Cush Jumbo has been announced as the host of the 2018 Stage Debut Awards
Cush Jumbo, currently starring in American series The Good Fight will host The Stage Debut Awards alongside presenters Adrian Lester, Jodie Prenger, Ruthie Henshall, Mathew Horne, Michael Grandage, Preeya Kalidas, James Graham and Paule Constable.
The event will have exclusive performances by Anais Mitchell performing Why We Build A Wall from Hadestown and Miriam-Teak Lee performing I’m Here from The Color Purple.
Cush Jumbo said “I’m thrilled to be hosting the second The Stage Debut Awards this year. I’m very passionate about the continuing need to support emerging talent and champion our rising stars whether they be actors, directors, writers or designers. These awards celebrate new voices in a huge way.”
The Stage Debut Awards celebrate the very best breakthrough talent in theatre, from actors and directors to designers, writers, composers and lyricists, all of whom have made their professional debuts in the past year.
The awards are the first of their kind to recognise outstanding emerging theatre talent.
The awards will be held on Sunday 23 September 2018 at 8 Northumberland Avenue, London and will be live streamed by The Stage’s Facebook page.
THE STAGE DEBUT AWARDS’ 2018 FULL SHORTLIST:
Best Actress In A Play
Kitty Archer for One for Sorrow at the Royal Court, London
Gemma Dobson for Rita, Sue and Bob Too at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Lorna Fitzgerald for The Shadow Factory at NST City, Southampton
Grainne O’Mahony for The Elephant Man at Bristol Old Vic
Best Actor In A Play
Seb Carrington for Summer and Smoke at the Almeida Theatre, London
Akshay Sharan for The Reluctant Fundamentalist at the Yard Theatre, London
Chris Walley for The Lieutenant of Inishmore at the Noel Coward Theatre, London
Alex Wilson for The Elephant Man at Bristol Old Vic Theatre
Best Actor In A Musical
Will Carey for It’s Only Life at the Union Theatre, London
Louis Gaunt for Oklahoma! at Grange Park Opera, West Horsley
Toby Miles for Les Misérables at the Queen’s Theatre, London
Simon Oskarsson for Return to the Forbidden Planet at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, London
Best Actress In A Musical
Teleri Hughes for Spring Awakening at the Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
Eleanor Kane for Fun Home at the Young Vic, London
Rebecca Mendoza for Hairspray, on tour
Amara Okereke for Les Misérables at the Queen’s Theatre, London
Best Director
Iwan Lewis for One Minute at the Barn Theatre, Cirencester
Alexandra Moxon for Wreck at Nottingham Playhouse
Oscar Pearce for Great Apes at the Arcola Theatre, London
Katy Rudd for The Almighty Sometimes at the Royal Exchange, Manchester
Best Designer
Basia Binkowska for Devil with the Blue Dress at the Bunker Theatre, London
Khadija Raza for Hijabi Monologues, Spun, and Mixtape, at the Bush Theatre, London, the Arcola Theatre, London and the Royal Exchange, Manchester
Fin Redshaw for Pieces of String and Love Me Now at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester and the Tristan Bates Theatre, London
Jasmine Swan for Hyem, The Passing of Third Floor Back, Hanna and The Sleeper at Theatre503, London, the Finborough Theatre, London, the Arcola Theatre, London, and Rialto Theatre, Brighton
Best Composer or Lyricist
Gus Gowland for Pieces of String at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester
Kate Marlais for Abandon at the Lyric Hammersmith, London
Matt Winkworth for The Assassination of Katie Hopkins at Theatr Clwyd, Mold
Best Writer
Georgia Christou for Yous Two at Hampstead Theatre, London
Kendall Feaver for The Almighty Sometimes at the Royal Exchange, Manchester
Natasha Gordon for Nine Night at the National Theatre, London
Andrew Thompson for In Event of Moone Disaster at Theatre503, London
Joe White for Mayfly at the Orange Tree Theatre, London
The Joe Allen Best West End Debut
Mohammad Amiri for The Jungle at the Playhouse Theatre
Ashley Banjo for Dick Whittington at the London Palladium
Bryan Cranston for Network at the National Theatre
Michelle Greenidge for Nine Night at the National Theatre
John McCrea for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre
Kelli O’Hara for The King and I at the London Palladium
Joe Robertson and Joe Murphy for The Jungle at the Playhouse Theatre
Lucie Shorthouse for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre
Aidan Turner for The Lieutenant of Inishmore at the Noel Coward Theatre
Adrienne Warren for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theatre
