UK Theatre Awards 2019: the winners in full

The UK Theatre Awards 2019, which celebrate achievement in regional theatre, took place at London’s Guildhall on October 27.

They were hosted by Jodie Prenger and saw Sheffield Theatres take home the most awards,  winning in all of the five categories it was nominated. Four of these prizes were for Life of Pi, while other shows to win on the night included Equus produced by English Touring Theatre and Theatre Royal Stratford East, Nuffield Southampton Theatres’ Billionaire Boy the Musical and Scottish Ballet’s The Crucible.

The winners in full

Best new play

Winner: 

Life of Pi by Lolita Chakrabarti, adapted from the novel by Yann Martel, Sheffield Theatres

Also nominated: 

The Watsons by Laura Wade, Chichester Festival Theatre
Ulster American by David Ireland, Traverse Theatre Company and Lyric Theatre, Belfast

Best musical production

Winner: 

Standing at the Sky’s Edge, Sheffield Theatres

Also nominated:

The Color Purple, Leicester Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome
West Side Story, Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester

Best play revival

Winner:

Equus, English Touring Theatre and Theatre Royal Stratford East

Also nominated:

Death of a Salesman, Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester
Plenty, Chichester Festival Theatre production

Best show for children and young people

Winner:

Billionaire Boy the Musical, Nuffield Southampton Theatres in association with Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

Also nominated:

Noughts and Crosses, Pilot Theatre and Derby Theatre
Tale Trail to the Wind in the Willows, New Vic in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Best director

Winner: 

Max Webster for Life of Pi, Sheffield Theatres

Also nominated:

Atri Banerjee for Hobson’s Choice, Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester
Katie Posner for My Mother said I Never Should, Theatre by the Lake

Best design

Winner: 

Nick Barnes, Finn Caldwell, Carolyn Downing, Andrzej Goulding, Tim Hatley and Tim Lutkin for Life of Pi, Sheffield Theatres

Also nominated:

Ti Green for Touching the Void, Royal and Derngate Northampton, Bristol Old Vic, Royal Lyceum Edinburgh and Fuel
Rosanna Vize for The Audience, Nuffield Southampton Theatres

Best performance in a play

Winner: 

Hiran Abeysekera for Life of Pi, Sheffield Theatres

Also nominated:

Faye Castelow for The Audience, Nuffield Southampton Theatres
Kudzai Sitima for Princess and the Hustler, Eclipse Theatre Company, Bristol Old Vic and Hull Truck Theatre
Mark Gatiss for The Madness of King George III, Nottingham Playhouse

Best performance in a musical

Winner: 

Rebecca Trehearn for Sweet Charity, Nottingham Playhouse

Also nominated:

Audrey Brisson for Amelie the Musical, Watermill Theatre, Hartshorn–Hook Productions, Selladoor Worldwide and Broadway Asia
Jenna Russell for The Bridges of Madison County, Menier Chocolate Factory

Best supporting performance

Winner: 

Esh Alladi for Hobson’s Choice, Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester

Also nominated:

Jocasta Almgill for West Side Story, Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester
Emmanuel Kojo for Oklahoma!, Chichester Festival Theatre

Achievement in dance

Winner: 

Scottish Ballet for The Crucible

Also nominated:

Scottee for Fat Blokes
Yorke Dance Project for its Cohan Collective initiative and programming

Achievement in opera

Winner: 

Buxton International Festival at Buxton Opera House for the world premiere of Georgiana

Also nominated:

Opera North for Tosca
Welsh National Opera for War and Peace

Digital innovation

Winner: 

Northern Ballet

Also nominated:

Hull Truck Theatre
Scottish Ballet

Workforce award

Winner: 

Northern Stage

Also nominated:

Hull Truck Theatre
Mayflower Theatre

Excellence in touring

Winner: 

Pilot Theatre

Also nominated:

National Theatre of Scotland
Northern Ballet

Excellence in inclusivity

Winner: 

Mercury Theatre

Also nominated:

Bush Theatre
Royal and Derngate, Northampton

Excellence in arts education

Winner: 

Derby Theatre

Also nominated:

Oldham Coliseum Theatre
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre

Winner: Emma Rice

UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre

Winner: 

Storyhouse Chester

Also nominated:

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Young Vic, London

Gielgud Award for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts

Winner: Cameron Mackintosh