Critics' Circle Theatre Award

For other uses, see Critics Circle (disambiguation).

The Critics' Circle Theatre Awards, originally called Drama Theatre Awards up to 1990, are British theatrical awards presented annually for the closing year's theatrical achievements. The winners, from theatre throughout the United Kingdom, are selected via vote by the professional theatre critics of The Critics' Circle.

Winners, 1982 to present

Best New Play

• 2017 – The Ferryman by Jez Butterworth
• 2016 – The Flick by Annie Baker
• 2015 – Hangmen by Martin McDonagh
• 2014 – King Charles III by Mike Bartlett
• 2013 – Chimerica by Lucy Kirkwood
• 2012 – The Effect by Lucy Prebble
• 2011 – One Man, Two Guvnors by Richard Bean
• 2010 – Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris
• 2009 – Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth
• 2008 – August: Osage County by Tracy Letts
• 2007 – A Disappearing Number by Simon McBurney and Complicite
• 2006 – Rock'n'Roll by Tom Stoppard
• 2005 – Harvest by Richard Bean
• 2004 – The History Boys by Alan Bennett
• 2003 – Democracy by Michael Frayn
• 2002 – The York Realist by Peter Gill
• 2001 – Humble Boy by Charlotte Jones
• 2000 – Blue/Orange by Joe Penhall
• 1999 – Mnemonic by Simon McBurney
• 1998 – Copenhagen by Michael Frayn
• 1997 – Closer by Patrick Marber
• 1996 – Blinded by the Sun by Stephen Poliakoff
• 1995 – The Steward of Christendom by Sebastian Barry
• 1994 – Dead Funny by Terry Johnson
• 1993 – Arcadia by Tom Stoppard
• 1992 – Angels in America by Tony Kushner
• 1991 – Three Birds Alighting on a Field by Timberlake Wertenbaker
• 1990 – Racing Demon by David Hare
• 1989 – Ghetto by Joshua Sobol
• 1988 – The Secret Rapture by David Hare
• 1987 – (tie) Curtains
• 1987 – (tie) Fashion
• 1986 – Road by Jim Cartwright
• 1985 – A Chorus of Disapproval by Alan Ayckbourn
• 1984 – One for the Road by Harold Pinter
• 1982 – A Kind of Alaska by Harold Pinter

Best Actor

• 2017 – Bryan Cranston in Network
• 2016 – Stephen Dillane in Faith Healer
• 2015 – Kenneth Cranham in The Father
• 2014 – Mark Strong for A View from the Bridge
• 2013 – Lenny Henry for Fences
• 2012 – Adrian Lester for Red Velvet
• 2011 – Benedict Cumberbatch for Frankenstein
• 2010 – David Suchet for All My Sons
• 2009 – Mark Rylance for Jerusalem
• 2008 – Kenneth Branagh for Ivanov
• 2007 – Charles Dance for Shadowlands
• 2006 – Rufus Sewell for Rock'n'Roll
• 2005 – Simon Russell Beale for The Philanthropist
• 2004 – Richard Griffiths for The History Boys
• 2003 – Michael Sheen for Caligula
• 2002 – Simon Russell Beale for Uncle Vanya
• 2001 – Ian McDiarmid for Faith Healer
• 2000 – Michael Gambon for The Caretaker
• 1999 – Henry Goodman for The Merchant of Venice
• 1998 – Kevin Spacey for The Iceman Cometh
• 1997 – Ian Holm for King Lear
• 1996 – David Suchet for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
• 1995 – Daniel Massey for Taking Sides
• 1994 – Tom Courtenay for Moscow Stations
• 1993 – Ian Holm for Moonlight
• 1992 – Paul Eddington for No Man's Land
• 1991 – Nigel Hawthorne for The Madness of George III
• 1990 – Michael Gambon for Man of the Moment
• 1989 – Ian McKellen for Othello
• 1988 – (tie) Alex Jennings for Too Clever by Half
• 1988 – (tie) Tom Wilkinson for An Enemy of the People
• 1987 – Brian Cox for The Taming of the Shrew, Titus Andronicus and Fashion
• 1986 – (tie) Hugh Quarshie for The Great White Hope
• 1986 – (tie) Bill Fraser for When We Are Married
• 1985 – (tie) Anthony Hopkins for Pravda
• 1985 – (tie) Gary Oldman for The Pope's Wedding
• 1984 – (tie) Brian Cox for Rat in the Skull and Strange Interlude
• 1984 – (tie) Antony Sher for Richard III
• 1983 – Derek Jacobi for Cyrano de Bergerac and Much Ado About Nothing
• 1982 – Bob Hoskins for Guys and Dolls

Best Actress

• 2017 – Victoria Hamilton in Albion
• 2016 – Billie Piper in Yerma
• 2015 – Denise Gough in People, Places and Things
• 2014 – Helen McCrory for Medea
• 2013 – Lesley Manville for Ghosts
• 2012 – Hattie Morahan for A Doll's House
• 2011 – Sheridan Smith for Flare Path
• 2010 – Jenny Jules for Ruined
• 2009 – Rachel Weisz for A Streetcar Named Desire
• 2008 – Margaret Tyzack for The Chalk Garden
• 2007 – Anne-Marie Duff for Saint Joan
• 2006 – Kathleen Turner for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
• 2005 – Eve Best for Hedda Gabler
• 2004 – Victoria Hamilton for Suddenly Last Summer
• 2003 – Eve Best for Mourning Becomes Electra
• 2002 – Clare Higgins for Vincent in Brixton
• 2001 – Lindsay Duncan for Mouth to Mouth and Private Lives
• 2000 – Victoria Hamilton for As You Like It
• 1999 – Janie Dee for Comic Potential
• 1998 – Sinéad Cusack for Our Lady of Sligo
• 1997 – Judi Dench for Amy's View
• 1996 – Janet McTeer for A Doll's House
• 1995 – Claire Skinner for The Glass Menagerie
• 1994 – Clare Higgins for The Children's Hour and Sweet Bird of Youth
• 1993 – Penelope Wilton for The Deep Blue Sea
• 1992 – Eileen Atkins for The Night of the Iguana
• 1991 – Fiona Shaw for Hedda Gabler
• 1990 – Josette Simon for After the Fall
• 1989 – Fiona Shaw for Electra and The Good Person of Sichuan
• 1988 – Pauline Collins for Shirley Valentine
• 1987 – Judi Dench for Antony and Cleopatra
• 1986 – Joan Plowright for The House of Bernarda Alba
• 1985 – Vanessa Redgrave for The Seagull
• 1984 – Glenda Jackson for Strange Interlude
• 1983 – Juliet Stevenson for Measure for Measure
• 1982 – Judi Dench for A Kind of Alaska and The Importance of Being Earnest

The Trewin Award for Best Shakespearean Performance

• 2017 – Andrew Scott for Hamlet
• 2016 – Glenda Jackson for King Lear
• 2015 – Judi Dench in The Winter's Tale
• 2014 – Antony Sher for Falstaff in Henry IV
• 2013 – Rory Kinnear for Iago in Othello
• 2012 – Simon Russell Beale for Timon of Athens
• 2011 – Eddie Redmayne for Richard II
• 2010 – Derek Jacobi for King Lear
• 2009 – Jude Law for Hamlet
• 2008 – David Tennant for Hamlet and Derek Jacobi for Malvolio in Twelfth Night
• 2007 – Chiwetel Ejiofor for Othello; and Patrick Stewart for Macbeth
• 2006 – Tamsin Greig for Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing
• 2005 – Kevin Spacey for Richard II
• 2004 – Paul Rhys for Measure for Measure
• 2003 – Greg Hicks for Coriolanus
• 2002 – Mark Rylance for Twelfth Night
• 2001 – Samuel West for Hamlet
• 2000 – Simon Russell Beale for Hamlet

Best Director

• 2017 – Dominic Cooke for Follies
• 2016 – John Tiffany for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
• 2015 – Robert Icke for Oresteia
• 2014 – Ivo van Hove for A View from the Bridge
• 2013 – Lyndsey Turner for Chimerica
• 2012 – Benedict Andrews for Three Sisters
• 2011 – Mike Leigh for Grief
• 2010 – Michael Grandage for King Lear (Donmar Warehouse), jointly with Thea Sharrock for After the Dance (National Theatre)
• 2009 – Rupert Goold for Enron
• 2008 – Michael Grandage for Ivanov and The Chalk Garden
• 2007 – Rupert Goold for Macbeth (Minerva Theatre Chichester and Gielgud Theatre London)
• 2006 – John Tiffany for Black Watch (National Theatre of Scotland at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe)
• 2005 – Michael Grandage for The Wild Duck
• 2004 – Rufus Norris for Festen
• 2003 – Howard Davies for Mourning Becomes Electra
• 2002 – Sam Mendes for Twelfth Night and Uncle Vanya
• 2001 – Robert Lepage for The Far Side of the Moon
• 2000 – Michael Grandage for As You Like It, Passion Play and Merrily We Roll Along
• 1999 – Trevor Nunn for The Merchant of Venice and Summerfolk
• 1998 – Howard Davies for The Iceman Cometh and Flight
• 1997 – Richard Eyre for King Lear and The Invention of Love
• 1996 – Richard Eyre for John Gabriel Borkman and his revived Guys and Dolls
• 1995 – Sam Mendes for The Glass Menagerie
• 1994 – Sean Mathias for Design for Living and Les Parents terribles
• 1993 – Terry Hands for Tamburlaine the Great
• 1992 – Stephen Daldry for An Inspector Calls
• 1991 – Trevor Nunn for Timon of Athens
• 1990 – Sir Peter Hall for The Wild Duck; Robert Lepage for Tectonic Plates
• 1989 – Nicholas Hytner for Ghetto and Miss Saigon
• 1988 – Peter Brook for The Mahabharata (1989 film)
• 1987 – Declan Donnellan for Twelfth Night
• 1986 – Mike Alfreds for The Cherry Orchard
• 1985 – Bill Bryden for The Mysteries
• 1984 – Peter Gill for Venice Preserved and Fool for Love
• 1983 – (classical) Terry Hands for Cyrano de Bergerac
• 1983 – (modern) Giles Havergal for Men Should Weep
• 1982 – James Roose-Evans for 84 Charing Cross Road

The Peter Hepple Award for Best Musical

• 2017 – Hamilton
• 2016 – Groundhog Day
• 2015 – Bend It Like Beckham The Musical
• 2014 – Gypsy
• 2013 – The Scottsboro Boys
• 2012 – Merrily We Roll Along
• 2011 – London Road
• 2010 – Matilda (Courtyard Theatre, Stratford upon Avon)
• 2009 – Spring Awakening
• 2008 – La Cage Aux Folles
• 2007 – Hairspray
• 2006 – Caroline, or Change
• 2005 – Billy Elliot the Musical
• 2004 – The Producers
• 2003 – Jerry Springer – The Opera
• 2002 – Anything Goes (a revival)
• 2001 – Kiss Me, Kate (a revival)
• 2000 – The Beautiful Game
• 1999 – Spend Spend Spend
• 1998 – Oklahoma!
• 1997 – Chicago
• 1996 – Guys and Dolls
• 1995 – Company
• 1994 – She Loves Me
• 1993 – City of Angels
• 1992 – Assassins
• 1991 – Carmen Jones
• 1990 – Into the Woods
• 1989 – Miss Saigon
• 1988 – South Pacific
• 1987 – Follies
• 1986 – Chess
• 1985 – Me and My Girl
• 1984 – On Your Toes
• 1983 – Blood Brothers
• 1982 – Guys and Dolls

Most Promising Playwright

• 2017 – Brandon Jacob-Jenkins for Gloria and An Octoroon
• 2016 – Charlene James for Cuttin’ It
• 2015 – James Fritz for Four Minutes Twelve Seconds
• 2014 – Barney Norris for Visitors
• 2013 – Rory Kinnear for The Herd and Phoebe Waller-Bridge for Fleabag
• 2012 – Lolita Chakrabarti for Red Velvet
• 2011 – Tom Wells for The Kitchen Sink
• 2010 – Anya Reiss for Spur of the Moment
• 2009 – Alia Bano for Shades
• 2008 – Alexi Kaye Campbell for The Pride
• 2007 – Polly Stenham for That Face (Royal Court)
• 2006 – Nina Raine for Rabbit
• 2005 – Laura Wade for Breathing Corpses and Colder Than Here
• 2004 – Rebecca Lenkiewicz for The Night Season
• 2003 – Lucy Prebble for The Sugar Syndrome
• 2002 – Charlotte Eilenberg for The Lucky Ones
• 2001 – Gregory Burke for Gagarin Way
• 2000 – Joanna Laurens for The Three Birds
• 1999 – Charlotte Jones for Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis
• 1998 – Rebecca Prichard for Yard Gal
• 1997 – Conor McPherson for The Weir
• 1996 – Martin McDonagh for The Beauty Queen of Leenane
• 1995 – Jez Butterworth for Mojo
• 1994 – Kevin Elyot for My Night With Reg
• 1993 – Simon Donald for Theatre of Stuff
• 1992 – Philip Ridley for The Fastest Clock in the Universe
• 1991 – Rona Munro for Bold Girls
• 1990 – Clare McIntyre for My Heart's a Suitcase
• 1989 – Stephen Jeffreys for Valued Friends

Best Designer

• 2017 – Vicki Mortimer for Follies
• 2016 – Christine Jones for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
• 2015 – Anna Fleischle for Hangmen
• 2014 – Es Devlin for The Nether
• 2013 – Es Devlin for Chimerica
• 2012 – Miriam Buether for Wild Swans
• 2011 – Mark Tildesley for Frankenstein
• 2010 – Bunny Christie for The White Guard (National)
• 2009 – Christopher Oram for Red
• 2008 – Neil Murray for Brief Encounter
• 2007 – Rae Smith and Handspring Puppet Company for War Horse (National Theatre)
• 2006 – Punchdrunk Faust Company for Faust
• 2005 – Timothy Bird and David Farley for Sunday in the Park with George
• 2004 – Christopher Oram for Suddenly Last Summer
• 2003 – Bob Crowley for Mourning Becomes Electra
• 2002 – William Dudley for The Coast of Utopia trilogy
• 2001 – Paul Brown for Platonov
• 2000 – Paul Brown for Coriolanus, Richard II and The Tempest
• 1999 – Julie Taymor and Richard Hudson for The Lion King
• 1998 – Richard Hoover for Not About Nightingales; and
• 1998 – Phelim McDermott, Julian Crouch and Graeme Gilmour for Shockheaded Peter
• 1997 – John Napier for Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up
• 1996 – Robert Innes Hopkins for The Comedy of Errors and The Weavers
• 1995 – Robin Don for The Winter Guest
• 1994 – Mark Thompson for The Kitchen
• 1993 – Ian MacNeil for Machinal
• 1992 – Ian MacNeil for An Inspector Calls
• 1991 – Bob Crowley for Murmuring Judges
• 1990 – Mark Thompson for The Wind in the Willows
• 1989 – John Napier for Miss Saigon
• 1988 – Richard Hudson for the Old Vic season
• 1987 – (tie) Michael Taylor for Attractions
• 1987 – (tie) Maria Bjornson for Follies
• 1986 – (tie) Ezio Frigerid for The House of Bernarda Alba
• 1986 – (tie) Maria Bjornson for The Phantom of the Opera
• 1985 – William Dudley for The Mysteries, The Real Inspector Hound, The Critic, The Merry Wives of Windsor and Mutiny
• 1984 – Alison Chitty for Venice Preserved
• 1983 – Voytek for Great and Small
• 1982 – (tie) John Gunter for Guys and Dolls and The Beggar's Opera
• 1982 – (tie) Grant Hicks for True West and The Double Man

The Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer (other than a playwright)

• 2017 – (tie) Sheila Atim in Girl From the North Country and John McCrea in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
• 2016 – Anthony Boyle in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
• 2015 – David Moorst in Violence and Son
• 2014 – Patsy Ferran for Blithe Spirit and Treasure Island
• 2013 – Kate O'Flynn for Port
• 2012 – Denise Gough for Our New Girl and Desire Under the Elms
• 2011 – Blanche McIntyre for Accolade and Foxfinder
• 2010 – Daniel Kaluuya for Sucker Punch
• 2009 – Tom Sturridge for Punk Rock
• 2008 – Ella Smith for Fat Pig
• 2007 – Leanne Jones for Hairspray
• 2006 – Connie Fisher for The Sound of Music
• 2006 – joint award for Andrew Garfield for Citizenship and The Overwhelming
• 2005 – Mariah Gale for 'Tis Pity She's a Whore
• 2004 – Eddie Redmayne for The Goat: or, Who is Sylvia?
• 2003 – Lisa Dillon for Iphigenia and The Master Builder
• 2002 – Alison Pargeter for Damsels in Distress
• 2001 – Lyndsey Marshal for Redundant and Boston Marriage
• 2000 – Chiwetel Ejiofor for Blue/Orange
• 1999 – Eve Best for 'Tis Pity She's a Whore
• 1998 – Mick Gordon, Gate Theatre, London
• 1997 – Liza Walker for Closer
• 1996 – James Callis for Old Wicked Songs

Most Promising Newcomer (other than a playwright)

• 1995 – Victoria Hamilton for The Master Builder and Retreat
• 1994 – Rachel Weisz for Design for Living
• 1993 – Emma Fielding for Arcadia and The School for Wives
• 1992 – Rufus Sewell for Making It Better
• 1991 – Lia Williams for The Revengers' Comedies
• 1990 – Sara Crowe for Private Lives
• 1989 – joint winners
  • Sam Mendes as director of the Minerva Theatre, Chichester
  • Julia Ormond for Faith, Hope and Charity

Special Award for Services to the Theatre

• 2017 – David Lan, outgoing Artistic Director for The Young Vic

See also

• Laurence Olivier Awards
• Evening Standard Awards
• Ian Charleson Awards
• Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland
• Theatre Book Prize
• TMA Theatre Awards

External links

• Critics' Circle Theatre Awards
• The Critics' Circle website