Ben Brantley

Not that we don’t love visits from the “Sultan of Superlatives”, as coined by the NYTPicker as a much more positive strap line than infamous NYT critic Frank Rich’s “the Butcher of Broadway”!

But we shouldn’t be lulled in to a false sense of security. He did, after all, pretty much close Enron on Broadway with his less than glowing review of Lucy Prebble’s play: “flashy but labored economics lesson… this British-born exploration of smoke-and-mirror financial practices isn’t much more than smoke and mirrors itself.”

But we don’t bare grudges (much). His first posting from London reveals that he is straight in there reviewing, despite a touch of jet lag. Productions that he has already covered include The Late Middle Classes at the Donmar (“dramatically formulaic but meticulously acted”), All My Sons at the Apollo (“there’s no denying the effectiveness of Mr. Davies’s less subtle All My Sons”), Sucker Punch at the Royal Court (“vivid, gritty melodrama”) and The Prisoner of Second Avenue at the Vaudeville (“for me the uneasiness and despair that often lurk beneath Mr. Simon’s one-liners had never seemed more palpable”).

Scarily harping back to Enron, Brantley senses that London is gripped with economic austerity. Perhaps he should see Enron again to remind himself why.

SIDEBAR:

There’s no denying Mr Brantley, 55, and his credentials as a critic. He started work at the New York Times in 1993 as the second-string theatre critic and finally became chief theatre critic in 1996. His recent London review is beautifully written, considered, intelligent and thought-provoking. We love Libby Purves, chief critic of the London Times, but she seems to be in another job altogether.

The West End is having a bit of a Plays renaissance at the moment and to celebrate we have put together some great offers on the best drama and comedy in London.

LA BETE

Hotly anticipated, must-see production by critically acclaimed comedy by American playwright David Hirson.

Starring the extraordinary 2010 Olivier Award-winning actor Mark Rylance (Jerusalem, Boeing-Boeing), ‘the most exciting stage actor of his generation’ (Times), the wonderful Tony and Emmy Award-winning David Hyde Pierce (best known as Niles in the smash-hit sitcom Frasier), and one of the country’s most loved and popular actresses, the magnificent Joanna Lumley, this new staging is directed by the internationally acclaimed, multi-award-winning Matthew Warchus (God of Carnage, Boeing-Boeing, Art, The Norman Conquests).

When Princess Conti (Joanna Lumley) invites street clown Valere (Mark Rylance) to inject some bawdy fun and mischief into her staid acting troupe, she anticipates an exciting creative combination. But the troupe’s leader, Elomire (David Hyde Pierce), is an elitist and fervent lover of high-brow theatre who clashes with Valere – a gaudy comic and a fervent lover of …. well, himself.  So begins a gloriously witty and wildly hilarious battle of art and egos.

Written in 1991, La Bete was a huge critical success in London in 1992 and won the Olivier Award for Best Comedy.

BOOK NOW: Tickets from only £12 to see La Bete at the Comedy Theatre in London

GHOST STORIES

Direct from a sell-out season at the Lyric Hammersmith, comes Ghost Stories a truly terrifying theatrical experience. Written and directed by The League of Gentlemen’s master of the macabre, Jeremy Dyson, and Andy Nyman, co-creator and director of Derren Brown’s television and stage shows and star of Dead Set and Severance this is one event not to miss this Summer.

Please be advised that Ghost Stories contains moments of extreme shock and tension. The show is unsuitable for anyone under the age of 15. We strongly advise those of a nervous disposition to think very seriously before attending.

BOOK NOW: Save £13 on tickets to see Ghost Stories at the Duke of York’s Theatre

HOLDING THE MAN

LAST CHANCE to see this acclaimed play starring Kath & Kim’s Jane Turner.

Based on the much loved award winning book by Tim Conigrave, adapted for the stage by acclaimed playwright Tommy Murphy, Holding the Man is a hilariously funny, tender and moving play following the remarkable true life love story of Tim Conigrave and John Caleo. It is a celebration that speaks across generations, sexual preference and culture.

BOOK NOW: Save up to £27 on tickets to see Holding The Man at the Trafalgar Studios

ENRON

One of the most infamous scandals in financial history becomes a unique theatrical event in ‘Rupert Goold’s brilliant production’ (Guardian). Mixing classical tragedy with savage comedy, it reviews the tumultuous 1990s and casts new light on the current financial situation. In what promises to be ‘an outstanding evening’ (ES), Enron is ‘the exhilarating answer to a $60bn question’ (Times). Inspired by real-life events and using music, dance and video, Enron is directed by Headlong Theatre’s Artistic Director Rupert Goold whose recent credits include the award-winning Macbeth and Six Characters in Search of an Author, King Lear, No Man’s Land and Oliver!

BOOK NOW: Save up to £11 on tickets to see Enron at the Noel Coward Theatre

SHIRLEY VALENTINE

Starring Meera Syal in ‘London’s Best Comic Performance’ (Time Out).

Meet Shirley: a middle-aged Liverpudlian housewife who talks to the wall whilst preparing her husband’s egg and chips.  She’s in a rut.  What has happened to her life?  When her best friend Jane pays for a holiday for two to Greece, she packs her bags, heads for the sun and starts to see the world and herself rather differently…..  Commissioned by the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool, Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine premiered in 1986 directed by Glen Walford. In 1988, under the direction of Simon Callow, it opened in the West End, wining the Olivier Award for Best Comedy, and starring Pauline Collins, who went on to play Shirley on Broadway (winning a Tony Award) and in the 1988 film (winning a BAFTA Award and Oscar nomination).

BOOK NOW: Save £7 on tickets to Shirley Valentine at the Trafalgar Studios

AS YOU LIKE IT and THE TEMPEST

Award winning director Sam Mendes returns to the UK to direct two new productions as part of  The Bridge Project.

A stellar transatlantic lineup includes Michelle Beck, Christian Camargo, Ron Cephas Jones, Stephen Dillane, Juliet Rylance and Thomas Sadoski in an intriguing pairing of Shakepeare’s pastoral comedy As You Like It and his late masterpiece The Tempest.

BOOK NOW: Save £12 on tickets to see As You Like It and The Tempest at the Old Vic Theatre

OLIVIER AWARDS – Best Director Winners

Best Director

2011 Howard Davies for The White Guard
2010 Rupert Goold for Enron
2009 John Tiffany for Black Watch
2008 Rupert Goold for Macbeth
2007 Dominic Cooke for The Crucible
2006 Richard Eyre for Hedda Gabler
2005 Nicholas Hytner for The History Boys
2004 Michael Grandage for Caligula
2003 Sam Mendes for Twelfth Night and Uncle Vanya
2002 Michael Boyd for Henry VI Parts I, II and III and Richard III
2001 Howard Davies for All My Sons
2000 Trevor Nunn for Summerfolk, The Merchant Of Venice and Troilus And Cressida
1999 Howard Davies for The Iceman Cometh
1998 Richard Eyre for King Lear
1997 Des McAnuff for Tommy
1996 Sam Mendes for Company and The Glass Menagerie
1989/90 Michael Bogdanov for The Wars Of The Roses
1988 Deborah Warner for Titus Andronicus
1987 Declan Donnellan for The Cid, Twelfth Night and Macbeth
1986 Bill Alexander for The Merry Wives Of Windsor
1985 Bill Bryden for The Mysteries
1984 Christopher Morahan for Wild Honey
1983 Terry Hands for Cyrano De Bergerac
1982 Richard Eyre for Guys And Dolls
1981 Peter Wood for On the Razzle
1980 Trevor Nunn and John Caird for Nicholas Nickleby
1979 Michael Bogdanov for The Taming Of The Shrew
1978 Terry Hands for Henry VI
1977 Clifford Williams for Wild Oats
1976 Jonathan Miller for The Three Sisters

Best Director of a Play

1995 Declan Donnellan for As You Like It
1994 Stephen Daldry for Machinal
1993 Stephen Daldry for An Inspector Calls
1992 Deborah Warner for Hedda Gabler
1991 David Thacker for Pericles
Best Director of a Musical
1995 Scott Ellis for She Loves Me
1994 Declan Donnellan for Sweeney Todd
1993 Nicholas Hytner for Carousel
1992 Simon Callow for Carmen Jones
1991 Richard Jones for Into The Woods

Sean Hayes, presenting this year's Tony awards

The star-studded event will be hosted by Sean Hayes, best known as Jack from Will & Grace and currently starring in Promises, Promises on Broadway.

The awards, the most important in the US arts calendar, will feature performances from current Broadway shows including American Idiot, Fela!, Memphis, Million Dollar Quartet, La Cage aux Folles, A Little Night Music and Ragtime. Star presenters will include Katie Holmes, Will & Jada Pinkett Smith, Angela Lansbury, Mark Sanchez, Daniel Radcliffe, Barbara Cook, Stanley Tucci, Idina Menzel and Laura Bell Bundy!

Other appearances and performances will include Glee’s Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison, Paula Abdul, Antonio Banderas, Cate Blanchett, Kristin Chenoweth, Michael Douglas, Scarlett Johansson, Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren, Chris Noth, Bernadette Peters, Raquel Welch and David Hyde Pierce, who will receive a special Tony Award and is slated to appear in London next month in La Bete at the Comedy Theatre.

Shows up for awards this year include a revival of August Wilson’s Fences starring Denzel Washington (10nominations); Broadway musical Fela! (11 nominations) – and which makes its UK premiere at the National Theatre in November; and nods for a number of high-profile Hollywood stars including Christopher Walken (Behanding in Spokane), Liev Schreiber (A View From The Bridge), and Scarlett Johansson (A View from the Bridge).

Glee's Lea Michele rehearsing on Friday for the Tony Awards

Recent Broadway musical The Addams Family starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, failed to find favour with the Tony awards committee, scoring only two nominations – best original score and best supporting actor in a musical for Kevin Chamberlin.

UK creatives or shows have garned 28 nominations this year. The Menier Chocolate Factory in South London will be awaiting news on two of its successful productions that have transferred to Broadway and received 15 Tony nominations:  La Cage Aux Folles opened at the Longacre Theatrein April to enormous critical acclaim. The show features original London star Douglas Hodge and US actor Kelsey Grammer, both of whom have been nominated in the best actor in a musical category. In total the show has picked up 11 nominations, including best revival of a musical, scenic design (Tim Shortall), costume design  (Matthew Wright),  lighting design (Nick Richings), sound design (Jonathan Deans), direction (Terry Johnson), choreography (Lynne Page), orchestrations (Jason Carr) and best supporting actor (Robin De Jesus).

Also A Little Night Music, which started life at the Menier in 2008 before transferring to the Garrick theatre in the West End, opened on Broadway at the Walter Kerr theatre in December 2009. It has picked up 4 nominations, including competing against La Cage in the best musical revival category, and nods for Catherine Zeta-Jones (best actress in a musical), Angela Lansbury (best supporting actress in a musical), and sound design (Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen).

Douglas Hodge and Kelsey Grammer in La Cage Aux Folles

Other nominated UK shows include the Donmar Warehouse’s transfer of Red which enjoys 7 nominations including best play, best actor for Alfred Molina, best supporting actor for Eddie Redmayne, and best scenic design (Christopher Oram), lighting design (Neil Austin), sound design (Adam Cork) and direction (Michael Grandage). The Donmar production of Hamlet sees a nod for Jude Law and best lighting design of a play for Neil Austin. And the Royal Court’s production of Enron, which failed on Broadway but continues to sell well in London is nominated for best original score (music by Adam Cork and lyrics by Lucy Prebble), best supporting actor for Stephen Kunken, best sound design (Adam Cork) and best lighting design (Mark Henderson). Also veteran UK actress Rosemary Harris also received a best supporting nod for The Royal Family and one of the UK’s greatest living playwrights, Alan Ayckbourn, will receive a lifetime achievement award.

US viewers can watch the awards on CBS from 8pm ET. Selected countries are also airing the awards over the next week, although not in the UK. TonyAwards.com will only be featuring live footage of the red carpet arrivals and Creative Arts Awards from 6pm until 8pm ET.

See a list of Tony Award 2010 nominations here

www.tonyawards.com

Valid Monday to Wednesday performances and Saturday matinees until the 11th July

Lucy Prebble’s acclaimed new play exploring the infamous Enron corporate scandal.

Based on real life events and using music, movement and video, Enron explores one of the most infamous scandals in financial history, reviewing the tumultuous 1990s and casting a new light on the financial turmoil in which the world finds itself in 2009.

Written by Lucy Prebble, whose debut play The Sugar Syndrome won the George Devine Award and the Critics’ Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright, Enron premiered at the Royal Court directed by Rupert Goold. He has previously directed the award-winning Macbeth and Six Characters In Search Of An Author (both Gielgud theatre). More recently he has directed Pete Postlethwaite in King Lear (Young Vic), Michael Gambon and David Bradley in No Man’s Land (Duke of York’s theatre) and Rowan Atkinson in the revival of Lionel Bart’s musical, Oliver! (Theatre Royal Drury Lane).

The Times 5 out of 5 stars

Financial Times 4 out of 5 stars

Time Out 4 out of 5 stars

The Telegraph 5 out of 5 stars

The Guardian 4 out of 5 stars

BOOK NOW: Save £11 on tickets to see Enron at the Noel Coward Theatre in London

Valid Monday to Wednesday performances and Saturday matinees until the 11th July

La Cage Aux Folles starring Douglas Hodge and Kelsey Grammer

The small South London arts venue has dominated this year’s Tony Awards nominations – with a total of 15 nods. Its musical productions of Jerry Herman’s La Cage Aux Folles and Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music have both garnered multiple nominations for their Broadway transfers.

La Cage Aux Folles premiered at the Chocolate Factory in 2008 before transferring the Playhouse Theatre in London, and opened at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway last month to enormous critical acclaim.

The show features original London star Douglas Hodge and US actor Kelsey Grammer, both of whom have been nominated in the best actor in a musical category. In total the show has picked up 11 nominations, including best revival of a musical, scenic design (Tim Shortall), costume design  (Matthew Wright),  lighting design (Nick Richings), sound design (Jonathan Deans), direction (Terry Johnson), choreography (Lynne Page), orchestrations (Jason Carr) and best supporting actor (Robin De Jesus).

A Little Night Music, which started life at the Menier in 2008 before transferring to the Garrick theatre in the West End, opened on Broadway at the Walter Kerr theatre in December 2009. It has picked up 4 nominations, including competing against La Cage in the best musical revival category, and nods for Catherine Zeta-Jones (best actress in a musical), Angela Lansbury (best supporting actress in a musical), and sound design (Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen).

Catherine Zeta Jones and Angela Lansbury in A Little Night Music

Overall, it has been a successful year for the UK on Broadway, with a total of 28 nominations going to UK creatives. Other celebrated UK shows include the Donmar Warehouse’s transfer of Red which enjoys 7 nominations including best play, best actor for Alfred Molina, best supporting actor for Eddie Redmayne, and best scenic design (Christopher Oram), lighting design (Neil Austin), sound design (Adam Cork) and direction (Michael Grandage).

The Donmar also saw its production of Hamlet garner a best actor nod for Jude Law and best lighting design of a play for Neil Austin.

The Royal Court’s production of Enron, which transferred to Broadway but was not well received and has closed early at the Broadhurst Theatre, was nominated for best original score (music by Adam Cork and lyrics by Lucy Prebble), best supporting actor for Stephen Kunken, best sound design (Adam Cork) and best lighting design (Mark Henderson). Enron is currently playing to strong audiences in London at the Noel Coward Theatre.

Veteran UK actress Rosemary Harris also received a best supporting nod for The Royal Family and one of the UK’s greatest living playwrights, Alan Ayckbourn, will receive a lifetime achievement award.

Other big hitters nominated this year include a revival of August Wilson’s Fences starring Denzel Washington (10 nominations); Broadway musical Fela! (11 nominations) – and which makes its UK premiere at the National Theatre in November; and nods for a number of high-profile Hollywood stars including Christopher Walken (Behanding in Spokane), Liev Schreiber (A View From The Bridge), and Scarlett Johansson (A View from the Bridge).

Recent Broadway musical The Addams Family starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth, failed to find favour with the Tony awards committee, scoring only two nominations – best original score and best supporting actor in a musical for Kevin Chamberlin.

The 64^th awards will be presented on 13 July in New York.

See a list of Tony Award 2010 nominations here

Last night at a star-studded ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, the 34^th annual Laurence Olivier Award winners were announced.

The awards, which are the London equivalent of the Tony Awards and run by the Society of London Theatre, saw a number of surprise wins, with many of the top awards going to plays and musicals that are no longer running in town.

For the first time this year, the Olivier’s were broadcast live on the Society of London Theatre’s website alongside coverage on BBC’s Radio 2. The web stream allowed an international audience to enjoy the show for the first time, with some colourful tweeting from theatregoers accompanying the live video. The awards have not been televised since 2003.

Hosted by Anthony Head, who is currently starring in Six Degrees of Separation at the Old Vic Theatre, entertainment at the ceremony featured musical numbers from shows including Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Sister Act and Melanie C from Blood Brothers.

PLAYS

Best Actress and Actor winners Rachel Weisz and Mark Rylance

As with other award ceremonies this year, much of the attention centred on drama. Jez Butterworth’s play Jerusalem, which started at the Royal Court Theatre and is now playing at the Apollo Theatre in the West End, won two awards including Best Actor for Mark Rylance, a popular choice with critics and audiences alike, and Best Set Design but missed out on the Best New Play. This was won by The Mountaintop, a two-hander by young American playwright Katori Hall which only played a short run in the West End last summer despite great notices from critics.

Mark Rylance’s award for Best Actor beat some big hitters including Jude Law, James McAvoy, Ken Stott, Samuel West and James Earl Jones, who is currently starring in Debbie Allen’s production of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Novello Theatre, which won Best Revival.

Rachel Weisz picked up a Best Actress gong for her role as Blanche DuBois in the Donmar Warehouse production of A Streetcar Named Desire, and Rupert Goold won Best Director for Enron, currently playing at the Noel Coward Theatre.

MUSICALS

Two musicals garnered many of the musical awards on offer last night, and both have now closed in London: Spring Awakening and Hello, Dolly!.

Spring Awakening was not a commercial success at the Novello Theatre, where it ran for a short time until May 2009 after a sell-out run at the Lyric Hammersmith, but managed to pull four Olivier awards including Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical for Aneurin Barnard and Best Supporting Performance in a Musical for Iwan Rheon. It also won Best Sound Design for Brian Ronan.

Hello, Dolly!, which played at the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park last summer, won Best Musical Revival, Best Actress in a Musical for Samantha Spiro and Best Theatre Choreographer for Stephen Mear.

However, all was not completely lost for musicals still playing in London, with Priscilla winning Best Costume Design and Wicked picking up the Audience Award for Most Popular Show.

Special awards were also granted to two of London Theatre’s most significant living practitioners: The Society’s Special Award honoured Dame Maggie Smith, whilst legendary theatre producer Michael Codron was presented with an Outstanding Achievement Award after nearly 60 years in the business.

See a full list of Olivier Award winners here.

Rupert Everett and Angela Lansbury in the recent Broadway production of Blithe Spirit

In the new Chichester Festival Theatre season, to be announced later this week, Rupert Everett will star in George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, playing Professor Henry Higgins alongside the inimitable Stephanie Cole as his mother. The play will be directed by Philip Prowse.

Everett takes the role after his Broadway run as Charles Condomine in Blithe Spirit alongside Angela Lansbury. Charles Condomine was famously played by Rex Harrison in the 1945 David Lean film, who also played Henry Higgins in the stage and film musical adaptation of Pygmalion, My Fair Lady. Is Rupert reinventing himself as the Rex Harrison of our times?

Chichester’s new season follows their triumphant run last year, including the critical and Olivier Award-nominated success of Enron, a joint effort with the Royal Court theatre and now playing to packed houses at the Noel Coward Theatre in the West End.

Also performing in Chichester will be Sir Patrick Stewart, following his success last year in Waiting for Godot at the Theatre Royal Haymarket by portraying Shakespeare in a revival of Edward Bond’s 1973 play Bingo.

Stewart is no stranger to the Bard’s work, having built his career around playing Shakespeare’s great roles, including his performance as Macbeth at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2007 directed by Rupert Goold, and last year in the RSC’s Hamlet with David Tennant.

Bingo will be staged on the Chichester Festival Theatre’s Minerva stage in April, directed by Angus Jackson, the hot young director who has worked twice before at Chichester: last year directing Wallenstein with Iain Glen (currently starring in Ghosts at the Duchess Theatre in London) and Funny Girl in 2008 with Samantha Spiro.

Other new productions in the season include a brand new stage adaptation of the classic film Love Story.

Based on the novel by Erich Segal, and the 1970 movie starring Ali McGraw, Ryan O’Neal and Ray Milland, this “play with music” will feature music by Howard Goodall and lyrics by Stephen Clark and will be directed by Rachel Kavanagh, to run at Chichester in May.

This year’s Olivier Award nominations were announced today, with Hollywood stars dominating the line up of talent.

Keira Knightley, James Earl Jones, Jude Law, James McAvoy, Gillian Anderson and Rachel Weisz are among the big name stars vying for Larry gongs.

Also this year plays continue to dominate the West End, reflected by the organiser’s decision to extend the Best Actor, Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Revival categories from five to six nominations.

Enron, six nominations

The main drama-producing houses reaped a number of nominations, notably the Royal Court, who picked up 15 nominations for four different productions – Jerusalem, Enron, The Priory and Cock. The Donmar Warehouse and National Theatre have also done well with 19 nominations between them for plays including the Donmar Warehouse production of Hamlet starring Jude Law, who was also nominated.

The Society of London Theatre, the organiser’s of the awards, have also added a new Audience Award to recognise long-running West End shows which opened before 2009, allowing Billy Elliot the Musical, The Phantom of the Opera, War Horse, We Will Rock You and Wicked another crack at the whip.

Nominee Keira Knightley

In the acting categories, competition will be fierce. The Best Actor category includes James Earl Jones, Jude Law, James McAvoy, Mark Rylance, Ken Stott and Samuel West, whilst the Best Actress category features Gillian Anderson, Lorraine Burroughs, Imelda Staunton, Juliet Stevenson and Rachel Weisz. Keira Knightley (pictured) will compete with Hayley Atwell, Michelle Dockery, Alexandra Gilbreath, Rachael Stirling and Ruth Wilson for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

Another closely contested category will be Best Revival, with Arcadia, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Misanthrope, A Streetcar Named Desire, A View From the Bridge and Three Days of Rain all up for the award.

In the musical categories, Spring Awakening leads with six nominations, followed by A Little Night Music with five, and Sister Act and Hello, Dolly!, both with four. Nominees include Rowan Atkinson for Oliver!, Sheila Hancock for Sister Act, Maureen Lipman for A Little Night Music and Melanie C for Blood Brothers.

Society of London Theatre President Nica Burns said: “In an outstanding year for drama, a whole new generation of playwrights step into the spotlight. Eight wonderful new plays – challenging, stimulating and inspiring – include two women in their twenties. Mirroring this, the voting for the best acting awards was so close that the nominations had to be increased, with some of the most exciting young acting talent around taking their place alongside some our most acclaimed screen stars. What a memorable year!”

The winners will be announced at the Grosvenor House Hotel on 21 March.

The list of nominees for the 2010 Olivier Awards in full:

BEST ACTRESS

Gillian Anderson for A DOLL’S HOUSE at the Donmar Warehouse

Lorraine Burroughs for THE MOUNTAINTOP at Trafalgar Studio 1

Imelda Staunton for ENTERTAINING MR SLOANE at Trafalgar Studio 1

Juliet Stevenson for DUET FOR ONE at the Almeida theatre and Vaudeville theatre

Rachel Weisz for A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at the Donmar Warehouse

BEST ACTOR

James Earl Jones for CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF at the Novello theatre

Jude Law for HAMLET, Donmar at Wyndham’s theatre

James McAvoy for THREE DAYS OF RAIN at the Apollo theatre

Mark Rylance for JERUSALEM at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Apollo theatre

Ken Stott for A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE at the Duke of York’s theatre

Samuel West for ENRON at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Noël Coward theatre

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Hayley Atwell for A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE at the Duke of York’s theatre

Michelle Dockery for BURNT BY THE SUN at the National Theatre, Lyttelton

Alexandra Gilbreath for TWELFTH NIGHT at the Duke of York’s theatre

Keira Knightley for THE MISANTHROPE at the Comedy theatre

Rachael Stirling for THE PRIORY at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court

Ruth Wilson for A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at the Donmar Warehouse

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Mackenzie Crook for JERUSALEM at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Apollo theatre

Rory Kinnear for BURNT BY THE SUN at the National Theatre, Lyttelton

Tim Pigott-Smith for ENRON at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Noël Coward theatre

Eddie Redmayne for RED at the Donmar Warehouse

BEST NEW PLAY

ENRON by Lucy Prebble at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Noël Coward theatre

JERUSALEM by Jez Butterworth at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Apollo theatre

THE MOUNTAINTOP by Katori Hall at Trafalgar Studio 1

RED by John Logan at the Donmar Warehouse

BEST NEW COMEDY

CALENDAR GIRLS by Tim Firth at the Noël Coward theatre

ENGLAND PEOPLE VERY NICE by Richard Bean at the National Theatre, Olivier

PARLOUR SONG by Jez Butterworth at the Almeida theatre

THE PRIORY by Michael Wynne at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court

BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL

Irving Berlin’s ANNIE GET YOUR GUN music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, book by Herbert and Dorothy Fields, at the Young Vic

HELLO DOLLY! book by Michael Stewart, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, based on the play ‘The Matchmaker’ by Thornton Wilder, at the Open Air theatre

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler, suggested by a film by Ingmar Bergman, originally produced and directed on Broadway by Harold Prince, at the Garrick theatre

Lionel Bart’s OLIVER! based on the original production by Sam Mendes, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

BEST NEW MUSICAL

DREAMBOATS AND PETTICOATS book by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, at the Savoy theatre

PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT – THE MUSICAL book by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, based on the Latent Image/Specific Films motion picture distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., at the Palace theatre

SPRING AWAKENING music by Duncan Sheik, book and lyrics by Steven Sater, based on the play by Frank Wedekind, at the Novello theatre

SISTER ACT music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater, book by Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner, at the London Palladium

BEST ENTERTAINMENT

ARTURO BRACHETTI: CHANGE written and directed by Sean Foley, original concept by Serge Denoncourt, based on the repertoire of Arturo Brachetti, at the Garrick theatre

DERREN BROWN: ENIGMA written by Derren Brown and Andy Nyman, at the Adelphi theatre

MORECAMBE by Tim Whitnall, at the Duchess theatre

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OR ENTERTAINMENT

Melanie C for BLOOD BROTHERS at the Phoenix theatre

Patina Miller for SISTER ACT at the London Palladium

Samantha Spiro for HELLO DOLLY! at the Open Air theatre

Hannah Waddingham for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Garrick theatre

Charlotte Wakefield for SPRING AWAKENING at the Novello theatre

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL OR ENTERTAINMENT

Rowan Atkinson for OLIVER! at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Aneurin Barnard for SPRING AWAKENING at the Novello theatre

Bob Golding for MORECAMBE at the Duchess theatre

Alexander Hanson for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Garrick theatre

Tony Sheldon for PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT – THE MUSICAL at the Palace theatre

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL OR ENTERTAINMENT

Sheila Hancock for SISTER ACT at the London Palladium

Maureen Lipman for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Garrick theatre

Kelly Price for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the Garrick theatre

Iwan Rheon for SPRING AWAKENING at the Novello theatre

BEST DIRECTOR

Rupert Goold for ENRON at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Noël Coward theatre

Michael Grandage for HAMLET, Donmar at Wyndham’s theatre

Lindsay Posner for A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE at the Duke of York’s theatre

Ian Rickson for JERUSALEM at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Apollo theatre

Bijan Sheibani for OUR CLASS at the National Theatre, Cottesloe

BEST REVIVAL

ARCADIA directed by David Leveaux at the Duke of York’s theatre

CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF directed by Debbie Allen at the Novello theatre

THE MISANTHROPE directed by Thea Sharrock at the Comedy theatre

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE directed by Rob Ashford at the Donmar Warehouse

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE directed by Lindsay Posner at the Duke of York’s theatre

THREE DAYS OF RAIN directed by Jamie Lloyd at the Apollo theatre

BEST THEATRE CHOREOGRAPHER

Matthew Bourne for OLIVER! at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Bill T Jones for SPRING AWAKENING at the Novello theatre

Anthony Van Laast for SISTER ACT at the London Palladium

Stephen Mear for HELLO DOLLY! at the Open Air theatre

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

BURNT BY THE SUN designed by Mark Henderson at the National Theatre, Lyttelton

ENRON designed by Mark Henderson the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Noël Coward theatre

SPRING AWAKENING designed by Kevin Adams at the Novello theatre

THREE DAYS OF RAIN designed by Jon Clark at the Apollo theatre

BEST SET DESIGN

ENGLAND PEOPLE VERY NICE designed by Mark Thompson with animation by Pete Bishop at the National Theatre, Olivier

ENRON designed by Anthony Ward at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Noël Coward theatre

JERUSALEM designed by Ultz at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Apollo theatre

RED designed by Christopher Oram at the Donmar Warehouse

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

HELLO DOLLY! designed by Peter McKintosh at the Open Air theatre

MADAME DE SADE designed by Christopher Oram, Donmar at Wyndham’s theatre

THE MISANTHROPE designed by Amy Roberts at the Comedy theatre

PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT- THE MUSICAL designed by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner at the Palace theatre

BEST SOUND DESIGN

EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES FAVOUR designed by Christopher Shutt at the National Theatre, Olivier

JERUSALEM designed by Ian Dickinson for Autograph at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court and now at the Apollo theatre

MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN designed by Andrew Bruce and Nick Lidster for Autograph at the National Theatre, Olivier

SPRING AWAKENING designed by Brian Ronan at the Novello theatre

THE AUDIENCE AWARD FOR MOST POPULAR SHOW

BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL music by Elton John, books and lyrics by Lee Hall at the Victoria Palace

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA music and book by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart, book and additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe at His Majesty’s theatre

WAR HORSE based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo, adapted by Nick Stafford at the New London theatre

WE WILL ROCK YOU based on the songs of Queen, by Ben Elton in collaboration with Brian May and Roger Taylor at the Dominion theatre

WICKED music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, book by Winnie Holzman at the Apollo Victoria theatre

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN AN AFFILIATE THEATRE

Soho Theatre/ Tiata Fahodzi for IYA ILE (THE FIRST WIFE)

The Tricycle Theatre for THE GREAT GAME

The Royal Court for COCK at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs

BEST NEW OPERA PRODUCTION

The Royal Opera’s DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER at the Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera’s LULU at the Royal Opera House

English National Opera’s PETER GRIMES at the London Coliseum

The Royal Opera’s TRISTAN UND ISOLDE at the Royal Opera House

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN OPERA

Anja Kampe for her performance in the Royal Opera’s DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER at the Royal Opera House

Stuart Skelton for his performance in English National Opera’s PETER GRIMES at the London Coliseum

Nina Steme for her performance in the Royal Opera’s TRISTAN UND ISOLDE at the Royal Opera House

Michael Volle for his performances in the Royal Opera’s LULU and TRISTAN AND ISOLDE at the Royal Opera House

BEST NEW DANCE PRODUCTION

Russell Maliphant’s AFTERLIGHT at Sadler’s Wells

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s E=MC² at Sadler’s Wells

The Brandstrup – Rojo project’s GOLDBERG at the Royal Opera House

Rambert Dance Company’s A LINHA CURVA at Sadler’s Wells

Fabulous Beast Dance’s THE RITE OF SPRING at the London Coliseum

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE

Colin Dunne for his performance in OUT OF TIME at The Barbican Pit

Michael Hulls for his lighting designs for Russell Maliphant’s TWO:FOUR:TEN at the London Coliseum; and for Russell Maliphant’s AFTERLIGHT and for Ex Machina & Sylvie Guillem’s EONNAGATA at Sadler’s Wells

Rambert Dance Company for an outstanding year of new work

Review of ENRON at the Royal Court Theatre

The last projected image you see in Lucy Prebble’s timely new play Enron is a large graph showing characteristic peaks and valleys.

‘All our creations are here,’ says the failed company’s CEO. ‘There’s greed, there’s Fear, Joy, Faith, Hope… and the greatest of these is Money.’

‘Money’ is the last word in the play, and it’s also the first item on Prebble’s agenda. Money is what her play is all about – money, the love of it, and the lengths to which the financial world’s movers and shakers will go to acquire it. It’s hardly a shattering observation and it says nothing about greed that hasn’t been said in countless novels, films and plays before.

But apart from its timeliness, what makes Enron so exciting is director Rupert Goold’s and designer Anthony Ward’s bracingly theatrical appoach to the material.

In telling the now familar story of how, in 15 years, Enron, a Texas-based energy company, grew from nothing to become America’s 7th largest company, employing 21,000 people in 40 countries, and how, through creative accounting, debt concealment and fraudulent dealings, they became the architects of the corporate world’s biggest scandal to date, the show’s creative team have made a theatrical killing.

Initially I was worried that their powerhouse production was in danger of overwhelming Prebble’s text through overkill. The first half, in which you gradually get to know the main players, blurred some of the narrative issues through an excess of stage business and visual affects. At times it almost appeared that Goold had lost confidence in the text and was impelled to gussy up the exposition in case the audience grew bored with its boardroom politics.

But as the performances sharpened, and the almost Greek tragedy-like inevitability began to unfurl, the staging melded seamlessly with the text to create a rare kind of stage magic.

Mark Henderson’s lighting, dominated by a series of mobile neon tubes that changed colour to reflect mood, and a backdrop of video images against a moving electric strip of fluctuating share prices, made quite sure that the occasional dead spots in the text passed more or less unnoticed.

Particularly effective was a great setpiece in which Star War-type laser rods were inventively used to create a series of stunning images.

The three executives who featured most prominently in Enron’s collapse in 2001 were Ken Lay, Enron’s chairman (Tim Piggott-Smith), Jeffrey Skilling, the company’s charismatic chief executive (Samuel West), and Andrew Fastow, its chief financial officer (Tom Goodman- Hill) who, (in this version of the story, at any rate) single-handedly was responsible for devising the scandal that ultimately ruined the company as well as the lives of most of its employees. On the distaff side, the play features a woman called Claudia Roe (Amanda Drew) ‘the fourteenth most powerful woman in the world’ who was also Skilling’s occasional sexual bit on the side and an unsuccesful contender for his job.

All deliver strong, convincing performances (as does the rest of the cast), the single most riveting scene being the one in which the ambitious Fastow convinces a worried Skilling that Enron can be saved by the illegal creation of a ‘shadow company’ to support its falling stock.

Not surprisingly, Enron’s run at the Royal Court is completely sold out. The good news is that it’s transferring to the Noel Coward Theatre on 16 January next year. Book now.

CLIVE HIRSCHHORN. Courtesy of This Is London.

Book tickets to Enron at the Noel Coward Theatre in London