The Theatrical Management Association, an umbrella organisation representing owners and managers of performing arts venues throughout the UK, has announced the nominations for its annual Theatre Awards UK.
For the first time, the winner of one of the sixteen categories, for best touring production, will be decided by a public vote, organised by The Stage newspaper, the official media partner to this year's awards, through its web site.
The winners will be announced at a lunchtime ceremony at the Guildhall in London on Sunday 28 October. Votes for the best touring production can be submitted to www.thestage.co.uk/theatreawardsuk until 22 October.
The full list of nominations is:
Best new play
- Lungs by Duncan MacMillan, a Sheffield Theatres and Paines Plough co-production at the Crucible Studio, Sheffield
- South Downs by David Hare a Chichester Festival Theatre production
- In the Next Room by Sarah Ruhl a Theatre Royal Bath production in the Ustinov Studio
Best performance in a play
- Leanne Best for The Match Box a Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse production
- Henry Goodman for The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui a Chichester Festival Theatre production
- Tim Pigott-Smith for King Lear a West Yorkshire Playhouse production
Best supporting performance
- Stephen Boxer for Written on the Heart by David Edgar a Royal Shakespeare Company production at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon
- Claire-Louise Caldwell for Beautiful Thing a Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester production
- Aidan McArdle for Democracy a Sheffield Theatres production at the Crucible, Sheffield
Best musical production
- Company directed by Jonathan Munby a Sheffield Theatres production at the Crucible, Sheffield
- The Go-Between directed by Roger Haines a West Yorkshire Playhouse, Royal & Derngate, Northampton and Derby LIVE! production at West Yorkshire Playhouse
- Sweeney Todd directed by Jonathan Kent a Chichester Festival Theatre production
Best performance in a musical
- Michael Ball for Sweeney Todd a Chichester Festival Theatre production
- Daniel Evans for Company a Sheffield Theatres production at the Crucible, Sheffield
- Imelda Staunton for Sweeney Todd a Chichester Festival Theatre production
Best show for children and young people
- Alice in Wonderland a New Vic Theatre production at the New Vic, Newcastle-under-Lyme
- The Curious Scrapbook of Josephine Bean by Shona Reppe on tour
- Something Very Far Away a Unicorn Theatre production
Best touring production
- Anne Boleyn - English Touring Theatre's presentation of the Shakespeare's Globe production
- The King and I - Music and Lyrics with Curve Theatre, Leicester
- Reasons to be Cheerful - Graeae and New Wolsey Theatre production
- Swallows and Amazons - The Children’s Touring Partnership in association with the National Theatre presenting Bristol Old Vic’s production
- We Are Three Sisters – a Northern Broadside production
Best director
- Joe Harmston for The Father by August Strindberg adapted by Laurie Slade, a Belgrade Theatre production
- Dominic Hill for Krapp's Last Tape / Footfalls by Samuel Beckett a Citizens Theatre production
- Garry Hynes for Druidmurphy—plays by Tom Murphy Famine, Conversations on a Homecoming and A Whistle in the Dark—produced by Druid Theatre Company, at Hampstead Theatre and Oxford Playhouse
Best design
- Gary McCann for The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry, music and lyrics by Nicholas Lloyd Webber and James D. Reid, Lyric Theatre Belfast in association with Lamplighter Drama at the Lyric, Belfast
- Amanda Stoodley for Manchester Lines a Library Theatre Company production
- Neil Warmington for Further than the Furthest Thing a Dundee Rep Ensemble production at Dundee Rep
Achievement in opera
- Glyndebourne Festival Opera for its production of Le Nozze Di Figaro
- Oliver Mears for his inspiring leadership of Northern Ireland Opera
- Christopher Alden’s production of Norma for Opera North, a co-production with Theater Chemnitz, with Annemarie Kremer in the title role
Achievement in dance
- DV8 Physical Theatre for their courageous and innovative blend of dance and speech
- Akram Khan for Desh - the epic scale of a very personal journey
- Michael Hulls for his brilliant contribution to lighting for dance: in particular for this year’s Desh, Torsion and The Rodin Project
Theatre employee / manager of the year
- Ciaran McAuley - Lyric Theatre, Belfast
- Janthi Mills - Belgrade Theatre
- Graham Sutherland - Citizens Theatre
- Erica Whyman - Northern Stage
Achievement in marketing
- The Marlowe Theatre
- Shakespeare’s Globe
- York Theatre Royal
Most welcoming theatre
- Chipping Norton Theatre
- Curve (Leicester Theatre Trust Ltd.)
- New Wolsey Theatre
Promotion of diversity
- Graeae Theatre Company
- Oldham Coliseum Theatre
- Theatre Royal Stratford East
The Renee Stepham Award for best presentation of touring theatre
- Graeae/New Wolsey Theatre
- Hull Truck Theatre
- Music and Lyrics Limited