Imelda Staunton & GYPSY Win Big at the UK Theatre Awards!

UK Theatre has announced the winners of the UK Theatre Awards 2015 - the only awards to honour outstanding achievement in performing, producing and management in theatres throughout the United Kingdom.

In the play categories Best New Play went to IPHIGENIA IN SPLOTT by Gary Owen, a Sherman Cymru production, which will open in the National Theatre's Temporary Theatre in January. The award for Best Performance in a Play was shared by Polly Lister for ABIGAIL'S PARTY, a Theatre by the Lake production, and Joel MacCormack for EACH HIS OWN WILDERNESS, an Orange Tree Theatre production. The award for Best Supporting Performance was given to Justine Mitchell for FOR SERVICES RENDERED, a Chichester Festival Theatre production.

Ned Bennett received the award for Best Director for POMONA, an Orange Tree Theatre production and for YEN, a Royal Exchange Theatre production, while Best Touring Production was awarded to TWELFTH NIGHT, a co-production between English Touring Theatre and Sheffield Theatres.

The award for Best Musical Production was won by GYPSY, directed by Jonathan Kent, a Chichester Festival Theatre production. Imelda Staunton, who performed the role of Mamma Rose in the production, took home the award for Best Performance in a Musical. GYPSY transferred to the Savoy Theatre following its run at the Chichester Festival Theatre.

Best Show for Children and Young People is RUNNING WILD, a Chichester Festival Youth Theatre production.

Best Design was awarded to Dick Bird, Timothy Bird and Paul Keogan for THE HUDSUCKER PROXY, a Nuffield Theatre, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse in association with Complicite production.

In the opera and dance categories, Glyndebourne won the award for Achievement in Opera for an outstandingly well planned and performed season, whilst the Achievement in Dance award was given to Candoco Dance Company for their revival of Jérôme Bel's postmodern classic THE SHOW MUST GO ON.

Newcastle Theatre Royal was announced as the overall winner of the public vote for My Theatre Matters! UK's Most Welcoming Theatre in association with Smooth Radio. This year, for the first time, UK Theatre announced 12 regional and national winners. The award is an unparalleled opportunity for theatres to remind audiences how important their local theatre is to their community.

The £150,000 Clothworkers' Theatre Award was given to York Theatre Royal, as part of the Foundation's five year £1.25 million programme to support the dramatic arts. The award can be used for anything from capital works to sponsoring a touring production but it must be used for a specific purpose and may not be added to the theatre's general funds. A different region in England will be selected each year.

Matthew Bourne OBE, widely hailed as one of the UK's most popular and successful choreographers and directors, receives The Stage Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre. Dame Eileen Atkins receives the Gielgud Award for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts 2015 in recognition of her illustrious seven decade career on stage and screen.

In the awards for off-stage excellence Rambert won the Achievement in Marketing award for its work in attracting new audiences to contemporary dance, which has led to record breaking attendances in 2014/15. The Renee Stepham Award for Best Presentation of Touring Theatre went to Royal & Derngate for their tours of six high profile productions MADE IN NORTHAMPTON. The award for Promotion of Diversity was shared by Curve Theatre for its diversity action plan and strategy targeted at the age-profile and multiculturalism of the city and Watford Palace Theatre for its initiatives to ensure it offers and develops services for the widest range of the population.

The UK Theatre Insurance Award for Theatre Employee or Manager of the Year was shared by two individuals: Gaby Paradis from West Yorkshire Playhouse and Dorothy Wilson from mac Birmingham.

A full list of winners is published below and available online at www.uktheatre.org/awards

Rachel Tackley, President of UK Theatre, said: "The winners of this year's awards clearly demonstrate the creative strength and vibrancy of theatre across the whole of the United Kingdom. Theatres are an integral part of our local communities and these awards not only celebrate performers and theatremakers but also the venues and the teams that run them. At a time when national and local arts funding is under severe threat it is more important than ever that we celebrate the incredible work our theatres are producing."

The awards were presented at a the ceremony at London's historic Guildhall compèred by musical theatre star Michael Xavier, with a performance from the cast of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ and appearances from guest presenters including Sir Patrick Stewart OBE, Barbara Windsor MBE, Richard Wilson OBE, Anne Reid MBE and Lee Mead.

The UK Theatre Awards are supported by a number of major organisations involved in theatre across the UK including The Stage, Harbottle & Lewis, Theatre Tokens, White Light, John Good and Smooth Radio.

UK Theatre Award 2015 Winners

Best New Play

• IPHIGENIA IN SPLOTT by Gary Owen, a Sherman Cymru production

Best Performance in a Play

• Joel MacCormack for EACH HIS OWN WILDERNESS, an Orange Tree Theatre production
• Polly Lister for ABIGAIL'S PARTY, a Theatre by the Lake production

Best Supporting Performance

• Justine Mitchell for FOR SERVICES RENDERED, a Chichester Festival Theatre production

Best Musical Production

• GYPSY directed by Jonathan Kent, a Chichester Festival Theatre production

Best Performance in a Musical

• Imelda Staunton for GYPSY, a Chichester Festival Theatre production

Best Show for Children and Young People

• RUNNING WILD, a Chichester Festival Youth Theatre production

Best Director

• Ned Bennett for POMONA, an Orange Tree Theatre production and for YEN a Royal Exchange Theatre production

Best Design

• Dick Bird, Timothy Bird and Paul Keogan for THE HUDSUCKER PROXY, a Nuffield Theatre, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse in association with Complicite production

Best Touring Production

• TWELFTH NIGHT, an English Touring Theatre and Sheffield Theatres production

Achievement in Dance

• Candoco Dance Company for a terrifically entertaining revival of Jérôme Bel's postmodern classic THE SHOW MUST GO ON

Achievement in Opera

• Glyndebourne for an outstandingly well planned and performed season

The Renee Stepham Award for Best Presentation of Touring Theatre

• Royal & Derngate for their tours of six high profile productions MADE IN NORTHAMPTON

Achievement in Marketing

• Rambert for its work in attracting new audiences to contemporary dance, which has led to record breaking attendances in 2014/15

UK Theatre Insurance Award for Theatre Employee or Manager of the Year

• Gaby Paradis, West Yorkshire Playhouse
• Dorothy Wilson, mac birmingham

Promotion of Diversity

• Curve Theatre for its diversity action plan and strategy targeted at the age-profile and multiculturalism of the city
• Watford Palace Theatre for its initiatives to ensure it offers and develops services for the widest range of the population

My Theatre Matters! UK's Most Welcoming Theatre in association with Smooth Radio

• Newcastle Theatre Royal

The Stage Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre

• Matthew Bourne OBE

Clothworkers' Theatre Award

• York Theatre Royal

The Gielgud Award for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts

• Dame Eileen Atkins

Further details about the UK Theatre Awards can be found at:

www.uktheatre.org/awards