Francesca Amewudah-Rivers nominated for Ian Charleson award

Francesca Amewudah-Rivers and Francesca Mills are among the nominees for this year’s Ian Charleson Awards, which celebrate performances by actors under the age of 30 in a classical role.

Amewudah-Rivers received the nod for playing Juliet opposite Tom Holland at the Duke of York’s Theatre, with her co-star Daniel Quinn-Toye also nominated for his turn as Paris. 

Meanwhile, Mills, who won last year’s top prize for her turn as Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is up for a gong again in 2025 for another performance at Shakespeare’s Globe – this time for the title role in The Duchess of Malfi.

The Globe can be credited with four of the 13 nominees including Mills, with Ralph Davis and Oli Higginson also shortlisted for their turns as Iago and Cassio respectively in Othello, and Nadeem Islam recognised for his portrayal of the unfortunate messenger in Antony and Cleopatra.

Andrew Richardson and Madeleine Gray are both nominated for their performances in Uncle Vanya at the Orange Tree Theatre, where Richardson played Astrov and Gray played Sonya. Richardson is the only nominee to be recognised jointly for two productions, with the shortlist also commending his turns as Oberon and Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Barbican. 

Continues...