THE SOCIETY OF WEST END THEATRE AWARDS 1981
Awards announced: 1981
Designer of the Year
Winner: Carl Toms for The Provoked Wife, at the NT Lyttelton
Nominees:
Eileen Diss for Measure for Measure, at the NT Lyttelton
John Napier for Cats, at the New London
Saul Radomsky for Tonight At 8.30, at the Lyric
Carl Toms for The Provoked Wife, at the NT Lyttelton
Director of the Year
Winner: Peter Wood for On The Razzle, at the NT Lyttelton
Nominees:
Donald McWhinnie for Translations, at the NT Lyttelton
Trevor Nunn for Cats, at the New London
Harold Pinter for Quartermaine’s Terms, at the Queen’s
Peter Wood for On The Razzle, at the NT Lyttelton
Actor of the Year in a Revival
Winner: Daniel Massey for Man and Superman, at the NT Olivier
Nominees:
Daniel Massey for Man and Superman, at the NT Olivier
Warren Mitchell for The Caretaker, at the NT Lyttelton
David Suchet for The Merchant of Venice, RSC at the Aldwych
John Wood for The Provoked Wife, at the Lyttelton
Actress of the Year in a Revival
Winner: Margaret Tyzack for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, at the NT Lyttelton
Nominees:
Sinead Cusack for The Maid’s Tragedy, RSC at the Warehouse
Rosemary Harris for All My Sons, at Wyndham’s
Margaret Tyzack for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, at the NT Lyttelton
Penelope Wilton for Man and Superman, at the NT Olivier
Actor of the Year in a New Play
Winner: Trevor Eve for Children of a Lesser God, at the Albery
Nominees:
Trevor Eve for Children of a Lesser God, at the Albery
Edward Fox for Quartermaine’s Terms, at the Queen’s
James Grout for Quartermaine’s Terms, at the Queen’s
Karl Johnson for Television Times, RSC at the Warehouse
Actress of the Year in a New Play
Winner: Elizabeth Quinn for Children of a Lesser God, at the Albery
Nominees:
Eileen Atkins for Passion Play, RSC at the Aldwych
Janet Dale for The Accrington Pals, RSC at the Warehouse
Maggie Smith for Virginia, at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket
Elizabeth Quinn for Children of a Lesser God, at the Albery
Comedy Performance of the Year
Winner: Rowan Atkinson for Rowan Atkinson in Revue, at the Globe
Nominees:
Rowan Atkinson for Rowan Atkinson in Revue, at the Globe
Georgina Hale for Steaming, at the Comedy
Donald Sinden for Present Laughter, at the Vaudeville
Angela Thorne for Anyone for Denis?, at the Whitehall
Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Winner: Les Contes D’Hoffman – The Royal Opera, at the Royal Opera House
Nominees:
Die Frau Ohne Schatten – Welsh National Opera, at the Dominion
Les Contes D’Hoffman – The Royal Opera, at the Royal Opera House
Lulu – The Royal Opera, at the Royal Opera House
Samson Et Delilah – The Royal Opera, at the Royal Opera House
Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role
Winner: Joe Melia for Good, RSC at the Warehouse
Nominees:
Tony Church for Hamlet, RSC at the Aldwych
Joe Melia for Good, RSC at the Warehouse
Norman Rodway for Shadow of a Gunman, RSC at the Warehouse
Tom Wilkinson for Hamlet, RSC at the Aldwych
Actress of the Year in a Supporting Role
Winner: Gwen Watford for Present Laughter, at the Vaudeville
Nominees:
Brenda Bruce for Romeo and Juliet, RSC at the Aldwych
Sinead Cusack for As You Like It, RSC at the Aldwych
Gwen Taylor for Harvest, at the Ambassadors
Gwen Watford for Present Laughter, at the Vaudeville
Actor of the Year in a Musical
Winner: Michael Crawford for Barnum, at the London Palladium
Nominees:
Brian Blessed for Cats, at the New London
Michael Crawford for Barnum, at the London Palladium
Henderson Forsythe for The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Wayne Sleep for Cats, at the New London
Actress of the Year in a Musical
Winner: Carlin Glynn for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Nominees:
Petula Clark for The Sound of Music, at the Apollo Victoria
Carlin Glynn for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Patricia Hodge for The Mitford Girls, at the Globe
Sylvia Kumba Williams for One Mo’ Time, at the Cambridge
Outstanding Achievement of the Year in a Musical
Winner: Gillian Lynne – choreographer of Cats, at the New London
Nominees:
Vernel Bagneris – writer & director of One Mo’ Time, at the Cambridge
Gillian Lynne – choreographer of Cats, at the New London
The Staging – Barnum, at the London Palladium
The Style and Design – The Mitford Girls, at the Globe
Most Promising Newcomer of the Year in Theatre
Winner: Alice Krige for Arms And The Man, at the Lyric
Nominees:
Catherine Hall for Naked Robots, RSC at the Warehouse
Alice Krige for Arms And The Man, at the Lyric
Jeremy Nicholas for Three Men In A Boat, at the Mayfair
Eric Peterson for Billy Bishop Goes To War, at the Comedy
Outstanding First Achievement of the Year in Opera
Winner: Anne Mackay for The Gypsy Princess, at Sadler’s Wells
Nominees:
Helen Field for The Cunning Little Vixen, at the Dominion
Anne Mackay for The Gypsy Princess, at Sadler’s Wells
Claire Powell for The Royal Opera’s Les Contes D’Hoffman, at the Royal Opera House
David Wilson-Johnson for The Lighthouse, at Sadler’s Wells
Outstanding First Achievement of the Year in Ballet
Winner: Bryony Brind for The Royal Ballet’s Dances of Albion, at the Royal Opera House
Nominees:
Bryony Brind for The Royal Ballet’s Dances of Albion, at the Royal Opera House
Stephen Beagley for work in new productions with the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House
Michael Clark for work in new productions with Ballet Rambert at Sadler’s Wells
Ashley Page for The Royal Ballet’s Isadora, at the Royal Opera House
Outstanding Achievement of the Year in Ballet
Winner: Forgotten Land – The Stuttgart Ballet, at the London Coliseum
Nominees:
Dances of Albion – The Royal Ballet, at the Royal Opera House
Death and the Maiden – London Contemporary Dance Theatre, at Sadler’s Wells
Forgotten Land – The Stuttgart Ballet, at the London Coliseum
Night Moves – Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, at Sadler’s Wells
Comedy of the Year
Winner: Steaming by Nell Dunn, at the Comedy
Nominees:
Anyone for Denis? by John Wells, at the Whitehall
Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! By Dario Fo, at the Criterion
On The Razzle by Tom Stoppard, at the NT Lyttelton
Steaming by Nell Dunn, at the Comedy
Musical of the Year
Winner: Cats – based on the poems by T.S. Eliot, music: Andrew Lloyd Webber, additional material: Trevor Nunn & Richard Stilgoe, at the New London
Nominees:
Cats – based on the poems by T.S. Eliot, music: Andrew Lloyd Webber, additional material: Trevor Nunn & Richard Stilgoe, at the New London
Barnum – book: Mark Bramble, songs: Cy Coleman, at the London Palladium
One Mo’ Time – book: Vernon Bagneris, music and lyrics: various, at the Cambridge
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas – Larry King and Peter Masterson, music and lyrics: Carol Hall, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Play of the Year
Winner: Children of a Lesser God by Mark Medoff, at the Albery
Nominees:
Children of a Lesser God by Mark Medoff, at the Albery
Passion Play by Peter Nichols, RSC at the Aldwych
Translations by Brian Friel, at the NT Lyttelton
Quartermaine’s Terms by Simon Gray, at the Queen’s
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