1 year ago
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Image source, Helen Murray
Prima Facie marked Jodie Comer's archetypal ever starring relation successful the West End
By Steven McIntosh
Entertainment reporter
Jodie Comer was among the winners astatine the archetypal gender-neutral WhatsOnStage Awards, which saw each 4 of the large acting prizes spell to women.
The Killing Eve prima was named champion performer successful a play astatine Sunday's ceremonial aft starring successful intersexual battle play Prima Facie past year.
Other winners included the stars of To Kill A Mockingbird and Legally Blonde.
There was lone 1 antheral victor for acting - successful a recently created further class for champion nonrecreational debut.
The WhatsOnStage Awards, wherever the winners are voted by the public, person tally annually since 2008, but this is the archetypal twelvemonth wherever the starring and supporting categories were named "best performer" alternatively of champion histrion oregon actress.
More awards ceremonies person been going sex neutral successful caller years to let non-binary performers to compete. But astatine different ceremonies, this has often resulted successful an imbalance successful favour of men.
The Brit Awards attracted disapproval this year aft their determination to merge champion antheral and champion pistillate into 1 champion creator class resulted successful an all-male shortlist, which Harry Styles yet won.
Image source, Lia Toby
Image caption,Gwyneth Keyworth was named champion supporting performer successful a play for her relation of Scout successful To Kill a Mockingbird
The archetypal gender-neutral WhatsOnStage Awards saw men nominated successful each of the large acting categories, but the 4 main prizes went to women.
They were Comer for Prima Facie, To Kill a Mockingbird's Gwyneth Keyworth, and Legally Blonde stars Courtney Bowman and Lauren Drew.
The determination to merge the gendered categories meant the fig of acting prizes was astir halved, though the ceremonial maintained abstracted awards for plays and musicals.
However, the awards assemblage besides introduced an further acting prize this twelvemonth for newcomers. The inaugural champion nonrecreational debut trophy was won by 19-year-old Joe Locke, who appeared successful The Trials astatine the Donmar Warehouse.
There were 5 wins for a signifier adaptation of Japanese animation classical My Neighbour Totoro
Comer was praised for her portrayal successful the one-woman amusement Prima Facie of a lawyer who struggles to reconcile her occupation of defending men accused of rape aft she is sexually assaulted herself.
Other large winners astatine Sunday's awards included My Neighbour Totoro, a signifier adaptation of the Japanese animation classic, which won 5 of the 9 awards it was nominated for.
Legally Blonde, an adaptation of the Reese Witherspoon movie astir a fashion-loving lawyer, besides won big, scooping 2 of the acting prizes.
Bonnie & Clyde the Musical and Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! won champion caller philharmonic and champion philharmonic revival respectively, portion Prima Facie and Cock were named champion caller play and champion play revival.
Image source, PA Media
Image caption,Lucie Jones won champion takeover show for the relation of Elphaba successful Wicked
Image source, PA Media
Image caption,Comer was named champion performer successful a play for her show successful Prima Facie
A West End transportation of To Kill A Mockingbird, Aaron Sorkin's adaptation of the classical Harper Lee novel, won an acting prize for Keyworth, who plays Scout Finch - the young miss whose position the communicative is told from.
Former X Factor contestant Lucie Jones, who presently stars successful the long-running Wicked, won champion takeover show - an grant fixed to an histrion who has inherited a large relation from a erstwhile actor.
The WhatsOnStage Awards person been held annually for 15 years, though during a Covid lockdown successful 2021 the ceremonial was held virtually, and portion theatres were closed it alternatively honoured members of the nationalist who had supported theatre during the pandemic.
The winners successful full
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,Legally Blonde's Courtney Bowman was named champion performer successful a musical
Best performer successful a philharmonic - Courtney Bowman, Legally Blonde, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Best supporting performer successful a philharmonic - Lauren Drew, Legally Blonde, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Best performer successful a play - Jodie Comer, Prima Facie, Harold Pinter Theatre
Best supporting performer successful a play - Gwyneth Keyworth, To Kill a Mockingbird, Gielgud Theatre
Best takeover show - Lucie Jones, Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre
Best nonrecreational debut show - Joe Locke, The Trials, Donmar Warehouse
Best caller philharmonic - Bonnie & Clyde the Musical, Arts Theatre
Best philharmonic revival - Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, Young Vic
Best caller play - Prima Facie, Harold Pinter Theatre
Best play revival - Cock, Ambassadors Theatre
Best West End amusement - Six, Vaudeville Theatre
Best determination accumulation - Billy Elliot the Musical, Curve, Leicester
Best off-West End Production - But I'm A Cheerleader: The Musical, The Turbine Theatre
Best performance lawsuit - Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends, Sondheim Theatre
Best absorption - Phelim McDermott, My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre
Best philharmonic direction/supervision - Bruce O'Neil and Matt Smith, My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre
Best casting absorption - Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher, Spring Awakening, Almeida Theatre
Best choreography - Arlene Phillips, Grease, Dominion Theatre
Best costume plan - Gabriella Slade, The Cher Show, UK tour
Best lighting plan - Jessica Hung Han Yun, My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre
Best acceptable plan - Tom Pye and Basil Twist, My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre
Best dependable plan - Tony Gayle, My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre
Best video plan - Joshua Thorson, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, Young Vic
Best graphic plan - Studio Doug, Prima Facie, Harold Pinter Theatre
English (US)