Recognising excellence in emerging theatre talent across the UK, The Stage Debut Awards cover performance, design, creativity, writing and composing categories.
Each one is specific to debut work yet many of the nominees’ names will be familiar to watchers of Killing Eve, The Crown and Game of Thrones as Jodie Comer, Emma Corrin and Emilia Clarke are amongst those who go head to head in the Best West End Debut Performer category.
Association with hugely popular television series may swing the vote in favour of one of the more familiar candidates as this is the only category to be chosen by public vote.
Away from the West End, the shortlist for Best Performer in a Play notably includes the entire cast for Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, first seen at London's New Diorama and then at the Royal Court Theatre. The ensemble is up against eight others including Joe Usher in Rock / Paper / Scissors from Sheffield Theatres, Dewi Wykes in Petula at National Theatre Wales and Saba Shiraz in An Adventure at the Octagon Theatre Bolton, as well as London-based contenders.
The list for Best Performer in a Musical is shorter, only five, including two from Spring Awakening at the Almeida, London (Bella Maclean and Hoe Pitts) and only one from outside the capital, Elijah Ferreira in Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Leeds Playhouse.
Leeds Playhouse comes up again with a best design nomination for Caitlin Mawhinney for My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored / Teechers Leavers.
A full list of nominees is available online to free and full subscribers. Public voting for the Best West End Debut Performer Award takes place online and is open until midday on 4 September.