2026 Nominees for the Empty Space…Peter Brook Award Revealed

The Critics' Circle Theatre Awards has announced the nominations for the Empty Space… Peter Brook Award 2026 (In Memory of Blanche Marvin). Sponsored by Nica Burns, the nominations are decided by a separate panel of critics chosen by the Marvin family. This year's nominees are:

• ORANGE TREE THEATRE by Fiona Mountford – Chief Theatre Critic, The i Paper
• RED ROSE CHAIN, IPSWICH by Dominic Cavendish – Chief Theatre Critic, The Telegraph
• ROYAL COURT UPSTAIRS by Andrzej Lukowski - Theatre & Dance Editor, UK, Time Out Media
• THE OTHER PALACE STUDIO by Mark Shenton – Editor, ShentonSTAGE Theatre Newsletter
• WONDER FOOLS by Lyn Gardner – Associate Editor, The Stage

This is the fourth year of the acclaimed Empty Space…Peter Brook Award being part of the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards. Founded by Blanche Marvin MBE, who died last month just short of her 101st birthday, the award recognises a theatre that embodies the spirit of Peter Brook, both in its use of space and in relationship to its locality. Blanche's daughter, Niki Marvin, an Oscar-nominated director/producer, has taken over the running of the award. From this year, the award has been renamed The Empty Space…Peter Brook Award (In Memory of Blanche Marvin).

The award will be presented as part of the Critics' Circle Awards at a ceremony at The National Theatre on 26 March. These are the only prizes to be entirely voted for by the professional theatre critics who are members of the Circle, and this year's awards are sponsored by Finto.

For the first time in the awards' 37 year history, members have voted for longlists and shortlists. Leading the competition with five nominations each are Ivo van Hove's production of Arthur Miller's All My Sons currently running at the Wyndham's Theatre (Best Revival, Best Actor nominations for Bryan Cranston and Paapa Essiedu, Best Actress for Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and Best Director for van Hove), and two musical revivals – Jordan Fein's production of Sondheim's Into the Woods currently running at Bridge Theatre (Best Revival, Best Actress for Kate Fleetwood, Best Director for Fein, Best Designer for Tom Scutt and Best Ensemble or Cast), and Jamie Lloyd's production of Evita by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice which ran at The London Palladium last summer (Best Revival, Best Director for Lloyd, Best Actress for Rachel Zegler, Best Designer for Soutra Gilmour and Best Newcomer for Diego Andres Rodriguez).

They are followed by Paddington The Musical, Stereophonic, The Weir and Much Ado About Nothing, all with four nominations each.

The National Theatre has eleven nominations across five productions – Inter Alia, Hamlet, The Estate, Here We Are and The Land of the Living.