin, ''A Girl is a Half-formed Thing'',
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Actor in a Studio Production:
Joseph Quinn, ''Wish List'',
Royal Exchange Studio
* Actress in a Studio Production:
Erin Doherty
Erin Rachael Doherty (born 16 July 1992) is a British actress. She played the young Princess Anne in the third and fourth seasons of the Netflix drama ''The Crown'', and Becky in the BBC/Amazon Prime drama ''Chloe'' (2022).
Early life and ed ...
, ''Wish List'',
Royal Exchange Studio
* Performance in a Fringe Production: Joyce Branagh, ''Boomtown Gals''
* Ensemble: ''
Singin’ in the Rain'',
Octagon Theatre, Bolton
The Octagon Theatre is a producing theatre located in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England.
Programme
The Octagon produces eight or nine professional theatre productions each year in its Main Auditorium. Productions come from a wide range of ty ...
* Production: ''
Breaking the Code
''Breaking the Code'' is a 1986 play by Hugh Whitemore about British mathematician Alan Turing, who was a key player in the breaking of the German Enigma code at Bletchley Park during World War II and a pioneer of computer science. The play th ...
'',
Royal Exchange, Manchester
* Visiting Production: ''The James Plays'',
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Studio Production: ''Wish List'', Royal Exchange Studio
* Fringe Production: ''The Trial'', Hope Mill Theatre
* Musical: ''
Sweet Charity'',
Royal Exchange, Manchester
* Dance: ''
Akram Khan’s Giselle'',
Palace Theatre
* Opera: ''
Andrea Chenier'',
Opera North
Opera North is an English opera company based in Leeds. The company's home theatre is the Leeds Grand Theatre, but it also presents regular seasons in several other cities, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, the Lowry Centre, Salford Quays and ...
,
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Design: ''Singin’ in the Rain'', Ocatagon Theatre
* New Play: ''The Emperor'',
HOME (Manchester)
HOME is an arts centre in Manchester, a central part of the city’s artistic ecology, and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Since opening in 2015, HOME has built a reputation for high-quality, adventurous cultural progra ...
* Special Entertainment: ''The Peony Pavilion'',
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Youth Panel Award: ''Nothing'', Royal Exchange Theatre Young Company
*Special Achievement Award: Joseph Houston and William Whelton, founders of Hope Mill Theatre Philip Radcliffe, critic and founder member of the Manchester Theatre Awards
* Stage Door Award For Excellence: Take Back Theatre Collective
* Best newcomer: Norah Lopez Holden for ''Ghosts'', Home
* Best young newcomers: Samuel Torpey, Henry Harmer and Elliot Stiff for ''Billy Elliot''. Jasmine de Goede and Lucy Doyle Ryder for ''To Kill a Mockingbird''
2015
Winners of the 2015 awards were announced on 4 March 2016 at
HOME (Manchester)
HOME is an arts centre in Manchester, a central part of the city’s artistic ecology, and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Since opening in 2015, HOME has built a reputation for high-quality, adventurous cultural progra ...
* Actor In A Leading Role:
Colin Connor, ''
A View From The Bridge'',
Octagon Theatre, Bolton
The Octagon Theatre is a producing theatre located in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England.
Programme
The Octagon produces eight or nine professional theatre productions each year in its Main Auditorium. Productions come from a wide range of ty ...
. Nominations:
Rob Edwards,
Jonjo O’Neill and Sam Swann
* Actress In A Leading Role: Barbara Drennan, ''
A View From The Bridge'',
Octagon Theatre, Bolton
The Octagon Theatre is a producing theatre located in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England.
Programme
The Octagon produces eight or nine professional theatre productions each year in its Main Auditorium. Productions come from a wide range of ty ...
. Nominations: Scarlett Brookes,
Kathryn Hunter
Aikaterini Hadjipateras ( el, Αικατερίνη Χατζηπατέρας; born 9 April 1957), known professionally as Kathryn Hunter, is an American-born British actress and theatre director, known for her appearances as Arabella Figg in th ...
and
Maxine Peake
Maxine Peake (born 14 July 1974) is an English actress and narrator. She is known for her roles as Twinkle in the BBC One sitcom '' dinnerladies'' (1998–2000), Veronica Ball in the hit Channel 4 comedy drama '' Shameless'' (2004–2007), Mart ...
* Actress In A Supporting Role: Natasha Davidson, ''
A View From The Bridge'',
Octagon Theatre, Bolton
The Octagon Theatre is a producing theatre located in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England.
Programme
The Octagon produces eight or nine professional theatre productions each year in its Main Auditorium. Productions come from a wide range of ty ...
. Nominations: Lauren Drummond, Anna Wheatley,
Ria Zmitrowicz
Ria Zmitrowicz (born 1990/1991) is an actress. She is known for her work in theatre, earning WhatOnStage and Manchester Theatre Award nominations, and her role in the BBC drama '' Three Girls'' (2017). She was named a 2018 BAFTA Breakthrough ...
* Actor in a Visiting Production:
Joe Armstrong, ''Constellations'',
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
. Nominations:
Michael Ball
Michael Ashley Ball (born 27 June 1962) is an English singer, presenter and actor. He made his West End debut in 1985 playing Marius Pontmercy in the original London production of ''Les Misérables'', and went on to star in 1987 as Raoul in ...
,
Finetime Fontayne,
Dominic Marsh
* Actress in a Visiting Production: Louise Brealey, ''Constellations'',
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
. Nominations:Debbie Kurup, Lucy O’Byrne,
Sophie Thompson
Sophie Thompson (born 20 January 1962) is a British actress who has worked in film, television and theatre. A six-time Olivier Award nominee, she won the 1999 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the London revival of ''Into the Woods' ...
* Performance in a Studio Production: Carla Langley, ''Cuddles'', Royal Exchange Studio. Nominations: Alex Austin, Carla Langley, Sian Reese-Williams Abdul Salis
* Performance in a Fringe Production: Colin Connor, ''Mr Smith'', Kings Arms, Salford. Nominations: Ben Bland, Heather Carroll, Jeni Howarth-Williams
* Ensemble:
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 ...
(Ocagon Theatre). Nominations: ''Dreamers'' (Oldham Coliseum), ''Lord of the Flies'' (The Lowry), ''Street Scene'' (RNCM)
* Production: ''An Enemy of the People'', David Thacker,
Octagon Theatre, Bolton
The Octagon Theatre is a producing theatre located in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England.
Programme
The Octagon produces eight or nine professional theatre productions each year in its Main Auditorium. Productions come from a wide range of ty ...
. Nominations: ''Educating Rita'' (Oldham Coliseum), ''Rite'' (Contact), ''A View From The Bridge'' (Octagon Theatre)
* Visiting Production: ''Constellations'' from The Royal Court,
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
. Nominations: ''Beryl'', ''John'', ''Twelve Angry Men''
* Studio Production: ''Lungs'', The Roundabout at
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
. Nominations: ''Cuddles'', ''Light'', ''So Here We Are''
* Fringe Production: ''
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice
''The Rise and Fall of Little Voice'' is a 1992 play written by English dramatist Jim Cartwright.
Production history
Sam Mendes directed the first production at the Royal National Theatre that transferred to the Aldwych Theatre in London's ...
'' at the Kings Arms, Salford. Nominations: ''Mr. Smith'' at the Kings Arms, Salford, ''Parents Without Children'' at the Three Minute Theatre, ''We Are The Multitude'' at 24:7 Theatre Festival
* Musical: ''The Bodyguard - The Musical'', Palace Theatre. Nominations: ''Anything Goes'', ''Guys And Dolls'', ''Mack & Mabel''
* Dance: ''Lest We Forget'', English National Ballet, Palace Theatre: Nominations: ''1984'', ''Flex’N Manchester'', ''Tree Of Codes''
* Opera: ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', Royal Northern College of Music. Nominations: ''Cosi Fan Tutte'', ''Giovanna d’Arco'', ''The Marriage of Figaro''
* Design: ''Tree Of Codes'' at the Opera House. Nominations: ''Inkheart'', ''Moominland Midwinter'', ''The Oresteia'',
* New Play: ''The Rolling Stone'' (Chris Urch),
Royal Exchange, Manchester. Nominations: ''Beryl'' (
Maxine Peake
Maxine Peake (born 14 July 1974) is an English actress and narrator. She is known for her roles as Twinkle in the BBC One sitcom '' dinnerladies'' (1998–2000), Veronica Ball in the hit Channel 4 comedy drama '' Shameless'' (2004–2007), Mart ...
), ''Nirbhaya'' (Yael Farber''So Here We Are'' (Luke Norris)
* Special Entertainment: ''Bridging the Gap'', The Gap Theatre Project, Halle St Peters. Nominations: ''Inala - A Zulu Ballet'', ''Ultima Vez'', ''Bridging the Gap'', ''Moominland Midwinter''
* Youth Panel Award: ''The Shrine of Everyday Things'', Contact Young Company at Contact Theatre. Nominations: ''On The Town'', ''TaY Talks'', ''The Wardrobe''
* Special Achievement Award: Professor
David Thacker
David Thacker (born 21 December 1950) is an English theatre director. He is married to the actress Margot Leicester.
Education
Thacker studied at the University of York.
Theatre
Thacker was the artistic director at the Octagon Theatre Bolton unti ...
* Stage Door Award For Excellence: 24:7 Theatre Festival
2014
Nominations for 2014 performances were announced on 20 January 2015. The winners were announced and presented on 13 March 2015 at the
Royal Northern College of Music
* Best actor:
Harry McEntire
Harry McEntire (born September 14, 1990) is an English actor. He is known for his roles in Tower Block, for his numerous theatre roles, such as in the award-winning London production of '' Spring Awakening'', for starring in the English localiz ...
, ''Billy Liar'',
Royal Exchange
* Best actress:
Clare Foster
Clare Foster (born 24 July 1980) is a British actress, known for portraying the role of PC Millie Brown in the ITV series ''The Bill''. Foster appeared in the 2011 London revival production of '' Crazy for You'', which played at the Novello ...
, ''Duet For One'' and ''Separation'',
Bolton Octagon
* Best supporting actor: David Burrell, ''Journey’s End'',
Bolton Octagon
* Best supporting actress:
Gillian Bevan
Gillian Bevan (born 13 February 1956) is an English actress, best known for her roles in British television shows and West End theatre.
In 1988 she played Dorothy in the Royal Shakespeare Company's revival of their version of '' The Wizard of O ...
, ''
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 ...
'',
Royal Exchange
* Best actor in a visiting production : Sir Anthony Sher, ''Henry IV'',
Royal Shakespeare Company at
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Best actress in a visiting production :
Katherine Kingsley Katherine Kingsley (born 24 December 1981) is an English actress.
Early life
Born and raised in Cambridge and schooled at Parkside Community College and Long Road Sixth Form College, Kingsley moved to London to study with the English National Oper ...
, ''Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'',
Manchester Opera House
The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the mai ...
* Best production – ''Angel Meadow'',
Anu Productions for
HOME (Manchester)
HOME is an arts centre in Manchester, a central part of the city’s artistic ecology, and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Since opening in 2015, HOME has built a reputation for high-quality, adventurous cultural progra ...
* Best visiting production: ''The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time'',
National Theatre at
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* The Brynteg Award for Best Musical: ''Jersey Boys'', Palace Theatre
* Best opera: ''
Gotterdammerung'',
Opera North
Opera North is an English opera company based in Leeds. The company's home theatre is the Leeds Grand Theatre, but it also presents regular seasons in several other cities, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, the Lowry Centre, Salford Quays and ...
at
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* The Robert Robson award for dance: ''
Le Corsaire'',
English National Ballet at
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Best design: ''
Romeo and Juliet'',
HOME (Manchester)
HOME is an arts centre in Manchester, a central part of the city’s artistic ecology, and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Since opening in 2015, HOME has built a reputation for high-quality, adventurous cultural progra ...
* Best newcomer: Emily Barber, ''Billy Liar'',
Royal Exchange
* Best new play: ''An August Bank Holiday Lark'',
Northern Broadsides
Northern Broadsides is a theatre company formed in 1992 and based at Dean Clough Mill in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. It was founded by Barrie Rutter, who was its Artistic Director until resigning in 2018, followed by Conrad Nelson who was ...
at the
Oldham Coliseum Theatre
Oldham Coliseum Theatre is a theatre in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.
Found on Fairbottom Street in the town centre, Oldham's Coliseum is a repertory theatre which celebrated its centenary in 1987. Its interior makes it a great period c ...
* Best studio production: ''We Had Hairy Hands'', The Lowry Studio
* Best fringe production: ''Thick as Thieves'
Hard Graft Theatre Company
* Best studio performance:
Sinead Matthews, ''Pink'', Royal Exchange Studio
* Best fringe performance: Kaitlin Howard, ''The Alphabet Girl''
* Best ensemble: ''Angel Meadow'',
Anu Productions for
HOME (Manchester)
HOME is an arts centre in Manchester, a central part of the city’s artistic ecology, and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Since opening in 2015, HOME has built a reputation for high-quality, adventurous cultural progra ...
* Best special entertainment:
Barry Humphries
John Barry Humphries (born 17 February 1934) is an Australian comedian, actor, author and satirist. He is best known for writing and playing his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. He is also a film pr ...
,
Manchester Opera House
The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the mai ...
* Youth Panel Award: ''
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...
'', Lowry Young Actors Company
* Special achievement award: David Slack
* The Stage Door Foundation award for excellence: Monkeywood Theatre
2013
* Best Actor:
Kenneth Branagh
Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus ...
, ''
Macbeth'',
Manchester International Festival
The Manchester International Festival is a biennial international arts festival, with a specific focus on original new work, held in the English city of Manchester and run by Factory International. The festival is a biennial event, first taking ...
* Best Actress:
Cush Jumbo
Cush Jumbo (born 23 September 1985) is a British actress and writer. She is best known for her leading role as attorney Lucca Quinn in the CBS drama series '' The Good Wife'' (2015–16) and the CBS All Access spin-off series ''The Good Figh ...
,
A Doll's House
''A Doll's House'' ( Danish and nb, Et dukkehjem; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having be ...
,
Royal Exchange
* Best Supporting Actor:
Ray Fearon
Raymond Fearon is an English actor. He played garage mechanic Nathan Harding on ITV's long-running soap opera ''Coronation Street'' and voiced the centaur Firenze in the Wizarding World film series ''Harry Potter'' and '' Fantastic Beasts''.
...
, ''
Macbeth'',
Manchester International Festival
The Manchester International Festival is a biennial international arts festival, with a specific focus on original new work, held in the English city of Manchester and run by Factory International. The festival is a biennial event, first taking ...
* Best Supporting Actress: Shirley Darroch, ''Chicago'',
Oldham Coliseum
Oldham Coliseum Theatre is a theatre in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.
Found on Fairbottom Street in the town centre, Oldham's Coliseum is a repertory theatre which celebrated its centenary in 1987. Its interior makes it a great period ...
* Best Actor in a Visiting Production:
Julian Glover
Julian Wyatt Glover (born 27 March 1935) is an English classical actor with many stage, television, and film roles since commencing his career in the 1950s. He is a recipient of the Laurence Olivier Award and has performed many times for the ...
, ''Maurice's Jubilee'', Opera House
* Best Actress in a Visiting Production:
Catherine Kinsella, ''
Rutherford and Son'',
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Best Production: ''
Macbeth'',
Manchester International Festival
The Manchester International Festival is a biennial international arts festival, with a specific focus on original new work, held in the English city of Manchester and run by Factory International. The festival is a biennial event, first taking ...
* Best Visiting Production: ''War Horse'',
National Theatre at
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Best Musical: ''Singin' In The Rain'', Opera House
* Best opera: ''
Otello'',
Opera North
Opera North is an English opera company based in Leeds. The company's home theatre is the Leeds Grand Theatre, but it also presents regular seasons in several other cities, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, the Lowry Centre, Salford Quays and ...
,
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* The Robert Robson award for dance: ''Michael Clark Triple Bill'',
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Best Design: ''The Old Woman'',
Manchester International Festival
The Manchester International Festival is a biennial international arts festival, with a specific focus on original new work, held in the English city of Manchester and run by Factory International. The festival is a biennial event, first taking ...
, Palace Theatre
* Best Newcomer: Freya Sutton, ''Hairspray'',
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Best New Play: ''Away From Home'',
24:7 Theatre Festival
* Best Studio Production: ''Brilliant Adventures'', Royal Exchange Studio
* Best Fringe Production: ''The Best'', Lass O'Gowrie
* Best Studio Performance:
Robert Lonsdale, ''Brilliant Adventures'', Royal Exchange Studio
* Best Fringe Performance: Rob Ward, ''Away From Home'',
24:7 Theatre Festival
* Best Ensemble: ''Chicago'',
Oldham Coliseum
Oldham Coliseum Theatre is a theatre in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.
Found on Fairbottom Street in the town centre, Oldham's Coliseum is a repertory theatre which celebrated its centenary in 1987. Its interior makes it a great period ...
* Best Special Entertainment: ''Dick Whittington'', Opera House
* Special Achievement Award - Chris Honer, Library Theatre, Manchester
* The Stage Door Foundation award for excellence: Lip Service
2012
* Best Production: ''
Wonderful Town
''Wonderful Town'' is a 1953 musical with book written by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Leonard Bernstein. The musical tells the story of two sisters who aspire to be a writer and act ...
'', directed by
Braham Murray
Braham Sydney Murray, OBE (12 February 1943 – 25 July 2018) was an English theatre director. In 1976, he was one of five founding Artistic Directors of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, and the longest-serving (he retired in 2012).
Ear ...
for the
Royal Exchange at
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Best Studio Production: ''Black Roses'', Royal Exchange Studio
* Best New Play: ''Snookered'' by Ishy Din,
Oldham Coliseum
Oldham Coliseum Theatre is a theatre in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.
Found on Fairbottom Street in the town centre, Oldham's Coliseum is a repertory theatre which celebrated its centenary in 1987. Its interior makes it a great period ...
* Best Visiting Production: ''
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, ...
'',
Royal Shakespeare Company at
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Best Fringe: ''All The Bens'' by Ian Townsend,
24:7 Theatre Festival
* Best Special Entertainment: ''Star Cross'd'',
Oldham Coliseum
Oldham Coliseum Theatre is a theatre in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.
Found on Fairbottom Street in the town centre, Oldham's Coliseum is a repertory theatre which celebrated its centenary in 1987. Its interior makes it a great period ...
* Best Design: ''
Wonderful Town
''Wonderful Town'' is a 1953 musical with book written by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Leonard Bernstein. The musical tells the story of two sisters who aspire to be a writer and act ...
'' for the
Royal Exchange at
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Best Opera: ''
Don Giovanni'',
Opera North
Opera North is an English opera company based in Leeds. The company's home theatre is the Leeds Grand Theatre, but it also presents regular seasons in several other cities, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, the Lowry Centre, Salford Quays and ...
,
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Best Actress in a Visiting Production:
Siân Phillips
Dame Jane Elizabeth Ailwên Phillips (born 14 May 1933), known professionally as Siân Phillips ( ), is a Welsh actress. She has performed the title roles in Ibsen's ''Hedda Gabler'' and George Bernard Shaw's '' Saint Joan''.
Early life
Phi ...
, ''
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 dining o ...
'',
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Best Actor in a Visiting Production:
Ray Fearon
Raymond Fearon is an English actor. He played garage mechanic Nathan Harding on ITV's long-running soap opera ''Coronation Street'' and voiced the centaur Firenze in the Wizarding World film series ''Harry Potter'' and '' Fantastic Beasts''.
...
, ''
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, ...
'',
Royal Shakespeare Company at
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Best Actor:
Christopher Ravenscroft
Christopher Ravenscroft (born 1946) is an English actor, best known for his recurring role as DI Mike Burden in ''The Ruth Rendell Mysteries'', the ITV adaptation of Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford mysteries.
Biography
Ravenscroft was born in ...
, ''
The Winslow Boy
''The Winslow Boy'' is an English play from 1946 by Terence Rattigan based on an incident involving George Archer-Shee in the Edwardian era. The incident took place at the Royal Naval College, Osborne.
Background
Set against the strict c ...
'',
Bolton Octagon
* Best Actress:
Maxine Peake
Maxine Peake (born 14 July 1974) is an English actress and narrator. She is known for her roles as Twinkle in the BBC One sitcom '' dinnerladies'' (1998–2000), Veronica Ball in the hit Channel 4 comedy drama '' Shameless'' (2004–2007), Mart ...
, ''
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 ...
'',
Royal Exchange
* Best Performance in a Studio Production:
Julie Hesmondhalgh, ''Black Roses'', Royal Exchange Studio
* Best Supporting Actor:
Christopher Villiers
Christopher Francis Villiers (born 7 September 1960) is an English actor, screenwriter and producer.
Biography
Villiers was born in London, the son of Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Wing commander David Hugh Villiers (1921–1962) and his s ...
, ''
The Winslow Boy
''The Winslow Boy'' is an English play from 1946 by Terence Rattigan based on an incident involving George Archer-Shee in the Edwardian era. The incident took place at the Royal Naval College, Osborne.
Background
Set against the strict c ...
'',
Bolton Octagon
* Best Supporting Actress: Natalie Grady, ''The Daughter-in-Law'', the Library Theatre
* Best Newcomer:
Tamla Kari, ''Saturday Night and Sunday Morning'',
Royal Exchange
* Best Ensemble: ''Arabian Nights'', the Library Theatre
* Best Musical: ''
The Lion King
''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance ...
'', Palace Theatre
* Best Dance: ''
Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty
''Sleeping Beauty'' (french: La belle au bois dormant, or ''The Beauty in the Sleeping Forest''; german: Dornröschen, or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess cu ...
'',
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Special Award: Porl Cooper
2011
* Best Production: ''
The Price'', directed by
David Thacker
David Thacker (born 21 December 1950) is an English theatre director. He is married to the actress Margot Leicester.
Education
Thacker studied at the University of York.
Theatre
Thacker was the artistic director at the Octagon Theatre Bolton unti ...
for
Bolton Octagon
* Best Actor:
Con O'Neill, ''
A View From The Bridge'',
Royal Exchange
* Best Actress:
Margot Leicester
Margot Leicester (born September 1949) is a British actress. She has appeared in ''King Charles III'' (2017) as Camilla and was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actress in 1995 for ''Broken Glass''. She is also notable for television w ...
, ''
Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?
''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receive ...
'',
Bolton Octagon
* Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Kenneth Alan Taylor, ''
The Price'',
Bolton Octagon
* Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
Shannon Tarbet
Shannon Tarbet (born 27 October 1991) is a British actress who has transitioned from an extensive career in theatre to feature film with main roles in '' Love Is Blind'' (2019) and '' Love Sarah'' (2020), and on television with recurring roles ...
, ''Mogadishu'',
Royal Exchange
* Best New Play: ''Secret Thoughts'' by
David Lodge,
Bolton Octagon
* Best Newcomer: Matthew Tennyson, ''
Beautiful Thing'',
Royal Exchange
* Best Studio Performance: Matthew Ganley, ''God Wept And The Devil Laughed'', Lowry Studio
* Best of the Fringe: ''Sherica'', Balloon Head and Shred Productions,
24:7 Theatre Festival
* Best Design: ''Hard Times'' design Judith Croft; light Nick Richings; sound Peter Rice,
Library Theatre
Manchester Central Library is the headquarters of the city's library and information service in Manchester, England. Facing St Peter's Square, it was designed by E. Vincent Harris and constructed between 1930 and 1934. The form of the buildin ...
at
Murrays' Mills
* Best Musical: ''
Ghost the Musical
''Ghost'' is a musical with book and lyrics by Bruce Joel Rubin and music and lyrics by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard.
Based on the hit 1990 romantic fantasy thriller film of the same name, the musical had its world premiere at the Manche ...
'',
Manchester Opera House
The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the mai ...
* Best Visiting Production: ''
One Man, Two Guvnors
''One Man, Two Guvnors'' is a play by Richard Bean, an English adaptation of ''Servant of Two Masters'' ( it, Il servitore di due padroni), a 1743 Commedia dell'arte style comedy play by the Italian playwright Carlo Goldoni. The play replaces ...
'',
National Theatre at
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Best Actor in a Visiting Production:
Rory Kinnear
Rory Michael Kinnear (born 17 February 1978) is an English actor and playwright who has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre. In 2014, he won the Olivier Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of William Sha ...
, ''
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 ...
'',
National Theatre at
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Best Actress in a Visiting Production:
Sharon D Clarke
Sharon Delores Clarke (born 12 August 1966) is an English actress and singer. She is a three-time Olivier award winner, and is best known to television audiences for her role as Lola Griffin in the medical drama ''Holby City'', and as Grace O'Br ...
, ''Ghost the Musical''
Manchester Opera House
The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the mai ...
* Best Special Entertainment: ''The Life and Death of Marina Abramović'',
Manchester International Festival
The Manchester International Festival is a biennial international arts festival, with a specific focus on original new work, held in the English city of Manchester and run by Factory International. The festival is a biennial event, first taking ...
,
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Opera: ''The Portrait'',
Opera North
Opera North is an English opera company based in Leeds. The company's home theatre is the Leeds Grand Theatre, but it also presents regular seasons in several other cities, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, the Lowry Centre, Salford Quays and ...
,
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Dance: ''
Cinderella
"Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
'',
Birmingham Royal Ballet,
The Lowry
The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex at Salford Quays, Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th-century painter L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex ope ...
* Special Award: For outstanding contribution to North West theatre –
Braham Murray
Braham Sydney Murray, OBE (12 February 1943 – 25 July 2018) was an English theatre director. In 1976, he was one of five founding Artistic Directors of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, and the longest-serving (he retired in 2012).
Ear ...
References
{{Reflist
British theatre awards
2011 establishments in the United Kingdom
Awards established in 2011