So here it is, as best a summation of what I liked most about the year's theatregoing as I can manage. I racked up 332 plays in the end this year (a further analysis will come in a later post) so it has taken quite some considerable time to narrow these down (especially the supporting actress categories which should surprise no-one who knows me) and considering which were the performances that stood out for me this year led to some surprises. Thus here we go, the 2011 fosterIAN (fos-tîr'ē-ən) award nominations for acting this year.
(NB Eligibility is quite simple: if I saw this play/production for the first time this year, it went in the hat. I saw Propeller's Richard III last November so that fell into last's year cohort.)
Best Actor in a Play
Benedict Cumberbatch, Frankenstein
Charles Edwards, Much Ado About Nothing (Globe)
Trevor Fox, The Pitmen Painters
Jude Law, Anna Christie
Andrew Scott, Emperor and Galilean
Dominic West, Othello
Best Actress in a Play
Eve Best, Much Ado About Nothing (Globe)
Siân Brooke, Ecstasy
Geraldine James, Seagull
Lisa Palfrey, The Kitchen Sink
Ruth Wilson, Anna Christie
Rosie Wyatt, Bunny
Best Supporting Actor in a Play
Edward Franklin, Many Moons
Harry Hadden-Paton, Flare Path
Robert Hands, The Comedy of Errors (Propeller)
Adam James, Much Ado About Nothing (Wyndhams)
Craig Parkinson, Ecstasy
Ryan Sampson, The Kitchen Sink
Best Supporting Actress in a Play
Kirsty Bushell, Double Feature 1
Alexandra Gilbreath, Othello
Esther Hall, Many Moons
Sinéad Matthews, Ecstasy
Billie Piper, Reasons to be Pretty
Sheridan Smith, Flare Path
Best Revival
Anna Christie
The Comedy of Errors (Propeller)
Ecstasy
Flare Path
Much Ado About Nothing (Globe)
The Tempest (Cheek By Jowl)
Best New Play
Di and Viv and Rose
For Once
The Kitchen Sink
Many Moons
The Village Bike
13
Best Actor in a Musical
Michael Ball, Sweeney Todd
Alistair Brookshaw, Parade
Bertie Carvel, Matilda
Daniel Crossley, Me and My Girl
Daniel Evans, Company
Vincent Franklin, The Day We Sang
Best Actress in a Musical
Adrianna Bertola, Josie Griffiths, Cleo Demetriou, Kerry Ingram, Eleanor Worthington Cox and Sophia Kiely Matilda
Beverley Klein, Bernarda Alba
Laura Pitt-Pulford, Parade
Jemima Rooper, Me and My Girl
Imelda Staunton, Sweeney Todd
Scarlet Strallen, Singin' in the Rain
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical
David Burt, Crazy For You
Daniel Crossley, Singin' in the Rain
Connor Dowling, Guys and Dolls
Jack Edwards, Betty Blue Eyes
Nigel Harman, Shrek
Nick Holder, London Road
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
Ann Emery, Betty Blue Eyes
Kate Fleetwood, London Road
Josefina Gabrielle, Me and My Girl
Josie Walker, Matilda
Rosalind James, Ragtime
Samantha Spiro, Company
Best Musical Revival
Company
The Hired Man
Perchance to Dream
Ragtime
Singin' in the Rain
Sweeney Todd
Best New Musical
Betty Blue Eyes
The Day We Sang
Hamlet the musical
The Importance of Being Earnest the musical
London Road
Matilda
Labels: Adrianna Bertola, Ann Emery, Cleo Demetriou, Dugald Bruce-Lockhart, Eleanor Worthington Cox, fosterIANs, Josie Griffiths, Michael Malarkey, Sophia Kiely