WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actress in a Play

Last updated
WhatsOnStage Award for Best Performer in a Female Identifying Role in a Play
Awarded forExcellence in a leading role in a play
CountryUnited Kingdom
Presented by WhatsOnStage.com
First awarded 2001
Currently held by Lily Allen (2022)

The WhatsOnStage Award for Best Performer in a Female Identifying Role in a Play is an annual award presented by WhatsOnStage.com as part of the annual WhatsOnStage Awards. Founded in 2001 as the Theatregoers' Choice Awards, the WhatsOnStage Awards are based on a popular vote recognising performers and productions in London's West End theatre.

Contents

This award is given to a person who has performed a leading female identifying role in a play during the eligibility year. Introduced in 2001 as the award for Best Actress in a Play, the category was renamed in 2022 in an effort to be more inclusive. The category was discontinued following the 2022 ceremony and was replaced with the gender-neutral WhatsOnstage Award for Best Performer in a Play.

Kristin Scott Thomas and Billie Piper are the only performers to have won the award twice. Helen McCrory holds the record for most nominations in the category, with five, and also the most nominations without a win.

Winners and nominees

2000s

YearPerformerPlayFemale Identifying Character
2001 [1] Julie Walters All My Sons Katie Keller
2002 [2] Victoria Hamilton A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Sheila
Katrin Cartlidge Boy Gets Girl Theresa Bedell
Lindsay Duncan Mouth to MouthLaura
Fiona Shaw Medea Medea
Rachel Weisz The Shape of Things Evelyn Ann Thompson
Lia Williams The Homecoming Ruth
2003 [3]
Gillian Anderson What The Night Is ForMelinda Metz
Clare Higgins Vincent in Brixton Ursula Loyer
Gwyneth Paltrow Proof Catherine
Helen McCrory Uncle Vanya / Twelfth Night Helena Andreyevna Serebryakova / Olivia
Judi Dench The Breath of Life Frances Beale
Maggie Smith Madeleine Palmer
Samantha Bond Macbeth Lady Macbeth
2004 [4] Kristin Scott Thomas Three Sisters Maria Sergeyevna Kulygina
Diana Quick After Mrs Rochester Jean Rhys
Eileen Atkins Honour Honour
Eve Best Three Sisters / Mourning Becomes Electra Maria Sergeyevna Kulygina / Lavinia Mannon
Janet McTeer The Duchess of Malfi The Duchess
Janie Dee Betrayal Emma
2005
Diana Rigg Suddenly Last Summer Violet Venable
Anna Maxwell Martin His Dark Materials Lyra Belacqua
Clare Higgins Hecuba Hecuba
Frances Barber One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Nurse Ratched
Joanna Riding Blithe Spirit Ruth Condomine
Victoria Hamilton Suddenly Last Summer Catharine
2006 Kristin Scott Thomas As You Desire MeElma
Clare Higgins Death of a Salesman Linda Loman
Helen McCrory As You Like It Rosalind
Harriet Walter Mary Stuart Elizabeth I
Janet McTeer Mary, Queen of Scots
Sheila Hancock The Anniversary Mrs. Taggart
2007 Judi Dench Hay Fever Judith Bliss
Eve Best A Moon for the Misbegotten Josie
Felicity Kendal Amy's View Esme Allen
Kathleen Turner Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Virginia Woolf
Rosamund Pike Summer and Smoke Alma Winemiller
Sinéad Cusack Rock 'n' Roll Eleanor/Esme
2008 [5] Maggie Smith The Lady from Dubuque Jo
Anne-Marie Duff Saint Joan Joan of Arc
Janie Dee Shadowlands Joy Gresham
Kate Fleetwood Macbeth Lady Macbeth
Kristin Scott Thomas The Seagull Irina Arkadina
Tamsin Greig Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice
2009 [6] Katy Stephens The Histories Joan of Arc/Margaret of Anjou
Deanna Dunagan August: Osage County Violet Weston
Lesley Sharp Harper Regan Harper Regan
Lindsay Duncan That Face Martha
Margaret Tyzack The Chalk Garden Mrs. St. Maugham
Penelope Wilton Miss Madrigal

2010s

YearPerformerPlayFemale Identifying Character
2010 [7] Rachel Weisz A Streetcar Named Desire Blanche DuBois
Alison Steadman Enjoy Connie Craven
Fiona Shaw Mother Courage and Her Children Mother Courage
Helen Mirren Phèdre Phaedra
Juliet Stevenson Duet for One Stephanie
Lesley Sharp The Rise and Fall of Little Voice Mari Hoff
2011 [8] Zoë Wanamaker All My Sons Kate Keller
Helen McCrory The Late Middle ClassesCelia Smithers
Jenny Jules Ruined Mama
Kim Cattrall Private Lives Amanda Prynne
Nancy Carroll After the Dance Joan Scott-Fowler
Tracie Bennett End of the Rainbow Judy Garland
2012 [9] Vanessa Redgrave Driving Miss Daisy Daisy Werthan
Eve Best Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice
Kristin Scott Thomas Betrayal Emma
Ruth Wilson Anna Christie Anna Christie
Samantha Spiro Chicken Soup with Barley Sarah Kahn
Tamsin Greig JumpyHilary
2013 [10] Sheridan Smith Hedda Gabler Hedda Gabler
Billie Piper The Effect Connie
Hattie Morahan A Doll's House Nora Helmer
Jill Halfpenny Abigail's Party Beverly Moss
Julie Walters The Last of the HaussmansJudy Haussman
Sally Hawkins Constellations Marianne
2014 [11] Helen Mirren The Audience Queen Elizabeth II
Anne-Marie Duff Strange Interlude Nina Leeds
Hayley Atwell The Pride Sylvia
Suranne Jones Beautiful Thing Sandra
Tanya Moodie Fences Rose Maxson
2015 [12] Billie Piper Great Britain Paige Britain
Gillian Anderson A Streetcar Named Desire Blanche DuBois
Helen McCrory Medea Medea
Imelda Staunton Good People Margie Walsh
Lucy Briggs-Owen Shakespeare in Love Viola de Lesseps
2016 [13] Nicole Kidman Photograph 51 Rosalind Franklin
Rosalie Craig As You Like It Rosalind
Denise Gough People, Places and Things Emma
Harriet Walter Death of a Salesman Linda Loman
Lia Williams Oresteia Clytemnestra
2017 [14] Billie Piper Yerma Yerma
Lily James Romeo and Juliet Juliet Capulet
Pixie Lott Breakfast at Tiffany's Holly Golightly
Helen McCrory The Deep Blue Sea Hester Collyer
Michelle Terry Henry V Henry V
2018 [15] Olivia Colman MosquitosJenny
Eve Best Love In Idleness Olivia Brown
Natalie Dormer Venus in Fur Vanda von Dunayev
Tamsin Greig Labour of Love Jean Whittaker
Imelda Staunton Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Virginia Woolf
2019 [16] Sophie Okonedo Antony and Cleopatra Cleopatra
Carey Mulligan Girls & BoysPerformer
Charlie Murphy The Lieutenant of Inishmore Mairead
Katherine Parkinson Home, I'm Darling Judy
Patsy Ferran Summer and Smoke Alma Winemiller

2020s

YearPerformerPlayFemale Identifying Character
2020 [17] Claire Foy Lungs W
Zawe Ashton Betrayal Emma
Hayley Atwell Rosmersholm Rebecca West
Sharon D. Clarke Death of a Salesman Linda Loman
Juliet Stevenson The DoctorThe Doctor
2021Not presented due to impact on theatres of COVID-19 pandemic
2022 [18] Lily Allen 2:22 A Ghost Story Jenny
Gemma Arterton WaldenStella
Sheila Atim Constellations Marianne
Emma Corrin Anna XAnna
Patsy Ferran Camp Siegfried Her
Saoirse Ronan The Tragedy of Macbeth Lady Macbeth

Multiple wins and nominations

Wins

2 wins

Nominations

5 nominations
4 nominations
3 nominations
2 nominations

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References

  1. ↑ "Whatsonstage Awards 2001". Westendtheatre.com. 1 January 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  2. ↑ "Whatsonstage Awards 2002". Westendtheatre.com. 1 January 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "Whatsonstage.com Awards - Theatregoers' Choice Awards". Archive.ph. 12 April 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-04-12. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  4. ↑ "Whatsonstage Awards 2004". Westendtheatre.com. 1 January 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  5. ↑ "Full List: Your Theatregoers' Choice Award Winners". Whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  6. ↑ Varley, Eddie. "Tennant, Branagh, Hartnett & 'JERSEY BOYS' Win Big at the WHATSONSTAGE Awards". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  7. ↑ "Full List: 2010 Whatsonstage.com Award Winners". Whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  8. ↑ "Full List: 2011 Whatsonstage.com Award Winners". Whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  9. ↑ "Full List: 2012 Whatsonstage.com Awards Nominees". WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  10. ↑ "Full list: Winners announced of the 2013 Whatsonstage.com Awards". Whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  11. ↑ "Full List: Winners of the 2014 WhatsOnStage Awards". Whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  12. ↑ "Full list: Winners of the 15th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards". Whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  13. ↑ "Whatsonstage Awards – Winners 2016". Westendtheatre.com. 22 February 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  14. ↑ "Whatsonstage Awards – Winners 2017". Westendtheatre.com. 20 February 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  15. ↑ "Winners of the 18th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards announced: David Tennant and Olivia Colman win". Whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  16. ↑ "Hamilton and Aidan Turner among winners at 19th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards". Whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  17. ↑ "20th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards winners include Andrew Scott, Claire Foy, Come From Away and Six". Whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  18. ↑ "Nominees for 22nd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards announced". Whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
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