Best Actress in a Play
As Jean-Baptiste took her bow at the end of The Amen Corner, I found myself in
that wonderful state of involuntarily rising to my feet – it doesn’t happen
very often at all but it is a mark of the kind of acting that strikes deep into
my soul. As she blazed across the stage in all her unshakeable fervour and
blinkered righteousness, this marked a much-welcomed return to the theatre for
this most excellent of actresses and I sincerely hope we get to see her back on
the boards sooner rather than later.
We always knew Terry would make an excellent Titania but the real surprise came
with the huge impact she managed to make as Hippolyta, making the character
register in every scene in which she appeared and anchoring the production with
a clear sense of just how much the path of true love never runs smooth no
matter one’s status.
7-10
Best Actress in a Musical
One of those performances that has to be seen to be believed, Craig
demonstrated core strength like no other performer on the London stage as the
princess Althea, unwavering in a show of immense physicality supported by a
team of human puppeteers to help her to float. Add to that a flawless vocal and
a pitch-perfect portrayal of a young woman struggling to come to terms with her
place in the world and you have the kind of memorable amazingness that will
linger long in the mind.
If nothing else, Erivo deserves plaudits for a literally show-stopping
performance, having to deal with the practicalities of the mid-song ovations
that often greeted her. Whereas they may not have been welcome in these
quarters, Erivo’s ascendance to leading lady status certainly was.
7-10
Labels: Anita Dobson, Charlotte Wakefield, Cynthia Erivo, fosterIANs, Lesley Manville, Lucy Ellinson, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michelle Terry, Rosalie Craig, Scarlett Strallen, Shuna Snow, Stella Gonet, Zrinka Cvitešić