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The Critics' Circle Theatre Awards ("Drama Theatre Awards" in 1989 and 1990) are presented annually for the year's theatrical achievements. The winners, embracing theatre throughout the United Kingdom, are selected by vote by members of the The Critics' Circle's drama section who are all professional theatre critics.

2008 awards

Critics' Circle Theatre Awards for 2008, presented at the Prince of Wales Theatre, 27 January 2009:

• Best New Play: August: Osage Country by Tracy Letts (Royal National Theatre, Lyttelton)
• Best Actor Kenneth Branagh for Ivanov (Donmar West End, Wyndham's Theatre)
• Best Actress Margaret Tyzack for The Chalk Garden (Donmar Warehouse)
• Best Shakespearean Performance (awarded jointly) David Tennant for Hamlet (RSC); and Derek Jacobi for Malvolio in Twelfth Night (Donmar West End)
• Best Director Michael Grandage for Ivanov (Wyndham's Theatre) and The Chalk Garden (Donmar Warehouse)
• Best Musical La Cage Aux Folles
• Most Promising Playwright Alexi Kaye Campbell for The Pride (Royal Court Upstairs)
• Best Designer Neil Murray and Kneehigh Theatre for Brief Encounter
• Most Promising Newcomer (other than a playwright) Ella Smith for Fat Pig

Complete list of awards

Best New Play

• 2008 – August: Osage County by Tracy Letts
• 2007 – A Disappearing Number by Simon McBurney and Complicite
• 2006 – Rock'n'Roll by Tom Stoppard
• 2005 – Harvest by Richard Bean
• 2004 – The History Boys by Alan Bennett
• 2003 – Democracy by Michael Frayn
• 2002 – The York Realist by Peter Gill
• 2001 – Humble Boy by Charlotte Jones
• 2000 – Blue/Orange by Joe Penhall
• 1999 – Mnemonic by Simon McBurney
• 1998 – Copenhagen by Michael Frayn
• 1997 – Closer by Patrick Marber
• 1996 – Blinded by the Sun by Stephen Poliakoff
• 1995 – The Steward of Christendom by Sebastian Barry
• 1994 – Dead Funny by Terry Johnson
• 1993 – Arcadia by Tom Stoppard
• 1992 – Angels in America by Tony Kushner
• 1991 – Three Birds Alighting on a Field by Timberlake Wertenbaker
• 1990 – Racing Demon by David Hare
• 1989 – Ghetto by Joshua Sobol

Best Actor

• 2008 – Kenneth Branagh for Ivanov
• 2007 – Charles Dance for Shadowlands
• 2006 – Rufus Sewell for Rock'n'Roll
• 2005 – Simon Russell Beale for The Philanthropist
• 2004 – Richard Griffiths for The History Boys
• 2003 – Michael Sheen for Caligula
• 2002 – Simon Russell Beale for Uncle Vanya
• 2001 – Ian McDiarmid for Faith Healer
• 2000 – Michael Gambon for The Caretaker
• 1999 – Henry Goodman for The Merchant of Venice
• 1998 – Kevin Spacey for The Iceman Cometh
• 1997 – Ian Holm for King Lear
• 1996 – David Suchet for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
• 1995 – Daniel Massey for Taking Sides
• 1994 – Tom Courtenay for Moscow Stations
• 1993 – Ian Holm for Moonlight
• 1992 – Paul Eddington for No Man's Land
• 1991 – Nigel Hawthorne for The Madness of George III
• 1990 – Michael Gambon for Man of the Moment
• 1989 – Ian McKellen for Othello

Best Actress

• 2008 – Margaret Tyzack for The Chalk Garden
• 2007 – Anne-Marie Duff for Saint Joan
• 2006 – Kathleen Turner for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
• 2005 – Eve Best for Hedda Gabler
• 2004 – Victoria Hamilton for Suddenly Last Summer
• 2003 – Eve Best for Mourning Becomes Electra
• 2002 – Claire Higgins for Vincent in Brixton
• 2001 – Lindsay Duncan for Mouth to Mouth and Private Lives
• 2000 – Victoria Hamilton for As You Like It
• 1999 – Janie Dee for Comic Potential
• 1998 – Sinéad Cusack for Our Lady of Sligo
• 1997 – Judi Dench for Amy's View
• 1996 – Janet McTeer for A Doll's House
• 1995 – Claire Skinner for The Glass Menagerie
• 1994 – Clare Higgins for The Children's Hour and Sweet Bird of Youth
• 1993 – Penelope Wilton for The Deep Blue Sea
• 1992 – Eileen Atkins for The Night of the Iguana
• 1991 – Fiona Shaw for Hedda Gabler
• 1990 – Josette Simon for After the Fall
• 1989 – Fiona Shaw for Electra and The Good Person of Sichuan

The John and Wendy Trewin Award for Best Shakespearean Performance

• 2008 – David Tennant for Hamlet and Derek Jacobi for Malvolio in Twelfth Night
• 2007 – Chiwetel Ejiofor for Othello; and Patrick Stewart for Macbeth
• 2006 – Tamsin Greig for Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing
• 2005 – Kevin Spacey for Richard II
• 2004 – Paul Rhys for Measure for Measure
• 2003 – Greg Hicks for Coriolanus
• 2002 – Mark Rylance for Twelfth Night
• 2001 – Samuel West for Hamlet
• 2000 – Simon Russell Beale for Hamlet

Best Director

• 2008 – Michael Grandage for Ivanov and The Chalk Garden
• 2007 – Rupert Goold for Macbeth (Minerva Theatre Chichester and Gielgud Theatre London)
• 2006 – John Tiffany for Black Watch (National Theatre of Scotland at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe)
• 2005 – Michael Grandage for The Wild Duck
• 2004 – Rufus Norris for Festen
• 2003 – Howard Davies for Mourning Becomes Electra
• 2002 – Sam Mendes for Twelfth Night and Uncle Vanya
• 2001 – Robert Lepage for The Far Side of the Moon
• 2000 – Michael Grandage for As You Like It, Passion Play and Merrily We Roll Along
• 1999 – Trevor Nunn for The Merchant of Venice and Summerfolk
• 1998 – Howard Davies for The Iceman Cometh and Flight
• 1997 – Richard Eyre for King Lear and The Invention of Love
• 1996 – Richard Eyre for John Gabriel Borkman and his revived Guys and Dolls
• 1995 – Sam Mendes for The Glass Menagerie
• 1994 – Sean Mathias for Design for Living and Les parents terribles
• 1993 – Terry Hands for Tamburlaine the Great
• 1992 – Stephen Daldry for An Inspector Calls
• 1991 – Trevor Nunn for Timon of Athens
• 1990 – Sir Peter Hall for The Wild Duck; Robert Lepage for Tectonic Plates
• 1989 – Nicholas Hytner for Ghetto and Miss Saigon

The Peter Hepple Award for Best Musical

• 2008 – La Cage Aux Folles
• 2007 – Hairspray
• 2006 – Caroline, or Change
• 2005 – Billy Elliot the Musical
• 2004 – The Producers
• 2003 – Jerry Springer – The Opera
• 2002 – Anything Goes (a revival)
• 2001 – Kiss Me, Kate (a revival)
• 2000 – The Beautiful Game
• 1999 – Spend Spend Spend
• 1998 – Oklahoma!
• 1997 – Chicago
• 1996 – Guys and Dolls
• 1995 – Company
• 1994 – She Loves Me
• 1993 – City of Angels
• 1992 – Assassins
• 1991 – Carmen Jones
• 1990 – Into the Woods
• 1989 – Miss Saigon

Most Promising Playwright

• 2008 – Alexi Kaye Campbell for The Pride
• 2007 – Polly Stenham for That Face (Royal Court)
• 2006 – Nina Raine for Rabbit
• 2005 – Laura Wade for Breathing Corpses and Colder Than Here
• 2004 – Rebecca Lenkiewicz for The Night Season
• 2003 – Lucy Prebble for The Sugar Syndrome
• 2002 – Charlotte Eilenberg for The Lucky Ones
• 2001 – Gregory Burke for Gagarin Way
• 2000 – Joanna Laurens for The Three Birds
• 1999 – Charlotte Jones for Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis
• 1998 – Rebecca Prichard for Yard Gal
• 1997 – Conor McPherson for The Weir
• 1996 – Martin McDonagh for The Beauty Queen of Leenane
• 1995 – Jez Butterworth for Mojo
• 1994 – Kevin Elyot for My Night With Reg
• 1993 – Simon Donald for Theatre of Stuff
• 1992 – Philip Ridley for The Fastest Clock in the Universe
• 1991 – Rona Munro for Bold Girls
• 1990 – Clare McIntyre for My Heart's a Suitcase
• 1989 – Stephen Jeffreys for Valued Friends

Best Designer

• 2008 – Neil Murray for Brief Encounter
• 2007 – Rae Smith and Handspring Puppet Company for War Horse (National Theatre)
• 2006 – Punchdrunk Faust Company for Faust
• 2005 – Timothy Bird and David Farley for Sunday in the Park with George
• 2004 – Christopher Oram for Suddenly Last Summer
• 2003 – Bob Crowley for Mourning Becomes Electra
• 2002 – William Dudley for The Coast of Utopia trilogy
• 2001 – Paul Brown for Platonov
• 2000 – Paul Brown for Coriolanus, Richard II and The Tempest
• 1999 – Julie Taymor and Richard Hudson for The Lion King
• 1998 – Richard Hoover for Not About Nightingales; and
• 1998 – Phelim McDermott, Julian Crouch and Graeme Gilmour for Shockheaded Peter
• 1997 – John Napier for Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up
• 1996 – Robert Innes Hopkins for The Comedy of Errors and The Weavers
• 1995 – Robin Don for The Winter Guest
• 1994 – Mark Thompson for The Kitchen
• 1993 – Ian MacNeil for Machinal
• 1992 – Ian MacNeil for An Inspector Calls
• 1991 – Bob Crowley for Murmuring Judges
• 1990 – Mark Thompson for The Wind in the Willows
• 1989 – John Napier for Miss Saigon

The Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer (other than a playwright)

• 2008 – Ella Smith for Fat Pig
• 2007 – Leanne Jones for Hairspray
• 2006 – Connie Fisher for The Sound of Music
• 2006 – joint award for Andrew Garfield for Citizenship and The Overwhelming
• 2005 – Mariah Gale for 'Tis Pity She's a Whore
• 2004 – Eddie Redmayne for The Goat: or, Who is Sylvia?
• 2003 – Lisa Dillon for Iphigenia and The Master Builder
• 2002 – Alison Pargeter for Damsels in Distress
• 2001 – Lyndsey Marshal for Redundant and Boston Marriage
• 2000 – Chiwetel Ejiofor for Blue/Orange
• 1999 – Eve Best for 'Tis Pity She's a Whore
• 1998 – Mick Gordon, Gate Theatre, London
• 1997 – Liza Walker for Closer
• 1996 – James Callis for Old Wicked Songs

Most Promising Newcomer (other than a playwright)

• 1995 – Victoria Hamilton for The Master Builder and Retreat
• 1994 – Rachel Weisz for Design for Living
• 1993 – Emma Fielding for Arcadia and The School for Wives
• 1992 – Rufus Sewell for Making It Better
• 1991 – Lia Williams for The Revengers' Comedies
• 1990 – Sara Crowe for Private Lives
• 1989 – joint winners
  • Sam Mendes as director of the Minerva Theatre, Chichester
  • Julia Ormond for Faith, Hope and Charity

Other UK Theatre Awards

• Laurence Olivier Awards
• Evening Standard Awards
• Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland
• Society for Theatre Research annual Theatre Book Prize
• Theatrical Management Association TMA Theatre Awards [1]
• What's On in Theatre Official Media Sponsor of the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards 2008 [2]

External links

• The Critics' Circle drama section website