Designer of the Year
Winner: John Gunter for Wild Honey at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Nominees:
- John Gunter for Wild Honey at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- John Napier for Starlight Express at the Apollo Victoria
- Carl Toms for The Aspern Papers at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
- Voytek with Michael Levine for Strange Interlude at the Duke of York’s
Director of the Year
Winner: Christopher Morahan for Wild Honey at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Nominees:
- John Barton for Life’s A Dream, RSC at the Barbican Pit
- Michael Blakemore for Benefactors at the Vaudeville
- Christopher Morahan for Wild Honey at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Adrian Noble for The Comedy Of Errors, RSC at the Barbican
Actor of the Year in a Revival
Winner: Ian McKellen for Wild Honey at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Nominees:
- Miles Anderson for Life’s A Dream, RSC at The Pit
- Emrys James for A New Way To Pay Old Debts, RSC at the Barbican Pit
- Peter McEnery for The Devils, RSC at the Barbican Pit
- Ian McKellen for Wild Honey at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Actress of the Year in a Revival
Winner: Vanessa Redgrave for The Aspern Papers at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
Nominees:
- Glenda Jackson for Strange Interlude at the Duke of York’s
- Vanessa Redgrave for The Aspern Papers at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
- Juliet Stevenson for Measure For Measure, RSC at the Barbican
- Zoe Wanamaker for Twelfth Night, RSC at the Barbican
Actor of the Year in a New Play
Winner: Brian Cox for Rat In The Skull at the Royal Court
Nominees:
- Ian Charleson for Fool For Love at the National Theatre Cottesloe
- Brian Cox for Rat In The Skull at the Royal Court
- John Kani for Master Harold And The Boys at the National Theatre Cottesloe
- Michael Pennington for Strider – The Story Of A Horse at the National Theatre Cottesloe
Actress of the Year in a New Play
Winner: Thuli Dumakude for Poppie Nongena at the Donmar Warehouse
Nominees:
- Brenda Blethyn for Benefactors at the Vaudeville
- Julie Covington for Tom And Viv at the Royal Court
- Thuli Dumakude for Poppie Nongena at the Donmar Warehouse
- Julie Walters for Fool For Love at the National Theatre Cottesloe
Comedy Performance of the Year
Winner: Maureen Lipman for See How They Run at the Shaftesbury
Nominees:
- Lavinia Bertram for Intimate Exchanges at the Ambassadors
- Maureen Lipman for See How They Run at the Shaftesbury
- Leonard Rossiter for Loot at the Ambassadors
- Michael Williams for Two Into One at the Shaftesbury
Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role
Winner: Edward Petherbridge for Strange Interlude at the Duke of York’s
Nominees:
- Ramolao Makhene for Master Harold And The Boys at the National Theatre Cottesloe
- Richard O’Callaghan for Twelfth Night, RSC at the Barbican
- Edward Petherbridge for Strange Interlude at the Duke of York’s
- Timothy Spall for Saint Joan at the National Theatre Olivier
Actress of the Year in a Supporting Role
Winner: Marcia Warren for Stepping Out at the Duke of York’s
Nominees:
- Clare Higgins for A Streetcar Named Desire at the Mermaid
- Sophia Mgcina for Poppie Nongena at the Donmar Warehouse
- Zoe Wanamaker for The Time Of Your Life RSC at the Barbican Pit
- Marcia Warren for Stepping Out at the Duke of York’s
Actor of the Year in a Musical
Winner: Paul Clarkson for The Hired Man at the Astoria
Nominees:
- Paul Clarkson for The Hired Man at the Astoria
- Tim Flavin for On Your Toes at the Palace
- David Kernan for The Ratepayers’ Iolanthe at the Phoenix
- Lon Satton for Starlight Express at the Apollo Victoria
Actress of the Year in a Musical
Winner: Natalia Makarova for On Your Toes at the Palace
Nominees:
- Julia Hills for The Hired Man at the Astoria
- Clare Leach for 42nd Street at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- Natalia Makarova for On Your Toes at the Palace
- Sheila White for Little Me at the Prince of Wales
Outstanding Achievement of the Year in a Musical
Winner: Ned Sherrin for the conception of The Ratepayers’ Iolanthe at the Phoenix
Nominees:
- Howard Goodall for the music of The Hired Man at the Astoria
- John Napier for the design of Starlight Express at the Apollo Victoria
- Ned Sherrin for the conception of The Ratepayers’ Iolanthe at the Phoenix
- Starlight Express for the overall impact of the production at the Apollo Victoria
Most Promising Newcomer of the Year in Theatre
Winner: Tim Flavin for On Your Toes at the Palace
Nominees:
- Tim Flavin for On Your Toes at the Palace
- Henry Goodman for The Comedy Of Errors, RSC at the Barbican
- Hilary Blecher, Sandra Kotze and Elsa Joubert for the conception, adaptation and direction of Poppie Nongena at the Donmar Warehouse
- Clare Leach for 42nd Street at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Outstanding Individual Performance of the Year in a New Opera Production
Winner: Philip Langridge for English National Opera’s Osud at the London Coliseum
Nominees:
- Edita Gruberova for The Royal Opera’s I Capuleti E I Montecchi at the Royal Opera House
- Philip Langridge for English National Opera’s Osud at the London Coliseum
- Valerie Masterson for English National Opera’s Mireille at the London Coliseum
- Rosalind Plowright for English National Opera’s The Sicilian Vespers at the London Coliseum
Outstanding New Opera Production of the Year
Winner: From The House of the Dead, Welsh National Opera
Nominees:
- La Calisto, Opera Factory and London Sinfonietta
- From The House Of The Dead, Welsh National Opera
- The Rape Of Lucretia, English National Opera at the London Coliseum
- The Sicilian Vespers, English National Opera at the London Coliseum
Outstanding New Dance Production of the Year
Winner: Giselle, Dance Theatre Of Harlem at the London Coliseum
Nominees:
- Consort Lessons, The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House
- Giselle, Dance Theatre of Harlem at the London Coliseum
- Intimate Pages, Ballet Rambert at Sadler’s Wells
- Metamorphosis, Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet at Sadler’s Wells
Outstanding Individual Performance of the Year in a New Dance Production
Winner: David Bintley for Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet’s Petrushka at Sadler’s Wells
Nominees:
- David Bintley for Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet’s Petrushka at Sadler’s Wells
- Wayne Eagling for The Royal Ballet’s Different Drummer at the Royal Opera House
- Patricia Ruanne for London Festival Ballet’s Onegin at the London Coliseum
Comedy of the Year
Winner: Up ‘N’ Under by John Godber at the Donmar Warehouse
Nominees:
- Gymslip Vicar by Cliffhanger at the Donmar Warehouse
- Intimate Exchanges by Alan Ayckbourn at the Ambassadors
- Two Into One by Ray Cooney at the Shaftesbury
- Up ‘N’ Under by John Godber at the Donmar Warehouse
Musical of the Year
Winner: 42nd Street, music by Harry Warren, lyrics by Al Dubin, book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, based on the novel by Bradford Rupes, at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Nominees:
- 42nd Street, music by Harry Warren, lyrics by Al Dubin, book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, based on the novel by Bradford Rupes, at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- The Hired Man, book by Melvyn Bragg, lyrics and music by Howard Goodall, at the Astoria
- Pump Boys And Dinettes conceived and written by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann at the Piccadilly
- Starlight Express, lyrics by Richard Stilgoe, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, at the Apollo Victoria
Play of the Year
Winner: Benefactors by Michael Frayn at the Vaudeville
Nominees:
- Benefactors by Michael Frayn at the Vaudeville
- Master Harold And The Boys by Athol Fugard, at the National Theatre Cottesloe
- Poppie Nongena by Elsa Joubert and Sandra Kotze, based on a novel by Elsa Joubert and adapted by Hilary Blecher at the Donmar Warehouse
- Rat In The Skull by Ron Hutchinson at the Royal Court
The Society’s Special Award
Lord Goodman