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In a distinguished gathering that celebrated theatrical excellence, Andrew Scott, David Tennant, and Sophie Okonedo were bestowed with acting accolades at the 33rd U.K. Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards. These awards, keenly anticipated by the theatre community, underscore the vibrancy and dynamism of the British stage.
Andrew Scott achieved a remarkable feat by securing the Best Actor award for his performance in Vanya, a one-man adaptation of Chekhov that showcased his versatility through the portrayal of eight disparate characters engaged in dialogue. This accolade follows his recent triumph as Best Actor at the Critics’ Circle Film Awards in February. Remarkably, Scott’s achievement in the theater category rendered him the inaugural individual to clinch the same award at both the Film Awards and the Theatre Awards, events both orchestrated by the umbrella organization, the UK Critics’ Circle.
Sophie Okonedo was honored with the Best Actress award for her compelling portrayal of the title character in Medea, presented at @sohoplace. The Trewin Award for Best Shakespearean Performance was awarded to David Tennant for his riveting portrayal in the Donmar Warehouse’s production of Macbeth.
The Best Director accolade was awarded to Rupert Goold for Dear England, a production penned by James Graham at the National Theater. The narrative revisits Gareth Southgate’s transformative leadership of the England football team, with Joseph Fiennes, who incarnates Southgate in both the stage production and its forthcoming BBC adaptation, present at the award ceremony.
The accolade for Most Promising Playwright was jointly awarded to Marcelo dos Santos for Backstairs Billy and Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini for Sleepova. The latter, a coming-of-age narrative celebrating black female friendship, marked the stage debut of 2021 BAFTA Rising Star winner Bukky Bakray at the Bush Theater.
Nicholas Hytner’s production of Guys & Dolls was honored with the Peter Hepple Award for Best Musical. In a dual award scenario, the Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer was shared by Jack Wolfe, for his role in the Donmar Theater’s rock musical Next to Normal, and Louis McCartney, who leads in Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a theatrical spin-off of the acclaimed Netflix series. The Best Designer Award was conferred upon Miriam Buether with 59 Productions for their work on Stranger Things: The First Shadow.
Jack Thorne’s The Motive and the Cue, an exploration of the tensions between John Gielgud and Richard Burton during their 1964 rehearsal of Hamlet, secured the Michael Billington Award for Best New Play. Directed by Sam Mendes, the production, featuring Johnny Flynn as Burton and Mark Gatiss as Gielgud, received critical acclaim during its run at the National Theater before transferring to the West End.
The 2024 Empty Space Peter Brook Award, recognizing innovation in theater, was awarded to the Orange Tree, Richmond. This accolade, commemorating the legacy of the late director Peter Brook, was the first U.K. theater award named in his honor, curated for the Critics’ Circle by founder Blanche Marvin.
The awards celebrated works produced in 2023, spotlighting the luminous talent and creativity within the British theater scene.