The Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards took a hiatus during the lockdowns of 2021, but returned on 3 April 2022 with a ceremony at the Ham Yard Hotel, honouring work made in the calendar year 2021.
The decision not to hold an awards, even virtually, in 2021 had been a difficult one, but in the end the overwhelming view of the members was that it would be wrong to celebrate or define parameters of excellence at a time when our friends in the industry were undergoing an existential trauma. Nonetheless, we wanted to acknowledge that many people had nonetheless managed extraordinary creative work in new forms during the lockdown periods, which is why this year we also included five commendations for organisations and individuals who went above and beyond to keep theatre alive during lockdown.
It was clearly a year for musicals – Cabaret and Spring Awakening garnered the most awards, with Cabaret winning Best Director (Rebecca Frecknall), Best Director (Tom Scutt) and Best Actress (Jessie Buckley), but Spring Awakening pipping it to the post for Best Musical, as well as winning Stuart Thompson one of the day’s two shared ‘Most Promising Newcomer Awards’.
Veteran novelist Zadie Smith also won her first drama award, as her debut play ‘The Wife of Willesden’ made her eligible for the Most Promising Playwright award. She shared it with Igor Memic, who was recognised for his memory play Old Bridge and gave a moving speech about the impact of war on his Bosnian family, urging us to ‘make space’ for the children of Odese and Mariopul to tell their own stories in theatre. Completing our set of playwrights was James Graham, awarded the Michael Billington Award for Best New Play for the Headlong/Young Vic production of Best of Enemies – an award presented by the Critics’ Circle’s own Michael Billington in person.
Cush Jumbo took the Trewin Award for Best Shakespearian Performance for Hamlet and Ben Daniels won Best Actor for The Normal Heart. In an exact tie with Stuart Thompson, Samuel Creasey was also awarded a Most Promising Newcomer award, for his role in The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage.
We awarded Commendations for Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown to Jermyn Street Theatre, Original Theatre Company, the National Theatre (particularly citing its NT Live screenings, the development of NT at Home, and the artistic excellence of Romeo & Juliet), OLD VIC: IN CAMERA. We also awarded an individual Commendation to Nica Burns, with the following citation;
When the coronavirus pandemic first hit, most people in British theatre spent sleepless nights trying to work out how to save their own livelihoods. Our final Commendation today goes to someone who has made it her mission, from Day One, to invest in the survival of the rest of the industry, not merely the interests of her own businesses.
Few people would have thought this the time to finance a ‘Rising Stars’ festival, but this person went ahead and gave 24 young producers their West End debuts, backing newcomers in the midst of a financial crisis. She was a pioneer of the creative thinking needed to stage socially distanced theatre, with trials across the world for her productions of Everyone’s Talking About Jamie. She’s been unafraid to put pressure on government in public and indefatigable in lobbying in private.
So, for her commitment to our industry, and her investment in the next generation
This Commendation for Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown goes to Nica Burns.
We were delighted that Joanne Davidson worked with us to take the beautiful photographs you see on this page.
Samuel Creasy at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Lizzie Annis at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Tim Jackson at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Paul Taylor-Mills at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Igor Memic at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Nick Curtis at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Samuel Creasy with friends at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Rupert Goold at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Ben Daniels at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Ian Gelder at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Ben Daniels and Ian Gelder at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Ben Daniels, Nica Burns and Ian Gelder at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Rupert Goold at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Harry Lloyd and Gethin Anthony at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Kate Maltby at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Kate Maltby at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Stuart Thompson at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Lynette Linton at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Kerry Fox at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Laurie Kynaston at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Indhu Rubasingham at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Rebecca Frecknall at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Simon Trewin at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Diane Page at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Joanna Down and Harriet Mackie at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Indhu Rubasingham and Rupert Goold at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Tom Felton at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Clare Pekins and Lynette Linton at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Susan Stanton and Miriam Battye at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Michael Billington and Kate Maltby at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Kate Maltby at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Clare Perkins, Indhu Rubasingham and Zadie Smith at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Zadie Smith at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 David Sabel and Emma Keith at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Harry Lloyd and Georgina Paget at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Rufus Norris at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Zadie Smith, Indhu Rubasingham and Shubham Saraf at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Shubham Saraf at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Rufus Norris and Nica Burns at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 James Graham with his award for Best New Play ‘Best of Enemies’ presented by Michael Billington at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Cush Jumbo with The Trewin Award for Best Shakespearean Performance for ‘Hamlet’ presented by Sarah Crompton and Simon Trewin at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Cush Jumbo with The Trewin Award for Best Shakespearean Performance for ‘Hamlet’ at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Joanna Down and Harriet Mackie with a Commendation for Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown for Old Vic: In Camera presented by Shubham Saraf and Kerry Fox at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Shubham Saraf and Kerry Fox present Commendations for Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown to Tom Littler – Jermyn Street Theatre at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Rebecca Frecknall with her award for Best Director for ‘Cabaret’ presented by Sam Marlowe at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Rebecca Frecknall with her award for Best Director for ‘Cabaret’ and Tom Scutt’s award for Best Designer also for ‘Cabaret’ at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Joint Winners Stuart Thompson with The Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer Spring Awakening and Samuel Creasey with The Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer ‘The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Ben Daniels with his award for Best Actor for ‘The Normal Heart’ presented by Sarah Hemming at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Ben Daniels with his award for Best Actor for ‘The Normal Heart’ at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Commendation for Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown for Original Theatre Company – Alastair Whatley, Tom Hackney and Charlotte Holder at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Commendation for Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown for Original Theatre Company – Alastair Whatley, Tom Hackney and Charlotte Holder presented by Lizzie Annis and Tom Felton at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Emma Keith and David Sabel from The National Theatre accept a Commendation for Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown presented by Lizzie Annis and Tom Felton at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Igor Memic with his mother after collecting the award for ‘Most Promising Playwright’ for Old Bridge at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Zadie Smith with the award for ‘Most Promising Playwright’ for The Wife of Willesden presented by Clive Davis at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Zadie Smith with the award for ‘Most Promising Playwright’ for The Wife of Willesden at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Gethin Anthony and Clare Perkins present Commendations for Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown to Nica Burns of Nimax Theatres at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Nica Burns with her Commendation for Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Rupert Goold with Amara Okereke, Laurie Kynaston, Lynne Page, Stuart Thompson with the award for Best Musical ‘Spring Awakening’ at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Samuel Creasey (Most Promising Newcomer) Zadie Smith (Most Promising Playwright), Emma Keith and David Sabel (Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown), Igor Memic (Most Promising Playwright), Ben Daniels (Best Actor), Joanna Down and Harriet Mackie (Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown), Alastair Whatley (Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown), Rebecca Frecknall (Best Director), Nica Burns (Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown), James Graham (Best New Play), Cush Jumbo (Best Shakespearean Performance), Tom Littler, (Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown), Stuart Thompson (Most Promising Newcomer) and Rupert Goold (Best Musical) at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Samuel Creasey (Most Promising Newcomer) Zadie Smith (Most Promising Playwright), Emma Keith and David Sabel (Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown), Igor Memic (Most Promising Playwright), Ben Daniels (Best Actor), Joanna Down and Harriet Mackie (Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown), Alastair Whatley (Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown), Rebecca Frecknall (Best Director), Nica Burns (Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown), James Graham (Best New Play), Cush Jumbo (Best Shakespearean Performance), Tom Littler, (Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown), Stuart Thompson (Most Promising Newcomer) and Rupert Goold (Best Musical) with Kate Maltby at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Joint Most Promising Playwright winners, Zadie Smith (Wife of Willesden) and Igor Memic (Old Bridge) at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Nica Burns (Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown) with Kate Maltby at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 George Turvey, Igor Memic, winner of Most Promising Playwright for ‘Old Bridge’ with Lynette Linton at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Joseph Marcell, Cush Jumbo, Winner of Best Shakespearean Performance for ‘Hamlet’ and Nisha Modhwadia at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 James Graham with Michael Billington award for Best New Play ‘Best of Enemies’ , Zadie Smith with the award for ‘Most Promising Playwright’ for The Wife of Willesden and Igor Memic with his award for ‘Most Promising Playwright’ for Old Bridge at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Kate Maltby at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Best New Play ‘Best of Enemies’ presented by Michael Billington at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 James Graham with Michael Billington award for Best New Play ‘Best of Enemies’ presented by Michael Billington at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Sarah Crompton and Simon Trewin present the Trewin Award for Best Shakespearean Performance at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Cush Jumbo wins the Trewin Award for Best Shakespearean Performance in ‘Hamlet’ at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Rebecca Frecknall wins the award for Best Director for ‘Cabaret’ at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Shubham Saraf and Kerry Fox present Commendations for Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown to Harriet Mackie for The Old Vic In Camera Season at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Shubham Saraf and Kerry Fox present Commendations for Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown to Tom Littler – Jermyn Street Theatre at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Kate Maltby at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 David Benedict presents Samuel Creasey with The Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer ‘The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage’ at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 David Benedict and Lizzie Loveridge present Samuel Creasey with The Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer ‘The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage’ at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Joint Winner Stuart Thompson accepts The Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer ‘Spring Awakening’ with joint winner, Samuel Creasey for ‘The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage’ presented by David Benedict and Lizzie Loveridge at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Emma Keith and David Sabel from The National Theatre accept a Commendation for Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown presented by Lizzie Annis and Tom Felton at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Alastair Whatley from Original Theatre Compaby accepts a Commendation for Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown presented by Lizzie Annis and Tom Felton at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Jessie Buckley recieves the award for Best Actress ‘Cabaret’ via video link at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Igor Memic accepts the award for ‘Most Promising Playwright’ for Old Bridge at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Gethin Anthony and Clare Perkins present Commendations for Exceptional Theatre Making During Lockdown to Nica Burns of Nimax Theatres at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Rupert Goold accepts the award for Best Musical for ‘Spring Awakening’ with Amara Okereke, Laurie Kynaston, Lynne Page, Stuart Thompson at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022 Joseph Marcell, Cush Jumbo, Winner of Best Shakespearean Performance for ‘Hamlet’ and Nisha Modhwadia at The Critics Circle Theatre Awards at The Ham Yard Hotel, London on 03 April 2022
