Critics' Circle Theatre Awards 2026

A rundown of the nominees and who I would award in each category

For the first time in their 37 year history, the nomination shortlist for the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards has been published in advance of the ceremony, which takes place on March 26th. As the BAFTAs often presage how the Oscars will pan out, the Theatre Awards preempt the Olivier Awards, which are awarded in April. Unlike the Oliviers, which require nominees and recipients to be members of SOLT (Society of London Theatre), the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards are open to anyone in any production in any theatre in London, though there is usually a significant amount of crossover.

Such is the case this year, with very few non-SOLT theatres getting so much as a sniff of a nomination. There are a couple of interesting omissions but no major snubs and, as so often happens with these things, a number of the same shows have been nominated in multiple categories. I expect the new Angel of Death, Paddington Bear, will sweep most of them, and I apologise in advance to him as I haven’t yet seen his show, and don’t necessarily intend to either…

Anyway, without further ado, here is how I would vote were I a member of the Critics’ Circle rather than schlepping my broken old body around in the further education sector for a living. For each category, I have selected who or what should win, a runner up and then who or what I think will win. Where I haven’t seen a particular show - again, apologies to that bear - this has been indicated by a strikethrough.

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Best New Play

• David Adjmi for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s

• Alice Birch for Romans: A Novel at Almeida

• Jack Holden and Ed Stambollouain for Kenrex at Southwark Playhouse Borough and The Other Palace

• James Graham for Punch at Young Vic and Apollo

• David Ireland for The Fifth Step at sohoplace

• Suzie Miller for Inter Alia in the Lyttelton Theatre at the National

• Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson for Kyoto at sohoplace

A decent argument could be made for all of these - Kyoto, Kenrex and Stereophonic in particular are all magnificent - but I just cannot forget the visceral gut punch I felt when I first saw Suzie Miller’s gruelling modern Greek tragedy Inter Alia, which hurtles cruelly towards inevitable catastrophe.

Should win: Suzie Miller for Inter Alia in the Lyttelton Theatre at the National

Runner up: Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson for Kyoto at sohoplace

Will win: David Adjmi for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s

Best Revival of a Play or Musical

• All My Sons at Wyndham’s

• Brigadoon at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

• Evita at the Palladium

• Intimate Apparel at Donmar Warehouse

• Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre

• Indian Ink at Hampstead Theatre

• The Weir at Harold Pinter

The easiest pick of all, this. It’s a contest between two shows - Evita and All My Sons - and as much as I enjoyed Jamie Lloyd’s rock opera spin on the story of Eva Perón, Ivo Van Hove’s production of Miller’s modern classic is one of the most staggering things I’ve seen in years. That said, I suspect Evita will take this and I’m fine with that.

Should win: All My Sons at Wyndham’s

Runner up: Evita at the Palladium

Will win: Evita at the Palladium

Best New Musical

• Cable Street at Southwark Playhouse

• Here We Are in the Lyttelton Theatre at the National

• Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre

• Shucked at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

• Sing Street at Lyric Hammersmith

• Titanique at Criterion

Delighted as I am to see Cable Street, which I first saw in its infancy when it premiered at Southwark Playhouse Borough back in 2024, I’m not sure it qualifies as a “new” musical. Likewise Titanique, which actually won two awards at last year’s Oliviers. Sing Street was joyous and I’d be thrilled to see it win but Here We Are gets my vote. Sure, it’s very obviously unfinished but the first act is so magnificent that it hardly matters. Of course, it’s all academic because Paddington the Musical will almost certainly, and perhaps deservedly, win this but nonetheless, I think Sondheim deserves the posthumous nod.

Should win: Here We Are in the Lyttelton Theatre at the National

Runner up: Sing Street at Lyric Hammersmith

Will win: Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre

Best Director

• Daniel Aukin for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s

• Jordan Fein for Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre

• Lynette Linton for Intimate Apparel at Donmar Warehouse

• Jamie Lloyd for Evita at the Palladium and Much Ado About Nothing at Theatre Royal Drury Lane

• Luke Sheppard for Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre

• Ivo Van Hove for All My Sons at Wyndham’s

If Lloyd was only nominated for Evita I might back him but, alas, his garish take on Much Ado About Nothing was an absolute crock, so he’s out. As already mentioned, I adored All My Sons but this comes down to two shows that are epic in scope - albeit in very different ways - but the control and precision of Daniel Aukin’s direction of Stereophonic is a marvel. The bear will win again, however.

Should win: Daniel Aukin for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s

Runner up: Jordan Fein for Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre

Will win: Luke Sheppard for Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre

Best Ensemble or Cast

• 1536 at Almeida

• Here We Are in the Lyttelton Theatre at the National

• Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre

• Stereophonic at Duke of York’s

• The Weir at Harold Pinter

• When We Are Married at Donmar Warehouse

I wouldn’t be upset if any of these won, and I think this is one of the hardest ones to predict. The two musical ensembles are the stand outs here, and I think Into the Woods boasts better vocals than Here We Are, but any of these could easily win.

Should win: Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre

Runner up: Here We Are in the Lyttelton Theatre at the National

Will win: Stereophonic at Duke of York’s

Most Promising Playwright

• Jamie Armitage for A Ghost In Your Ear and An Interrogation, both at Hampstead Theatre

• Sophia Chetin-Leuner for Porn Play in Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court

• Hannah Doran for The Meat Kings! (Inc) of Brooklyn Heights at Park Theatre

• Sophia Griffin for After Sunday at Bush Theatre

• Katherine Moar for Ragdoll at Jermyn Street Theatre

• Ava Pickett for 1536 at Almeida

• Shaan Sahota for The Estate in the Dorfman Theatre at the National

The most important category, and the one that can launch careers into the stratosphere. I can’t comment with much confidence here because I haven’t seen anything by three of the nominees and only saw one of the two plays for which Jamie Armitage has been nominated. Nonetheless, I thought Porn Play - a hilarious but bleak look at addiction, compulsion and female sexuality - was a skilfully written and provocative piece and so my vote would go to Sophia Chetin-Leuner.

Should win: Sophia Chetin-Leuner for Porn Play in Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court

Runner up: Ava Pickett for 1536 at Almeida

Will win: Ava Pickett for 1536 at Almeida

Best Actor

• Adeel Akhtar for The Estate in the Dorfman Theatre at the National

• Bryan Cranston for All My Sons at Wyndham’s

• Paapa Essiedu for All My Sons at Wyndham’s

• Brendan Gleeson for The Weir at Harold Pinter

• Sean Hayes for Good Night, Oscar at Barbican

• James Hameed and Arti Shah for Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre

• David Shields for Punch at Young Vic and Apollo

Another category stacked with talent and, again, there’s an argument to be made for all of them, but I just can’t ignore how devastating Bryan Cranston is in All My Sons.

Should win: Bryan Cranston for All My Sons at Wyndham’s

Runner up: David Shields for Punch at Young Vic and Apollo

Will win: Bryan Cranston for All My Sons at Wyndham’s

Best Actress

• Kate Fleetwood for Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre

• Julie Hesmondalgh for Punch at Young Vic and Apollo

• Marianne Jean-Baptiste for All My Sons at Wyndham’s

• Rosamund Pike for Inter Alia in the Lyttelton Theatre at the National

• Nicola Walker for The Unbelievers in Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court

• Samira Wiley for Intimate Apparel at Donmar Warehouse

• Rachel Zegler for Evita at the Palladium

And again, a category rich with talent but Nicola Walker is sublime in The Unbelievers. There’s a moment towards the end of the play, where her character seems to lose her grip on time and logic, that is played with such extraordinarily raw emotion and skill that I think she deserves the win for that alone. I suspect Zegler will win, however, and that’s fine; she’s majestic in Evita.

Should win: Nicola Walker for The Unbelievers in Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court

Runner up: Rosamund Pike for Inter Alia in the Lyttelton Theatre at the National

Will win: Rachel Zegler for Evita at the Palladium

Best Designer

• Miriam Buether for Kyoto at sohoplace and The Land of the Living in the Dorfman Theatre at the National

• Lizzie Clachan for The Lady From the Sea at Bridge Theatre

• Soutra Gilmour for Much Ado About Nothing at Theatre Royal Drury Lane and Evita at the Palladium

• Tom Pye for Paddington the Musical at the Savoy Theatre

• Tom Scutt for Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre

• David Zinn for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s

The bear will win but Tom Scutt’s work on Into the Woods is spellbinding (pun mostly not intended) and…

Should win: Tom Scutt for Into the Woods at Bridge Theatre

Runner up: David Zinn for Stereophonic at Duke of York’s

Will win: Tom Pye for Paddington the Musical at Savoy Theatre

Best Shakespearean Performance

• Hayley Atwell for Much Ado About Nothing at Theatre Royal Drury Lane

• Jonathan Bailey for Richard II at Bridge Theatre

• David Harewood for Othello at Theatre Royal Haymarket

• Tom Hiddleston for Much Ado About Nothing at Theatre Royal Drury Lane

• Francesca Mills for Hamlet in the Lyttelton Theatre at the National

• Samuel West for Twelfth Night at the Barbican

A strange category, this, and I’m not entirely convinced we need to separate Shakespearean performances out from others. Nonetheless, it is what it is, and Bailey’s performance as Richard II deserves this for how well he captures all of the character’s pathetic and horrifying blend of charm and immaturity.

Should win: Jonathan Bailey for Richard II at Bridge Theatre

Runner up: David Harewood for Othello at Theatre Royal Haymarket

Will win: Francesca Mills for Hamlet in the Lyttelton Theatre at the National

Best Newcomer

• Isobel Akuwudike for The Lady From the Sea at Bridge Theatre

• Ruby Ashbourne-Serkis for Indian Ink at Hampstead Theatre

• Asa Butterfield for Second Best at Riverside Studios

• Kate Phillips for The Weir at Harold Pinter

• Diego Andres Rodriguez for Evita at the Palladium

• Jasper Talbot for Inter Alia in the Lyttelton Theatre at the National

• Artie Wilkinson-Hunt for The Land of the Living in the Dorfman Theatre at the National

If Talbot had been nominated for The Line of Beauty I’d have probably given him this, though that’s not to say he isn’t also excellent in Inter Alia. I want to also give a shout out to Artie Wilkinson-Hunt who, at such a young age, more than holds his own alongside a veteran like Juliet Stevenson. This is Rodriguez’s to lose, however, and deservedly so. As Che, he is the MVP of Lloyd’s Evita and ties the production together with a performance that fizzes with passion.

Should win: Diego Andres Rodriguez for Evita at the Palladium

Runner up: Artie Wilkinson-Hunt for The Land of the Living in the Dorfman Theatre at the National

Will win: Diego Andres Rodriguez for Evita at the Palladium

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So, what are your thoughts? How would you vote if you could? Do you think there have been any egregious snubs? Let me know in the comments!