Benedict Cumberbatch has won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Play while Nicole Kidman took home the award for Best Actress in a Play.
Cumberbatch who saw off stiff competition from James McAvoy, Bradley Cooper and Mark Rylance, received the award for his portrayal of the Danish prince in Hamlet which was directed by Lyndsey Turner at the Barbican last year.
Kidman won the Best Actress Award for playing scientist Rosalind Franklin in the UK premiere of Photograph 51, which was directed by Michael Grandage.
Imelda Staunton won Best Actress in a Musical for her critically acclaimed turn as Momma Rose in Chichester Festival Theatre’s West End transfer of Gypsy.
Matt Henry won Best Actor in a Musical for Kinky Boots which also won Best New Musical.
Judi Dench took home Best Supporting Actress in a Play for starring as Paulina in The Winter’s Tale. Kenneth Branagh, who is currently presenting a Season of Plays at the Garrick and co-directed Dench in The Winter’s Tale was also presented a special award: the Equity Award for Services to Theatre.
The 16th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards were announced on 21 February 2016 at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London. The ceremony was hosted by Steve Furst with guest presenters and several performances from West End stars including Pixie Lott singing Moon River from her upcoming show Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Jenna Russell performed a song from Grey Gardens and Emma Williams and Tracie Bennett sang a duet from Mrs Henderson Presents.
2016 WhatsOnStage Award Winners in full:
Best Actor in a Play sponsored by Radisson Blu Edwardian:
Winner: Benedict Cumberbatch, Hamlet
James McAvoy, The Ruling Class
Bradley Cooper, The Elephant Man
Mark Rylance, Farinelli and the King
Alex Hassell, Henry V
Best Actress in a Play:
Winner: Nicole Kidman, Photograph 51
Denise Gough, People, Places and Things
Lia Williams, Oresteia
Rosalie Craig, As You Like It
Harriet Walter, Death of a Salesman
Best Actor in a Musical:
Winner: Matt Henry, Kinky Boots
Killian Donnelly, Kinky Boots
Michael Ball, Mack and Mabel
Sam Mackay, In the Heights
Ben Forster, Elf the Musical
Best Actress in a Musical sponsored by STAR:
Winner: Imelda Staunton, Gypsy
Beverley Knight, Cats
Kimberley Walsh, Elf the Musical
Lily Frazer, In the Heights
Katie Brayben, Beautiful
Best Supporting Actor in a Play:
Winner: Mark Gatiss, Three Days in the Country
Ciaran Hinds, Hamlet
Bertie Carvel, Bakkhai
Johnny Flynn, Hangmen
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Hamlet
Best Supporting Actress in a Play:
Winner: Judi Dench, The Winter’s Tale
Sian Brooke, Hamlet
Anastasia Hille, Hamlet
Imogen Doel, The Importance of Being Earnest
Patsy Ferran, As You Like It
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical:
Winner: David Bedella, In The Heights
Lucas Rush, American Idiot
Alexis Gerred, American Idiot
Jack Edwards, Mack and Mabel
Peter Davison, Gypsy
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical:
Winner: Lara Pulver, Gypsy
Jennie Dale, Elf the Musical
Amy Lennox, Kinky Boots
Lauren Samuels, Bend It Like Beckham
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, In The Heights
Best New Play:
Winner: Photograph 51
Hangmen
Oppenheimer
People, Places and Things
Farinelli and the King
Best New Musical sponsored by Autograph:
Winner: Kinky Boots
Bend It Like Beckham
Elf the Musical
Beautiful
In The Heights
Best Play Revival:
Winner: Hamlet
Importance of Being Earnest
The Ruling Class
Death of a Salesman
Oresteia
Best Musical Revival sponsored by R&H Theatricals Europe:
Winner: Gypsy
Cats
High Society
Mack and Mabel
American Idiot
Best Direction sponsored by Managed Networks:
Winner: Gypsy, Jonathan Kent
Hamlet, Lyndsey Turner
In The Heights, Luke Sheppard
American Idiot, Racky Plews
Kinky Boots, Jerry Mitchell
Best Choreography sponsored by Capezio:
Winner: Kinky Boots, Jerry Mitchell
In The Heights, Drew McOnie
High Society, Nathan M Wright
Gypsy, Stephen Mear
American Idiot, Racky Plews
Best Set Design sponsored by Feast Creative:
Winner: Hamlet, Es Devlin
American Idiot, Sara Perks
Kinky Boots, David Rockwell
In The Heights, Takis
Gypsy, Anthony Ward
Best Lighting Design sponsored by White Light:
Winner: Hamlet, Jane Cox
In The Heights, Howard Hudson
American Idiot, Tim Deiling
Kinky Boots, Kenneth Posner
Gypsy, Mark Henderson
Best Off-West End Production:
Winner: Carrie, Southwark Playhouse
Shock Treatment, King’s Head Theatre
You Won’t Succeed on Broadway If You Don’t Have Any Jews, St James’s Theatre
Grand Hotel, Southwark Playhouse
Assassins, The Menier Chocolate Factory
Best Regional Production sponsored by Travelzoo:
Winner: Mary Poppins, tour
Mack and Mabel, Chichester Festival Theatre and tour
Anything Goes, Sheffield Crucible and tour
Hairspray, tour
Henry V, RSC
Best West End Show:
Winner: Les Miserables
Wicked
Kinky Boots
Miss Saigon
Matilda
