Photo Flash: HAMILTON, Bryan Cranston, and More Win Big at Critics' Circle Awards

BroadwayWorld has an inside look at the winners of the Critics' Circle Awards. Check out the cast and creatives from Hamilton, The Ferryman, Everybody's Talking About Jamie, and more!

Opening just before Christmas to rave reviews, the London version of the multi award-winning Broadway hit Hamilton has won its first major prize outside the USA - Best Musical at the 2017 Critics' Circle Theatre Awards.

Earmarked by Cameron Mackintosh as the production to launch his multi-million-pound refurbishment of the Victoria Palace Theatre, Lin-Manuel Miranda's hip-hop flavoured show was one of 2017's most eagerly anticipated West End premieres.

This first major British award - voted for by secret ballot by London's top theatre critics - can be added to its 11 Tony Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album in its trophy cabinet.

Musicals dominated the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards ceremony today at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London's West End, hosted by Critics' Circle Drama Section Chairman Mark Shenton.

The spectacular staging of Stephen Sondheim's legendary musical Follies in the Olivier at the National Theatre, with a cast of 37 and an orchestra of 21, saw Dominic Cooke namedBest Director and Vicki Mortimer Best Designer.

Meanwhile, two stars of acclaimed new British musicals, Sheila Atim in Girl From the North Country and John McCrea in Everybody's Talking About Jamie, were jointly named Best Newcomer.

American Bryan Cranston was named Best Actor for his performance as TV news anchorman Howard Beale in Network at the National
Theatre.

Victoria Hamilton won Best Actress for her performance as Audrey Walters in Albion at the Almeida. This is her fourth Critics' Circle Award (third for Best Actress): she previously won in 2004 Best Actress for Suddenly Last Summer; 2000 Best Actress for As You Like It; 1995 Most Promising Newcomer for The Master Builder and Retreat.

Andrew Scott was named Best Shakesperean Performance for Hamlet at the Almeida Theatre and West End transfer to the Harold Pinter Theatre.

Jez Butterworth's Best New Play win for The Ferryman is his third Critics award for Best New Play: he previously won for Mojo in 1995 and Jerusalem (2009).

The Critics' Circle Theatre Awards is one of the best loved ceremonies in the theatre awards calendar. It's an informal gathering of award recipients, drama critics, theatre practitioners and the media, convivially coming together to celebrate the critics' selection of the best theatre, from throughout the UK, during the last calendar year. Since the Awards' inception in 1989, the theatre critics, consisting entirely of respected and influential working journalists, have prided themselves on offering something unique on the packed theatre awards circuit: each member of the Drama Section independently casts their vote based on personal choice, free of any discussion or industry influence, ensuring a highly democratic voting process. For a second year, the Awards were produced by Terri Paddock.

Drama Section Chair Mark Shenton said: "Where other award ceremonies prioritise celebrity winners, see the industry rewarding itself or act as a public popularity contest, the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards alone are above the fray with their independence, judged by respected critics whose job it is to see theatre week in, week out, without fear or favour, and who have no other agenda than to celebrate excellence. Critics are invited to reward their favourite contirbutions to creative excellence equally across plays and musicals, so it is particularly striking this year to see the National Theatre's production of Follies rewarded for Best Director and Best Designer, as well as both of the Most Promising Newcomer recipients seen in other musical-led shows, plus the UK's first major award so far for Hamilton"

The exclusive invited audience also enjoyed three special musical performances:

Joint Best Newcomer winner John McCrea sang Out of the Darkness from Everybody's Talking About Jamie.

Members of the British Theatre Academy sang One Perfect Moment from Bring It On The Musical. Written by a crack team including Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), the Broadway musical will receive its UK premiere in The Large at Southwark Playhouse from 2 August. The British Theatre Academy, which is dedicated to providing accessible theatre training and performance opportunities for young people in the UK, have also joined the team of sponsors for the Awards. The BTA's Matthew Chandler commented: "The BTA are thrilled to support and be performing at the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards, as the continuation of the arts is crucial to the young rising talent training with us."

Renée Lamb sang No Way from SIX by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, which sees the six wives of Henry VIII sing their way out of the history books and into the spotlight... from Tudor queens to pop princesses. A hit in Edinburgh, the concert-style musical has just
completed six sell-out performances at the Arts Theatre. A full production will be announced soon.

Both Bring It On The Musical and SIX will be eligible for next year's awards.

www.criticscircletheatreawards.com

Photo Credit: Peter Jones