Designer of the Year
Winner: John Gunter for Guys And Dolls at the National Theatre Olivier
Nominees:
- Farrah for Poppy, RSC at the Barbican
- John Gunter for Guys And Dolls at the National Theatre Olivier
- Carl Toms for Windy City at the Victoria Palace
- Ultz for Twin Rivals, RSC at The Pit
Director of the Year
Winner: Richard Eyre for Guys And Dolls, at the National Theatre Olivier
Nominees:
- Michael Bogdanov for Uncle Vanya at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Richard Eyre for Guys And Dolls at the National Theatre Olivier
- Adrian Noble for A Doll’s House, RSC at The Pit
- James Roose-Evans for 84 Charing Cross Road at the Ambassadors
Actor of the Year in a Revival
Winner: Stephen Moore for A Doll’s House, RSC at The Pit
Nominees:
- Joss Ackland for Henry IV, RSC at the Barbican
- Stephen Moore for A Doll’s House, RSC at The Pit
- Trevor Peacock for Hobson’s Choice at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
- Donald Sinden for Uncle Vanya at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
Actress of the Year in a Revival
Winner: Cheryl Campbell for A Doll’s House, RSC at The Pit
Nominees:
- Cheryl Campbell for A Doll’s House, RSC at The Pit
- Judi Dench for The Importance Of Being Earnest at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Felicity Kendal for The Second Mrs Tanqueray at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Mary Maddox for Rocket To The Moon at the Apollo
Actor of the Year in a New Play
Winner: Ian McDiarmid for Insignificance at the Royal Court
Nominees:
- Rupert Everett for Another Country at the Queen’s
- Alec McCowen for The Portage To San Cristobal of A H at the Mermaid
- Ian McDiarmid for Insignificance at the Royal Court
- David Swift for 84 Charing Cross Road at the Ambassadors
Actress of the Year in a New Play
Winner: Rosemary Leach for 84 Charing Cross Road at the Ambassadors
Nominees:
- Judy Davis for Insignificance at the Royal Court
- Judi Dench for Other Places at the National Theatre Cottesloe
- Rosemary Leach for 84 Charing Cross Road at the Ambassadors
- Anna Massey for Summer at the National Theatre Cottesloe
Comedy Performance of the Year
Winner: Geoffrey Hutchings for Poppy RSC at the Barbican
Nominees:
- Jane Carr for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, RSC at the Barbican
- Paul Eddington for Noises Off at the Savoy
- Geoffrey Hutchings for Poppy, RSC at the Barbican
- Bill Paterson for Schweyk In The Second World War at the National Theatre Olivier
Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Winner: Rigoletto, English National Opera at the London Coliseum
Nominees:
- Agrippina, Kent Opera at Sadler’s Wells
- Falstaff, The Royal Opera at the Royal Opera House
- I Puritani, Welsh National Opera at the Dominion
- Rigoletto, English National Opera at the London Coliseum
Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role
Winner: David Healy for Guys And Dolls, at the National Theatre Olivier
Nominees:
- David Healy for Guys And Dolls at the National Theatre Olivier
- Geoffrey Hutchings for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, RSC at the Barbican
- Stephen Moore for All’s Well That Ends Well, RSC at the Barbican
- Paul Rogers for The Importance Of Being Earnest at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Actress of the Year in a Supporting Role
Winner: Anna Massey for The Importance Of Being Earnest at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Nominees:
- Nicola Blackman for Destry Rides Again at the Donmar Warehouse
- Sheila Hancock for The Winter’s Tale, RSC at the Barbican
- Carole Hayman for Top Girls at the Royal Court
- Anna Massey for The Importance Of Being Earnest, at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Actor of the Year in a Musical
Winner: Roy Hudd for Underneath The Arches at the Prince of Wales
Nominees:
- Tim Curry for The Pirates Of Penzance at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
- Bob Hoskins for Guys And Dolls at the NT Olivier
- Roy Hudd for Underneath The Arches at the Prince of Wales
- Stephen Moore for Poppy, RSC at the Barbican
Actress of the Year in a Musical
Winner: Julia McKenzie for Guys And Dolls, at the National Theatre Olivier
Nominees:
- Julia McKenzie for Guys And Dolls at the National Theatre Olivier
- Val McLane for Andy Capp at the Aldwych
- Imelda Staunton for The Beggar’s Opera at the National Theatre Cottesloe
- Marti Webb for Song And Dance at the Palace
Outstanding Achievement of the Year in a Musical
Winner: Guys And Dolls at the National Theatre Olivier
Nominees:
- Guys And Dolls at the National Theatre Olivier
- The Pirates Of Penzance at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- Song And Dance at the Palace
- The Beggar’s Opera at the National Theatre Cottesloe
Most Promising Newcomer of the Year in Theatre
Winner: Kenneth Branagh for Another Country at the Queen’s
Nominees:
- Kenneth Branagh for Another Country at the Queen’s
- Rupert Everett for Another Country at the Queen’s
- Terry Johnson for Insignificance at the Royal Court
- Imelda Staunton for The Beggar’s Opera at the National Theatre Cottesloe
Outstanding First Achievement of the Year in Opera
Winner: Jeffrey Tate for The Royal Opera’s La Clemenza Di Tito at the Royal Opera House
Nominees:
- Robert Dean for English National Opera’s Pelleas And Melisande at the London Coliseum
- Anne-Marie Owens for English National Opera’s The Barber Of Seville at the London Coliseum
- Lynda Russell for Hardel Opera’s Partenope at Sadler’s Wells
- Jeffrey Tate for The Royal Opera’s La Clemenza Di Tito at the Royal Opera House
Outstanding First Achievement of the Year in Ballet
Winner: Elisabeth Platel for Le Ballet De L’Opera De Paris’s La Sylphide at the Royal Opera House
Nominees:
- Alessandra Ferri for The Royal Ballet’s Mayerling at the Royal Opera House
- Evelyn Hart for the Royal Winnipey Ballet’s Belong at Sadler’s Wells
- Jean Yves Lormeau for Le Ballet De L’Opera De Paris’s Le Songe D’Une Nuit D’Ete at the Royal Opera House
- Elisabeth Platel for Le Ballet De L’Opera De Paris’s La Sylphide at the Royal Opera House
Outstanding Achievement of the Year in Ballet
Winner: Le Songe D’Une Nuit D’Ete, Le Ballet De L’Opera De Paris at the Royal Opera House
Nominees:
- Ghost Dances, Ballet Rambert at Sadler’s Wells
- Illuminations, The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House
- Le Songe D’Une Nuit D’Ete, Le Ballet De L’Opera De Paris at the Royal Opera House
- L’Invitation Au Voyage, The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House
Comedy of the Year
Winner: Noises Off by Michael Frayn at the Savoy
Nominees:
- Key For Two by John Chapman and Dave Freeman at the Vaudeville
- Noises Off by Michael Frayn at the Savoy
- Season’s Greetings by Alan Ayckbourn at the Apollo
- Trafford Tanzi by Claire Luckham at the Mermaid
Musical of the Year
Winner: Poppy, book and lyrics by Peter Nichols, music by Monty Norman, RSC at the Barbican
Nominees:
- Andy Capp, book and lyrics by Trevor Peacock, music and lyrics by Alan Price, at the Aldwych
- Poppy, book and lyrics by Peter Nichols, music by Monty Norman, RSC at the Barbican
- Underneath The Arches by Patrick Garland, Brian Glanville and Roy Hudd in association with Chesney Allen at the Prince of Wales
- Windy City, book and lyrics by Dick Vosburgh, music by Tony Macaulay, based on the play “The Front Page” by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur at the Victoria Palace
Play of the Year
Winner: Another Country by Julian Mitchell at the Queen’s
Nominees:
- Insignificance by Terry Johnson at the Royal Court
- Another Country by Julian Mitchell at the Queen’s
- 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff, adapted by James Roose-Evans at the Ambassadors
- Our Friends In The North by Peter Flannery, RSC at The Pit
The Society’s Special Award
Charles Wintour, former Editor, Evening Standard