Tennant, Staunton & Starlight Express take top theatre awards

Doctor Who star David Tennant, The Crown actress Imelda Staunton and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express are among the winners at a ceremony which celebrated the “diversity and variety of theatre productions” in the UK.

Doctor Who star David Tennant, The Crown actress Imelda Staunton and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express are among the winners at a ceremony which celebrated the “diversity and variety of theatre productions” in the UK.

Lord Lloyd-Webber’s musical Starlight Express came out on top at the 25th annual WhatsOnStage Awards, taking home seven out of its nine nominations at the show held on Sunday at the London Palladium.

The production won the best musical revival prize as well as best professional debut for Jeevan Braich, best set design, best lighting design, best video design, best costume design as well as in the new category for best wigs, hair and make-up design.

Tennant secured the best performer in a play gong for his titular role in the new adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, making him the actor to win the most WhatsOnStage Awards with five wins in total.

The production, which was staged at the Donmar Warehouse and then London’s Harold Pinter Theatre, dominated in the play categories as it also won best play revival and best sound design.

Meanwhile, Harry Potter actress Staunton was awarded the best performer in a musical gong for her starring role in a new edition of the classic show Hello, Dolly!, which was adapted into a 1969 romcom.

Strictly Come Dancing and Bad Education star Layton Williams won best takeover for his spell as the Emcee in Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club, the role which previously won Eddie Redmayne a WhatsOnStage Award.

West End star Melanie La Barrie won best supporting performer in a musical category for her performance in Hadestown, based on the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, which also won best musical direction/supervision for Liam Robinson and Tarek Merchant.

Romeo & Juliet actress Freema Agyeman won best supporting performer in a play, while best regional production went to Chichester Festival Theatre’s revival of Oliver!, which is currently running at the Gielgud Theatre in the West End.

The coveted best new musical award was clinched by Tina Fey’s stage adaptation of the hit 2004 romcom Mean Girls and best new play went to the theatre adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s beloved animation Spirited Away for its run at the London Coliseum.

Best West End show went to Six The Musical, which follows the six wives of Henry VIII as they tell their own tales through song, while best director was won by Emma Rice for The Buddha Of Suburbia and best choreography to Christopher Wheeldon for MJ The Musical.

The veteran lighting designer Paule Constable was awarded the services to UK theatre award for her many years in the industry.

The ceremony, hosted by West End stars Gina and Mazz Murray, featured performances from a range of shows including 42 Balloons, Becoming Nancy, Mean Girls, MJ the Musical and The Artist.

WhatsOnStage’s Darius Thompson and Alex Wood said: “This list of winners, coming after a quarter of a century of public nominating, voting and prize-giving, once more celebrates the sheer diversity and variety of theatre productions on our stages.

“With lightning-fast performers on rollerblades, cutting-edge new stagings of Shakespearean classics, or fresh, musical takes on Greek myths all triumphing, it proves that UK theatre really can do it all.

“A huge thank you to everyone who selected and championed their favourite shows and creatives, and to the team at The London Palladium for once more hosting this enormous spectacle – it’s been a pleasure. Here’s to the next 25 years of live theatre.”

Published: 10/02/2025 by Radio NewsHub