Best New Comedy
Winner: Popcorn by Ben Elton at the Apollo
Nominees:
- East Is East by Ayub Khan-Din at the Royal Court
- Popcorn by Ben Elton at the Apollo
- A Skull In Connemara by Martin McDonagh at the Royal Court
Best Entertainment
Winner: Slava’s Snowshow created by Slava Polunin at the Old Vic
Nominees:
- Maureen Lipman Live And Kidding at the Duchess
- Marlene by Pam Gems at the Lyric
- She Knows You Know by Jean Fergusson at the Vaudeville
- Slava’s Snowshow created by Slava Polunin at the Old Vic
Best Actress
Winner: Zoe Wanamaker for Electra at the Donmar Warehouse
Nominees:
- Judi Dench for Amy’s View at the National Theatre Lyttelton and the Aldwych
- Sally Dexter for Closer at the National Theatre Cottesloe and the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Maggie Smith for A Delicate Balance at the Haymarket
- Zoe Wanamaker for Electra at the Donmar Warehouse
Best Actor
Winner: Ian Holm for King Lear at the National Theatre Cottesloe
Nominees:
- Michael Gambon for Tom & Clem at the Aldwych
- Ian Holm for King Lear at the National Theatre Cottesloe
- Simon Russell Beale for Othello at the National Theatre Cottesloe in a co-production with the Salisbury Festival
- Rupert Graves for Hurlyburly at the Queen’s
- John Wood for The Invention Of Lure at the National Theatre Cottesloe and Lyttelton
Best Director
Winner: Richard Eyre for King Lear at the National Theatre Cottesloe
Nominees:
- Walter Bobbie for Chicago at the Adelphi
- Richard Eyre for King Lear at the National Theatre Cottesloe
- Sam Mendes for Othello at the National Theatre Cottesloe in a co-production with the Salisbury Festival
- Matthew Warchus for Hamlet, RSC at the Barbican
Best Set Designer
Winner: Tim Goodchild for Three Hours After Marriage, RSC at the Barbican Pit
Nominees:
- William Dudley for The Homecoming at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Tim Goodchild for Three Hours After Marriage, RSC at the Barbican Pit
- John Gunter for The Peter Hall Company’s Season at the Old Vic
- Rob Howell for Chips With Everything at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Best Lighting Designer
Winner: Rick Fisher for Chips With Everything and Lady In The Dark at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Nominees:
- Paul Anderson for The Chairs at the Royal Court
- Rick Fisher for Chips With Everything and Lady In The Dark at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Howard Harrison for The Fix at the Donmar Warehouse
- Hugh Vanstone for Hamlet, RSC at the Barbican
Best Costume Designer
Winner: Tim Goodchild for Three Hours After Marriage, RSC at the Barbican Pit
Nominees:
- Nicky Gillibrand for Lady In The Dark, at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Tim Goodchild for Three Hours After Marriage, RSC at the Barbican Pit
- Ann Hould-Ward for Beauty And The Beast at the Dominion
- William Ivey Long for Chicago at the Adelphi
Best Theatre Choreographer
Winner: Simon McBurney for The Caucasian Chalk Circle, in collaboration with Theatre de Complicite at the National Theatre Olivier
Nominees:
- Simon McBurney for The Caucasian Chalk Circle, in collaboration with Theatre de Complicite at the National Theatre Olivier
- Rob Marshall for Damn Yankees at the Adelphi
- Ann Reinking for Chicago at the Adelphi
- Matt West for Beauty And The Beast at the Dominion
Best New Opera Production
Winner: The Royal Opera’s Paul Bunyan at the Shaftesbury
Nominees:
- English National Opera and Opera North’s Falstaff at the London Coliseum
- The Royal Opera’s Palestrina at the Royal Opera House
- The Royal Opera’s Paul Bunyan at the Shaftesbury
- The Royal Opera’s Platee at the Barbican
Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Winner: Paul Daniel for conducting English National Opera’s From The House Of The Deal at the London Coliseum and for his contribution to English National Opera
Nominees:
- Paul Daniel for conducting English National Opera’s From The House Of The Deal at the London Coliseum and for his contribution to English National Opera
- Alan Opie for his performance in English National Opera and Opera North’s Falstaff at the London Coliseum
- The Royal Opera’s creative team: Nikolaus Leloff (director), Tobias Moheisel, Bettina J Walker and Mark Hendersen for their opera Palestrina at the Royal Opera House
- Francesco Zambello for directing the Royal Opera’s Paul Bunyan at the Shaftesbury
Best New Dance Production
Winner: L’Allegro, Il Penseroso Ed Il Moderato performed by Mark Morris Dance Group, English National Opera in association with Dance Umbrella, at the London Coliseum
Nominees:
- L’Allegro, Il Penseroso Ed Il Moderato performed by Mark Morris Dance Group, English National Opera in association with Dance Umbrella, at the London Coliseum
- The Birmingham Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker Sweeties at the Royal Opera House
- The English National Ballet’s Swan Lake in the round, in association with Raymond Gubbay at the Royal Albert Hall
Outstanding Achievement in Dance
Winner: Lez Brotherston for the set design and costume for Adventures In Motion Pictures’s Cinderella at the Piccadilly
Nominees:
- Altynai Asylmuratova for her performance in English National Ballet’s Swan Lake in the round, in association with Raymond Gubbay at the Royal Albert Hall
- Lez Brotherston for the set design and costume for Adventures In Motion Pictures’s Cinderella at the Piccadilly
- Mark Morris for his choreography of L’Allegro, Il Penseroso Ed Il Moderato, performed by the Mark Morris dance group, English National Opera in association with dance Umbrella, at the London Coliseum
Best Performance in a Supporting Role
Winner: Sarah Woodward for Tom & Clem at the Aldwych
Nominees:
- Sarah Woodward for Tom & Clem at the Aldwych
- Michael Bryant for King Lear at the National Theatre Cottesloe
- Ronald Pickup for Amy’s View at the National Theatre Lyttelton and the Aldwych
- Paul Rhys for King Lear at the National Theatre Cottesloe
Best Actor in a Musical
Winner: Philip Quast for The Fix at the Donmar Warehouse
Nominees:
- John Barrowman for The Fix at the Donmar Warehouse
- Henry Goodman for Chicago at the Adelphi
- Philip Quast for The Fix at the Donmar Warehouse
- Andrew C Wadsworth for Kiss Me Kate at the Regent’s Park Open Air
Best Actress in a Musical
Winner: Ute Lemper for Chicago at the Adelphi
Nominees:
- Maria Friedman for Lady In The Dark at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Ruthie Henshall for Chicago at the Adelphi
- Ute Lemper for Chicago at the Adelphi
- Sian Philips for Marlene at the Lyric
Best Supporting Performance in a Musical
Winner: James Dreyfus for Lady In The Dark at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Nominees:
- James Dreyfus for Lady In The Dark at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Nicky Henson for Enter The Guardsman at the Donmar Warehouse
- April Nixon for Damn Yankees at the Adelphi
- Issy van Randwyck for Kiss Me Kate at the Regent’s Park Open Air
The American Express Award for Best New Musical
Winner: Beauty And The Beast, music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, book by Linda Wolverton, at the Dominion
Nominees:
- Beauty And The Beast, music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, book by Linda Wolverton, at the Dominion
- Enter The Guardsman, book by Scott Wentworth, music by Craig Bohmer, lyrics by Marian Adler, based on “The Guardsman” by Ferenc Molnar, at the Donmar Warehouse
- The Fix, book and lyrics by John Dempsey, music by Dana P Rowe, at the Donmar Warehouse
- Lady In The Dark, a musical play by Moss Hart, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and music by Kurt Weill, at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Outstanding Musical Production
Winner: Chicago, lyrics by Fred Ebb, music by John Kander, book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, at the Adelphi
Nominees:
- Chicago, lyrics by Fred Ebb, music by John Kander, book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, at the Adelphi
- Damn Yankees, book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, words and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, at the Adelphi, based on Douglass Wallop’s novel The Year The Yankees Lost the Pennant, book revisions by Jack O’Brien
- Kiss Me Kate, music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Bella and Samuel Spewack, at the Regent’s Park Open Air
BBC Award for the Play of the Year
Winner: Closer by Patrick Marber at the National Theatre Cottesloe and the National Theatre Lyttelton
Nominees:
- Amy’s View by David Hare at the National Theatre Lyttelton and the Aldwych
- Closer by Patrick Marber at the National Theatre Cottesloe and the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Hurlyburly by David Rabe at the Queen’s
- The Invention Of Love by Tom Stoppard at the National Theatre Cottesloe and the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Tom & Clem by Stephen Churchett at the Aldwych
The Society’s Special Award
Ed and David Mirvish in recognition of their outstanding contribution to restoring and operating London’s historic site, the Old Vic