CURSED CHILD Wins Record Eight Prizes At 17th WhatsOnStage Awards

The winners were announced this evening at the Prince of Wales Theatre for the 17th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards, presented by Simon Lipkin and Vikki Stone, celebrating the best of the UK's theatre over the past year, as voted for by the audience.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child led the awards this year with eight victories, a WhatsOnStage Award record for a play, including Best Actor in a Play for Jamie Parker, Best Supporting Actress in a Play for Noma Dumezweni, Best Supporting Actor in a Play for Anthony Boyle, Best New Play, Best Director for John Tiffany, Best Set Design, Best Lighting Design and Best Video Design.

In the other acting awards, Billie Piper claims Best Actress in a Play for Yerma, her second WhatsOnStage Award in three years following her 2015 Best Actress in a Play victory for Great Britain. Amber Riley is named Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in Dreamgirls and Best Supporting Actor in a Musical goes to Trevor Dion Nicholas for Disney's Aladdin, which also saw success in the Best Costume Design category.

Half a Sixpence is the most successful musical with three awards, including Best Actor in a Musical for Charlie Stemp, Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for Emma Williams and Best Choreography. Its producer Cameron Mackintosh is also celebrated with the Equity Award for Lifetime Achievement (So Far) as he marks 50 years in the theatre business. However, Half a Sixpence loses out in the Best New Musical category to School of Rock, whilst the Best Musical Revival category is claimed by Funny Girl.

No Man's Land, starring Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, wins Best Play Revival, whilst Gary Barlow and Tim Firth's musical The Girls, soon to open in the West End, wins Best Regional Production and, in a WhatsOnStage first, Wicked and Les Miserables tie for Best West End Show. In the celebration of London's fringe theatre, The Last Five Years takes Best Off-West End Production.

A number of winners and stars from winning shows performed at the event including Gary Barlow, who performed the song 'Scarborough' from The Girls alongside JoAnna Riding, Amber Riley who performed 'Listen' from Dreamgirls alongside Liisi LaFontaine, the cast of Half of a Sixpence with 'Flash, Bang, Wallop', Trevor Dion Nicholas who sung 'Somebody's Got Your Back' from Disney's Aladdin with Dean John-Wilson, and Gary Trainor and the company of The School Rock who performed 'Teacher's Pet'. There were further performances from Tyrone Huntley who sung 'Heaven on their Minds' from Jesus Christ Superstar and Ria Jones with 'As If We Never Said Goodbye' from Sunset Boulevard.

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