Heledd Gwynn wins delayed 2019 Ian Charleson Award

Heledd Gwynn has won the main prize at the delayed Ian Charleson Awards for performances in Headlong’s Richard III and Hedda Gabler at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff.

Gwynn was announced as the first-prize winner for the 2019 awards, which were put on hold due to the pandemic and recognise performances by actors under 30 in a classical role. The 2019 prize celebrates performances in that year and had been due to be announced in June 2020.

Gwynn appeared as Hastings/Ratcliffe in Richard III, and as the title role in Hedda Gabler, and was nominated for the second year in a row.

Second prize was won by Hammed Animashaun for A Midsummer Night’s Dream at London’s Bridge Theatre, where he played Bottom.

Ronke Adekoluejo took third prize for playing Abosede in Inua Ellams’ adaptation of Three Sisters at the National Theatre.

The awards are named after Scottish actor Ian Charleson, who died in 1990 aged 40.

Winners were announced at a virtual ceremony hosted by the National Theatre and the Sunday Times.

Special commendations were awarded to the nine further nominees, who included Racheal Ofori, also for Three Sisters at the NT, and Isis Hainsworth, Kit Young and Ekow Quartey for A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Bridge.

Billy Postlethwaite’s performance in the Watermill’s Macbeth was also recognised, alongside Eben Figueiredo for Cyrano de Bergerac in the West End, Ebony Jonelle for As You Like It, part of the NT’s Public Acts programme, Ioanna Kimbook for The Duchess of Malfi at the Almeida and Kitty Archer for Tartuffe at the NT.

Recent winners of the prize include Paapa Essiedu, Susannah Fielding, Jack Lowden and Bally Gill, who won in 2018.