The nominees for the UK Theatre Awards 2025 have been announced. For over 30 years, this annual event has celebrated the creative excellence and outstanding achievements seen on and off stage throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The winners will be announced at this year’s ceremony, taking place on Sunday 12 October at 8 Northumberland Avenue, hosted by Faye Tozer.
This year’s shortlist, featuring nominees from all four nations, highlights the originality and creativity of theatre across the UK. Sheffield Theatres leads the way with three nominations: Best Performance in a Play (Jack Holden in Kenrex, a co-production with Aria Entertainment), Best Supporting Performance (in a Musical or Play) (Sam Buttery in Little Shop Of Horrors) and Best Show for Children & Young People (Pig Heart Boy, a co-production with Children’s Theatre Partnership & Unicorn Theatre).
Ten venues received two nominations each: Birmingham Hippodrome (Best Show for Children & Young People for The Jingleclaw and Excellence in Arts Education), Birmingham Rep (Best Musical Production for Becoming Nancy and UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre), Chichester Festival Theatre (Best Musical Production for The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry and Best Supporting Performance (in a Musical or Play) for Ntombizodwa Ndlovu in Marie And Rosetta, a co-production with Rose Theatre & ETT), Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse (Best Performance in a Play for Helen Carter in Shirley Valentine and Excellence in Arts Education), Lyric Theatre Belfast (Best Play Revival for Our New Girl and Best Performance in a Play for Michael Patrick in Richard III), National Theatre of Scotland (Best New Play for Through The Shortbread Tin and Excellence in Touring), Royal Shakespeare Company (Best Play Revival for The Constant Wife, in association with David Pugh Ltd, and Best Director for Prasanna Puwanarajah for Twelfth Night), Storyhouse (Best Performance in a Musical for Rakesh Boury & Rebecca McKinnis in The Parent Agency, a co-production with Scenario Two, and Excellence in Inclusivity), Stratford East (Best Play Revival for Animal Farm, a co-production with Leeds Playhouse in association with Nottingham Playhouse, and Best Director for Nadia Fall for Abigail’s Party) and Watermill Theatre (Best Musical Production for Jesus Christ Superstar, by arrangement with The Really Useful Group Ltd, and Best Design for Yoav Segal for Set & Costume Design for Pinocchio).
Elsewhere in the performing categories, Molly Lynch (My Fair Lady, a Curve production) and Dawn Sievewright (Wild Rose, a Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Caledonia Productions & Gavin Kalin Productions co-production) are nominated for Best Performance in a Musical, with Georgie Henley (The Ministry Of Lesbian Affairs, a Kiln Theatre, Antic Productions & Damsel Productions co-production) and Thea-Jo Wolfe (The Mad Ones, an Electric Press Productions & Samantha Creswick co-production at The Other Palace Studio) receiving nominations for Best Supporting Performance (in a Musical or Play).
As previously announced, nominated alongside Birmingham Rep for the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award are Royal & Derngate and Shakespeare North Playhouse. Venue visits by the judging panel are now underway, and the winner will be revealed at the ceremony on 12 October. The recipient of this year’s Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre Award is Carlos Acosta CBE, Director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Claire Walker & Hannah Essex, Co-CEOs of Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre, said, “This year’s UK Theatre Awards nominations are a testament to the astonishing talent and dedication of our members. Across the country theatres are creating incredible work on-stage and providing welcoming spaces for their local community off-stage.
“Congratulations to all the nominees and thank you to our sponsors and partners for their fantastic support. We look forward to celebrating with everyone on Sunday 12 October.”
Full list of nominations for the UK Theatre Awards 2025
On Stage Awards:
Best Musical Production sponsored by Tysers Live
Becoming Nancy, a Birmingham Rep production
Come Fall In Love, a Yash Raj Films production at Opera House Manchester
Jesus Christ Superstar, a Watermill Theatre production by arrangement with The Really Useful Group Ltd
The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry, a Chichester Festival Theatre production
Best New Play sponsored by Ecclesiastical
Flumps, a Mercury Original production in association with The Thelmas
Grace Pervades, a Theatre Royal Bath, Len Blavatnik and Danny Cohen for Access Entertainment & Second Half Productions co-production
Through The Shortbread Tin, a National Theatre of Scotland production
Best Play Revival
Animal Farm, a Leeds Playhouse & Stratford East co-production in association with Nottingham Playhouse
The Constant Wife, a Royal Shakespeare Company production in association with David Pugh Ltd
Our New Girl, a Lyric Theatre Belfast production
Best Director
Nadia Fall for Abigail’s Party, a Stratford East production
Theresa Heskins & Vicki Amedume for Angela Carter’s The Company Of Wolves, a New Vic Theatre production
Prasanna Puwanarajah for Twelfth Night, a Royal Shakespeare Company production
Best Performance in a Musical
Rakesh Boury & Rebecca McKinnis for The Parent Agency, a Scenario Two & Storyhouse co-production
Molly Lynch for My Fair Lady, a Curve production
Dawn Sievewright for Wild Rose, a Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Caledonia Productions & Gavin Kalin Productions co-production
Best Performance in a Play
Helen Carter for Shirley Valentine, a Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse production
Jack Holden for Kenrex, an Aria Entertainment & Sheffield Theatres co-production
Michael Patrick for Richard III, a Lyric Theatre Belfast production
Best Supporting Performance (in a Musical or Play)
Sam Buttery for Little Shop Of Horrors, a Sheffield Theatres production
Georgie Henley for The Ministry Of Lesbian Affairs, a Kiln Theatre, Antic Productions & Damsel Productions co-production
Ntombizodwa Ndlovu for Marie And Rosetta, a Chichester Festival Theatre, Rose Theatre & ETT co-production
Thea-Jo Wolfe for The Mad Ones, an Electric Press Productions & Samantha Creswick co-production at The Other Palace Studio
Best Design
Kei Ishihara for Scenography, Sacico Ito for Costume Design, Simon Wilkinson for Lighting Design and Ailie Cohen for Puppet Design for Confessions Of A Shinagawa Monkey, a Vanishing Point & Kanagawa Arts Theatre co-production in association with Tramway at Dundee Rep
Yoav Segal for Set & Costume Design for Pinocchio, a Watermill Theatre production
Grace Smart for Design for Spend, Spend, Spend, a Royal Exchange Theatre production
Best Show for Children & Young People
The Jingleclaw, a Birmingham Hippodrome production
The Jungle Book, an Octagon Theatre Bolton production
Pig Heart Boy, a Children’s Theatre Partnership, Unicorn Theatre & Sheffield Theatres co-production
Achievement in Dance
BalletLorent for Snow White/Snow White: The Sacrifice
Natural Behaviour by Thick & Tight
Songs Of The Wayfarer by Claire Cunningham
StopGap for Lived Fiction
Achievement in Opera
Opera North for Simon Boccanegra, an Opera North production
Scottish Opera for Trial By Jury, a co-production by Scottish Opera, D’Oyly Carte Opera and Opera Holland Park and A Matter Of Misconduct!, a co-production by Scottish Opera and D’Oyly Carte Opera
Welsh National Opera for Peter Grimes, a Welsh National Opera production
Off Stage Awards:
Excellence in Arts Education
Bristol Hippodrome
Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse
Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
Excellence in Touring sponsored by Theatre Tokens
Emma Rice Company
Theatre by the Lake
Excellence in Inclusivity sponsored by ATG Entertainment
Birmingham Hippodrome
New Wolsey Theatre
Storyhouse
Excellence in Sustainability
ATG Entertainment
BEAM
Northern Broadsides Theatre Company
Excellence in Workforce Culture
Orchard Theatre & Orchard West
Stephen Joseph Theatre
Theatr Clwyd
UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre sponsored by Encore
Birmingham Rep
Royal & Derngate
Shakespeare North Playhouse
Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre