Winners of Theatre Awards U.K. 2012 Include Sarah Ruhl's In the Next Room, Imelda Staunton and Henry Goodman

By Mark Shenton
October 28, 2012

Sarah Ruhl's In the Next Room was named the Best New Play in the Theatre Awards U.K., announced Oct. 28 in a lunchtime ceremony at the City of London's Guildhall, the only U.K.-wide awards scheme presented by the Theatrical Management Association. Ruhl's play was seen at the Ustinov Studio at Bath Theatre Royal.

The major performance awards were won by Imelda Staunton (Best Performance in a Musical for playing Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd at Chichester Festival Theatre), Henry Goodman (Best Performance in a Play for The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, at Chichester's Minerva Theatre) and Aida McArdle (Best Supporting Performance for Democracy, a Sheffield Theatres production at the Sheffield's Crucible Theatre).

Prunella Scales and Timothy West were presented with The Stage Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre in recognition of their longstanding commitment to theatre outside London.


Other awards were given as follows:

• Best Musical Production: The Go-Between by Richard Taylor (music) and David Wood (book), a West Yorkshire Playhouse, Royal & Derngate, Northampton and Derby LIVE! Production directed by Roger Haines.
• Best Director – Garry Hynes for DruidMurphy, three plays by Tom Murphy, produced by Druid Theatre Company, at Hampstead Theatre and Oxford Playhouse.
• Best Design –  Amanda Stoodley for Manchester Lines, a Library Theatre Company production.
• Best Show for Children and Young People – The Curious Scrapbook of Josephine Bean by Shona Reppe on Tour.
• Renee Stepham Award for Best Presentation of Touring Theatre – Music and Lyrics Limited.
• Achievement in Dance  –  Akram Khan for DESH
• Achievement in Opera  – Christopher Alden's production of Norma for Opera North, a co-production with Theater Chemnitz.

In a separate set of Theatre Management Awards that recognize the professional excellence of theatres, companies or individuals among member organizations of the Theatrical Management Association, the following awards were made:

• Achievement in Marketing – The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
• Most Welcoming Theatre – New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich
• Promotion of Diversity – Graeae Theatre Company, London
• Theatre Employee/Manager of the Year – Graham Sutherland, Citizens Theatre, Glasgow and Erica Whyman, Northern Stage, Newcastle.

For further details, visit www.tmauk.org.