Best Comedy
Winner: Out Of Order by Ray Cooney at the Shaftesbury
Nominees:
- Gasping by Ben Elton at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
- Out Of Order by Ray Cooney at the Shaftesbury
Best Entertainment
Winner: Five Guys Named Moe by Clarke Peters at the Lyric
Nominees:
- An Evening With Peter Ustinov at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
- Five Guys Named Moe by Clarke Peters at the Lyric
- Victoria Wood Up West at the Strand
Best Director of a Play
Winner: David Thacker for Pericles, RSC at the Barbican Pit
Nominees:
- Richard Eyre for Richard III at the National Theatre Lyttelton and White Chameleon at the National Theatre Cottesloe
- Nicholas Hytner for The Wind In The Willows at the National Theatre Olivier
- Patrick Mason for Dancing At Lughnasa at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- David Thacker for Pericles, RSC at the Barbican Pit
Best Director of a Musical
Winner: Richard Jones for Into The Woods at the Phoenix
Nominees:
- Charles Augins for Five Guys Named Moe at the Lyric
- Richard Jones for Into The Woods at the Phoenix
- Ian Judge for Show Boat at the London Palladium
- Steven Pimlott for Sunday In The Park With George at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Best Set Designer
Winner: Mark Thompson for The Wind In The Willows at the National Theatre Olivier
Nominees:
- Tom Cairns for Sunday In The Park With George at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- William Dudley for Marya at the Old Vic
- Nigel Lowery for The Illusion at the Old Vic
- Mark Thompson for The Wind In The Willows at the National Theatre Olivier
Best Lighting Designer
Winner: Jean Kalman for Richard III at the National Theatre Lyttelton and White Chameleon at the National Theatre Cottesloe
Nominees:
- Alan Burrett for Three Sisters at the Royal Court
- Pat Collins for The Illusion at the Old Vic
- Jean Kalman for Richard III at the National Theatre Lyttelton and White Chameleon at the National Theatre Cottesloe
- Paul Pyant for The Wind In The Willows at the National Theatre Olivier
Best Costume Designer
Winner: Jasper Conran for The Rehearsal at the Garrick
Nominees:
- Sue Blane for Into The Woods at the Phoenix
- Tom Cairns for Sunday In The Park With George at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Jasper Conran for The Rehearsal at the Garrick
- Mark Thompson for The Wind In The Willows at the National Theatre Olivier
Actor of the Year
Winner: Ian McKellen for Richard III at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Nominees:
- Richard Harris for Henry IV at the Wyndham’s
- John Malkovich for Burn This at the Lyric
- Ian McKellen for Richard III at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Warren Mitchell for The Homecoming at the Comedy
Best Theatre Choreographer
Winner: Charles Augins for Five Guys Named Moe at the Lyric
Nominees:
- Charles Augins for Five Guys Named Moe at the Lyric
- Terry John Bates for Dancing At Lughnasa at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Lawrence Evans for The Trackers Of Oxyrhynchus at the National Theatre Olivier
Actress of the Year
Winner: Kathryn Hunter for The Visit at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Nominees:
- Penny Downie for Scenes From A Marriage at the Wyndham’s
- Kathryn Hunter for The Visit at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Barbara Jefford for Coriolanus, RSC at the Barbican
- Josette Simon for After The Fall at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Comedy Performance of the Year
Winner: Alan Cumming for Accidental Death Of An Anarchist at the National Theatre Cottesloe
Nominees:
- Richard Briers for The Wind In The Willows at the National Theatre Olivier
- Alan Cumming for Accidental Death Of An Anarchist at the National Theatre Cottesloe
- Griff Rhys Jones for The Wind In The Willows at the National Theatre Olivier
- Joseph Maher for What The Butler Saw at the Wyndham’s
Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Winner: Mark Elder for conducting English National Opera’s productions of Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, Macbeth, Pelleas And Melisande and Wozzeck at the London Coliseum
Nominees:
- English National Opera’s Greek at the London Coliseum
- Tim Albery for directing the Scottish Opera’s The Trojans at the Royal Opera House
- English National Opera’s Duke Bluebeard’s Castle at the London Coliseum
- Mark Elder for conducting English National Opera’s productions of Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, Macbeth, Pelleas And Melisande and Wozzeck at the London Coliseum
- The Royal Opera’s The Cunning Little Vixen at the Royal Opera House
- Eva Marton for her performance in The Royal Opera’s Elektra at the Royal Opera House
Outstanding Achievement in Dance
Winner: Twyla Tharp and Jennifer Tipton for choreography and lighting of The American Ballet Theatre’s In The Upper Room at the London Coliseum
Nominees:
- The Phoenix Dance Company for its season at Sadler’s Wells
- Darcey Bussell for her performances in The Royal Ballet’s Winter Dreams and Stravinsky Violin Concerto at the Royal Opera House
- Kenneth MacMillan for The Royal Ballet’s Winter Dreams at the Royal Opera House
- Mark Morris for The American Ballet’s Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes at the London Coliseum
- Siobhan Davies and dancers for their season at Sadler’s Wells
- Twyla Tharp and Jennifer Tipton for choreography and lighting of The American Ballet Theatre’s In The Upper Room at the London Coliseum
Performance of the Year by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner: David Bradley for King Lear at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Nominees:
- David Bradley for King Lear at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Ben Daniels for Never The Sinner at the Playhouse
- Mick Ford for Singer, RSC at the Barbican
- Jonathan Kent for The Rehearsal at the Garrick
Performance of the Year by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner: Sara Crowe for Private Lives at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Nominees:
- Sara Crowe for Private Lives at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Maria Miles for The Wild Duck at the Phoenix
- Anita Reeves for Dancing At Lughnasa at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Zoe Wanamaker for The Crucible at the National Theatre Olivier
Outstanding Performance of the Year by an Actor in a Musical
Winner: Philip Quast for Sunday In The Park With George at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Nominees:
- Ian Bartholomew for Into The Woods at the Phoenix
- Bruce Hubbard for Show Boat at the London Palladium
- Paul J Medford for Five Guys Named Moe at the Lyric
- Philip Quast for Sunday In The Park With George at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Outstanding Performance of the Year by an Actress in a Musical
Winner: Imelda Staunton for Into The Woods at the Phoenix
Nominees:
- Sally Burgess for Show Boat at the London Palladium
- Maria Friedman for Sunday In The Park With George at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Julia McKenzie for Into The Woods at the Phoenix
- Imelda Staunton for Into The Woods at the Phoenix
Best Supporting Performance in a Musical
Winner: Karla Burns for Show Boat at the London Palladium
Nominees:
- Sandra Browne for The King And I at Sadler’s Wells
- Karla Burns for Show Boat at the London Palladium
- Clive Carter for Into The Woods at the Phoenix
Best Revival of a Play or Comedy
Winner: Pericles by William Shakespeare, RSC at the Barbican Pit
Nominees:
- Accidental Death Of An Anarchist by Dario Fo at the National Theatre Cottesloe
- Kean by Jean Paul Sartre from a play by Alexandre Dumas Pere, translated by Frank Hauser, at the Old Vic
- Pericles by William Shakespeare, RSC at the Barbican Pit
- The Wild Duck by Henrik Ibsen at the Phoenix
The American Express Award for Best New Musical
Winner: Sunday In The Park With George, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine, at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Nominees:
- Into The Woods, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine, at the Phoenix
- Sunday In The Park With George, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine, at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Best Musical Revival
Winner: Show Boat, music by Jerome Kern, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, at the London Palladium
Nominees:
- Show Boat, music by Jerome Kern, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, at the London Palladium
- The Fantasticks, music by Harvey Schmidt, book and lyrics by Tom Jones at the Regent’s Park Open Air
- The Rocky Horror Show by Richard O’Brien at the Piccadilly
BBC Award for the Play of the Year
Winner: Dancing At Lughnasa by Brian Friel at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Nominees:
- Dancing At Lughnasa by Brian Friel at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Singer by Peter Flannery, RSC at the Barbican Pit
- The Trackers Of Oxyrhynchus by Tony Harrison at the National Theatre Olivier
- White Chameleon by Christopher Hampton at the National Theatre Cottesloe
The Observer Award for Outstanding Achievement
Winner: Cameron Mackintosh for his creative contribution to West End theatre and his generous donations to Oxford University (for a visiting drama professorship), The Royal National Theatre (for the presentation of Great Musicals) and the Tricycle, Kilburn
Nominees:
- The Almeida theatre under the artistic direction of Ian McDiarmid and Jonathon Kent for Volpone, The Rehearsal and Betrayal
- Field Day Theatre Company for 10 years’ achievement in presenting Irish drama across all borders, under the leadership of Stephen Rea and Brian Friel
- Cameron Mackintosh for his creative contribution to West End theatre and his generous donations to Oxford University (for a visiting drama professorship), The Royal National Theatre (for the presentation of Great Musicals) and the Tricycle, Kilburn
- Robert Lepage for Theatre Repere’s production of Tectonic Plates, at the National Theatre Cottesloe
The Society’s Special Award
Dame Peggy Ashcroft