Just announced! Full list of 2019 Critics’ Circle Awards winners and production photos

Winners were announced today (Tuesday 11 February 202o) in the 30th annual Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards. The 2019 awards, covering the past calendar year in theatre, were presented in a ceremony hosted by the Critics’ Circle Drama Section’s outgoing Chair, Henry Hitchings, at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London.

The Old Vic Theatre was the big winner with three prizes, two of them for its adaptation of A Very Expensive Poison, journalist Luke Harding’s book about the poisoning of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko – Best New Play (Lucy Prebble) and Best Designer (Tom Scutt).

The third Old Vic prize went to Andrew Scott, who was named Best Actor for his performance in the theatre’s revival of Noel Coward comedy Present Laughter. It was Scott’s second win at the Critics’ Circle Awards; just two years ago, he picked up Best Shakespearean Performance for Hamlet, which ran at the Almeida and in the West End in 2017.

There was a tie for Best Actress with accolades going to both Sharon D Clarke for Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman at the Young Vic and the West End’s Piccadilly Theatre and to Juliet Stevenson for The Doctor at the Almeida Theatre, now preparing for its West End transfer. It was Stevenson’s second Best Actress win at the Critics’ Circle Awards – she took home the same honour in 1983 for her Isabella in the RSC’s Measure for Measure.

In other acting honours, Most Promising Newcomer was Sam Tutty for his West End debut in the title role of Broadway musical import Dear Evan Hansen at the Noel Coward Theatre, and Best Shakespearean Performance went to Hammed Animashaun for his Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Bridge Theatre.

Recognising a busy year, Jamie Lloyd was awarded Best Director for three different productions at three different theatres – Betrayal at the Harold Pinter Theatre, Evita at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and Cyrano de Bergerac, currently running at the Playhouse Theatre. Prolific lighting designer Paule Constable was awarded the Drama Section’s Special Award for services to theatre.

Beyond the awards themselves, critics honoured one of their own at today’s ceremony, with a special presentation made to former Chair Michael Billington, who, at the end of 2019, stepped down after nearly 50 years as the Guardian’s chief theatre critic. The Critics’ Circle Best New Play Award now bears his name.

The Awards were presented in association with Nyman Libson Paul Chartered Accountants, leading entertainment industry specialists, and supported by Delfont Mackintosh Theatres.

To view 2019 Awards speeches from critics and winners, visit our Facebook page.

---

The Michael Billington Award for Best New Play

A Very Expensive Poison by Lucy Prebble
Old Vic Theatre, London
award presented by critic Susannah Clapp

The Peter Hepple Award for Best Musical

Come From Away
Phoenix Theatre, London
award presented by critic Sarah Hemming

Best Actor

Andrew Scott in Present Laughter
Old Vic Theatre, London
award presented by critic Fiona Mountford

Best Actress – two winners

Sharon D Clarke in Death of a Salesman
Young Vic & Piccadilly Theatres, London
award presented by critic Lyn Gardner

Juliet Stevenson in The Doctor
Almeida Theatre, London
award presented by critic Sam Marlowe

The Trewin Award for Best Shakespearean Performance

Hammed Animashaun in A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Bridge Theatre, London
award presented by critic Michael Billington

Best Director

Jamie Lloyd for Betrayal, Evita & Cyrano de Bergerac
Harold Pinter, Open Air and Playhouse Theatres, London
award presented by critic Mark Shenton

Best Designer

Tom Scutt for A Very Expensive Poison
Old Vic Theatre, London
award presented by critic Andrzej Lukowski

Most Promising Playwright

Jasmine Lee-Jones for seven methods of killing kylie jenner
Royal Court Theatre, London
award presented by critic Jessie Thompson

The Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer

Sam Tutty in Dear Evan Hansen
Noel Coward Theatre, London
award presented by Matt Wolf

Special Award

Paule Constable, lighting designer
award presented by critic David Benedict