Celebrating Theatre and Its Supporters In Style At The 20th WhatsOnStage Awards

The theatre stars aligned this past Sunday for the 20th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards at the Prince of Wales Theatre, which shrug off its usual Mormon clothes for the occasion. Marking this huge milestone, the team turned it up a notch and celebrated in style, with Paul Taylor-Mills as a producer.

Hosted by Tom Read Wilson and Jodie Prenger, the night saw an abundance of riches in terms of performances - and quite a few surprises. With the awards entirely voted for by the audience, fans mobilised to snag nominations for household names such as Tom Hiddleston, Katharine McPhee, and internet favourite Joe Sugg, along with newcomer Sam Tutty and out-of-town productions like Life of Pi, which still has to open in London (previews from 22 June).

The big winner of the evening was definitely the stage phenomenon that is & Juliet, whose team bagged six of their 13 nominations - including Best Actress in a Musical for Miriam-Teak Lee and Best Set Design (Soutra Gilmour). Dear Even Hansen racked up an acting double bill with Tutty and Jack Loxton, while Rachel Tucker won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Come From Away - which also scored Best New Musical.

2020 proves that Jamie Lloyd's momentum is still strong and, with a sensational upcoming season already programmed at the Playhouse, he accepted statuettes for the revivals of both Betrayal and Evita, saying that he'd "the best year of [his] life".

Andrew Scott beat competitors such as Hiddleston and Matt Smith to win Best Actor for his performance in Present Laughter at the Old Vic. Scott's co-star Sophie Thompson came off victorious too, but the Noël Coward revival wasn't the only winning show for the theatre, with Claire Foy's also being commended for Lungs.

For the first time in the history of the awards, a venue outside of London secured the coveted Best New Play with Lolita Chakrabarti's adaptation of Life of Pi. The piece was up for Best Regional Production too, but The Color Purple celebrated that victory. The whole company stepped on stage to thank their loyal public after what had been a rather tough start for the production.

The audience at the Prince of Wales Theatre were treated to numbers from West End and Broadway favourites like Waitress (Lucy Jones giving a glorious rendition of "She Used to Be Mine"), Dear Evan Hansen (the company performed "You Will Be Found"), and Come From Away ("Welcome to the Rock"), as well as & Juliet (a medley of "Can't Stop The Feeling!" and "Roar") and Only Fools and Horses ("Bit of a Sort").

More than anything else, the evening was a celebration of theatre and its supporters. Presenters and winners alike professed their gratitude to be able to share their creations with the crowds who constantly pour their love through social media and the stage doors. Tutty and Hammad Animashaun (who picked up Best Supporting Actor in a Play) focused their speeches on mental health, while others were stuck with shock and humility as they held their awards.

As is usually the case, the night was a chance to come together and champion an industry that's as joyous and fantastic as it is, at times, heartbreaking. It's hard to find an award ceremony that's more thorough than this. With 23 categories, WhatsOnStage is properly shining a light on all areas of the business and handing full power to the fans to choose their favourite creatives - from actors to video designers.

This year crowned a stellar edition, with the concert being streamed live on BBC Radio 2 and presented by Elaine Paige and Paddy O'Connell. The team have truly upped their game, and it's going to be tough to beat this milestone - but we're sure their 21st will be even better.

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