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Home , Cush Jumbo, Donmar Warehouse, Gielgud Theatre, Howard Panter, Kit Harington, Piccadilly Theatre

The Stage

SEPTEMBER 27 DebutAT 7PM Awards Welcome to The Stage Debut Awards

IN ASSOCIATION WITH ACCESS ENTERTAINMENT

Thank you for joining us for The Stage Debut Awards 2020 – a unique awards ceremony in a unique year. When we launched these awards four years ago, we could not have foreseen just how crucial a platform for emerging talent they would become. This is a difficult time for everyone in , but none more so than those just starting their careers. As director PJ Harris observed in an interview with The Stage this month: “If you were starting out now, having recently graduated, and you were still trying to get a foot in the door, I can’t imagine what you would do.” The Stage Debut Awards, in association with Access Entertainment, celebrate, champion and support precisely these types of theatremakers: performers and creatives just starting out in the sector. This year, they need our support more than ever. While for obvious reasons, we can’t all gather together at a physical awards ceremony this year to celebrate all our hugely talented nominees, I’m excited that we are able to stage this very special virtual ceremony, filmed at the beautiful . And I’m even more excited that as our host this year we have the wonderful Miriam-Teak Lee, one of our winners from the very first year of these awards, who has since gone on to become a bona fide West End star. As well as congratulating all our nominees, I’d also like to thank our reviewers, industry experts and judging panel – the ongoing success of these awards rests on their ability to spot fresh talent around the UK. I’d also like to thank our sponsors – especially our headline sponsor Access Entertainment – for their ongoing support at a time when all businesses are facing huge challenges. That they decided to continue their support for emerging talent speaks volumes. During what are pretty grim times for anyone working in theatre and the performing arts, organising these awards has been a real tonic for us all at The Stage. I hope that watching them – and joining together to celebrate the very tangible hope for the future of theatre that our nominees represent – can offer the same to you.

CUSH JUMBO HOST, THE STAGE DEBUT AWARDS 2019 Alistair Smith Editor, The Stage Welcome Nominees Best Performer in a Play Sponsored by Audible

Saida Ahmed Katie Erich Little Miss Burden Oliver Twist Leeds Playhouse (in co- The Bunker, production with Ramps on the Moon)

Nominees Brooklyn Melvin Daniel Monks Oliver Twist Leeds Playhouse (in co- Teenage Dick production with Ramps on the Moon) , London

Rachel Nwokoro Jessica Rhodes Little Baby Jesus The Sugar Syndrome , London Orange Tree Theatre, London

Khai Shaw Bobby Stallwood Little Baby Jesus Faith, Hope and Charity Nominees Orange Tree Theatre, London National Theatre, London Best Performer in a Musical

Shan Ako Lucy Anderson Les Misérables Dear Evan Hansen , London Noël Coward Theatre, London

Chase Brown Oli Higginson Mame The Last Five Years Hope Mill Theatre, Playhouse, London

Adriana Ivelisse Tom Noyes Preludes The Stage Curve, Leicester , London

Debut Awards Bethany Tennick Sam Tutty Islander Dear Evan Hansen 2020 Nominees Southwark Playhouse, London Noël Coward Theatre, London Best Director Best West End Debut Performer Sponsored by Smith & Williamson Sponsored by Trafalgar Entertainment

Georgia Green Martha Kiss Perrone The Mikvah Project When It Breaks It Burns Shan Ako David Mitchell Orange Tree Theatre, London Arts Centre, London Les Misérables The Upstart Crow Sondheim Theatre Alex Sutton Preludes Southwark Playhouse, London Daniel Monks Samantha Pauly Teenage Dick Evita Best Designer Donmar Warehouse Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Sponsored by Robe Lighting

Liam Bunster (set and costume) Andrew Exeter (lighting) Sam Tutty High Fidelity Dear Evan Hansen Shakespeare’s Globe, London , London Noël Coward Theatre

Rose Revitt (set and costume) Dr Korczak’s Example Aimee Lou Wood Leeds Playhouse Theatre Best Composer or Lyricist

Jim Barne and Kit Buchan Jherek Bischoff The Season The Ocean at the Best Creative West End Debut New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich; End of the Lane Sponsored by Noël Coward Foundation Royal and Derngate, Northampton National Theatre, London

Robbie Williams Fabian Aloise (choreographer) Nadia Latif (director) The Boy in the Dress Evita Fairview Royal Shakespeare , Stratford-upon-Avon Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Theatre

Best Writer Benj Pasek, Justin Paul and Steven Femi Temowo (composer) Levenson (composer, lyricist, and Death of a Salesman Samuel Bailey Mari Izzard book) Dear Evan Hansen Piccadilly Theatre; Shook Hela Noël Coward Theatre National Theatre Southwark Playhouse, London The Other Room, Cardiff

Eleanor Tindall Temi Wilkey The High Table David West Read (book) Before I Was a Bear , London (co-produced & Juliet The Bunker, London with Birmingham Rep) The Stage Debut Awards Cocktail

RECIPE BY PAUL VALE

INGREDIENTS 3 fresh Basil leaves 15ml Sugar syrup 40ml Dry Gin 10ml Campari Bitter 20ml freshly squeezed Lemon juice 30ml Prosecco

PROCESS Muddle the basil leaves in the base of a cocktail shaker. Add the gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup and Campari and shake with plenty of ice. Fine strain into a coupe or martini glass and top up with chilled Prosecco. Garnish with a twist of lemon zest and a basil leaf. Despite the basil, there’s nothing green about this celebratory cocktail. The fragrant leaves complement the pungent botanicals and the bitterness of the lemon is mellowed with sugar syrup. Cocktail Judging process

THE STAGE CRITICS From August 2019 to July 2020, The Stage’s nationwide network of reviewers identified actors and creatives 1making their debuts and put forward recommendations. OPEN NOMINATION PROCESS During this time, individuals, their agents and the general 2public could also nominate via The Stage website. EXPERT ADVISERS The Stage approached a selection of expert advisers from across the UK for their suggestions on potential nominees. Advisers included performers, casting 3directors, directors, designers and theatre managers. JUDGING PANEL The judging panel of Tim Bano, Baz Bamigboye, Lyn Gardner, Sam Marlowe, Bridget Minamore, Alistair Smith and Natasha Tripney made the final decisions 4on the shortlist and winners in all categories except Best West End Debut Performer.

Process THE PUBLIC VOTE AMARA OKEREKE After the shortlist was decided by the judging panel, the PERFORMING AT THE STAGE Best West End Debut Performer winner was decided by

Judging DEBUT AWARDS 2019 5a public vote, run on The Stage website. ABOUT THE HOST Miriam-Teak Lee

Having only graduated from Arts Ed in 2017, Miriam-Teak is already well on her way to becoming a West End sensation. She wowed the judges with her debut performance for her role of Claire DeLoone in Drew McOnie’s On The Town, for which she was awarded Best Actress in a Musical at the inaugural The Stage Debut Awards in 2017.

From there, she performed in the original London cast of Hamilton and was leading the acclaimed West End musical & Juliet before closed in March. Miriam-Teak scooped Best Actress in a Musical at the What’s On Stage awards for her celebrated performance as Juliet, and has also received an Olivier nomination.

“The Stage holds such a special place in my heart. From being nominated for the first edition of The Stage Debut Awards in 2017 to actually winning, and then singing at the ceremony the year later. It now feels incredible to have come full circle and help acknowledge these new talents.” Host Sponsors HEADLINE SPONSOR content creators. independent filmand online television production companies, OtherinvestmentsRock. span A Mockingbird andSchoolof Leopoldstadt, Emilia,To Kill winning Hamilton, ’s the world includingtheaward- many millionsin theatre around Access has invested Haymarket. acquired theTheatre Royal In 2018 Access Entertainment former Director of Television. BBC It isledby Danny Cohen,the films anddigitalcontent. quality theatre, television, feature with aconcentration inpremium- across theentertainment sector Industries, focused oninvestments Sir Leonard Blavatnik’s Access Entertainment isa division of Launched in2016, Access ENTERTAINMENT ACCESS CATEGORY SPONSORS academic researchacademic andmany other areas. a diverserange of outstanding organisations working intheatre, music,playwriting, took incharitableworkhimself duringhislifetime. TheFoundation isproud to support development projects across continuing thekeen theArts while also interest Coward The NoëlCoward Foundation was setupin2000 andawards grants to educationand thisawardsponsoring inhisname. The NoëlCoward Foundation iscelebrating today’s emerging theatre-makers by and mentored up-and-comingartists across theindustry, to markthiscentenary so hailed asasignificantnew talent.Throughout hislife, Coward took aninterest in Emerging PlaywrightsFund. of listeners around theworld. of Love istheinaugural stage production from the nurtures andinvests inemerging playwrights,makingtheirworks available to millions In 2017, Audible launched a five-million-dollar Emerging Playwrights Fund that identifies, Johnny Flynn, The Diaryof aHounslow Girl andIphigeniainSplott. and many others. Inaudio, Audible hasproduced starring KitHarington and Girls &Boys by DennisKelly starring Carey Mulligan,Patti Smith:Words andMusic, In New York, Audible hasproduced HarryClarke by David Calestarring BillyCrudup, driven storytelling andcaptivating performances onstage andinaudio. audio andspoken-word mediaservice.Audible’s theatre initiative delivers language- France, Germany, Singapore andDubaianetwork of dealersin76 countries. range of Sales,training isprovided users. and service through UK, US, offices inthe products inEurope to meet thecreative, and practical technical demands of a wide world. Thecompany continues to focus on designingandproducing well-engineered series LEDluminairesflagship DL4andDL7 are now regularly specifiedacross the detailed feedback from lighting designersand operators across the sector, their years they have turned theirattention to products specifically for theatre. Incorporating entertainment industry. Now established at thetop of thetouring market, inrecent manufactures innovative stage lighting products for the Robe Lighting intheCzech isbased Republic and ROBE LIGHTING inspiration to millionsof listeners andistheworld’s leading Audible isalistening destination that offers insight and AUDIBLE playwright intheWest Endat theageof 20, andwas One hundred years ago, NoëlCoward debuted asa NOËL COWARD FOUNDATION CATEGORY SPONSORS

SMITH & WILLIAMSON Smith & Williamson is uniquely placed in the theatre industry to offer tax, accounting, financial planning and investment management services to both private individuals and corporates. In addition to being a Top 10 Accountancy practice*, our investment management business has around £19.4bn of funds under management and advice**. We understand that being in the world of theatre your day-to-day focus is on what you are passionate about, your work. However, it is essential that your financial affairs are well managed and arranged to your greatest advantage. The value of investments can go down as well as up and investors may not Get involved in 2021 receive back the original amount invested. Smith & Williamson LLP regulated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in and Wales for a range of investment business activities. A member of Nexia International. Smith & We hope you enjoy The Stage Debut Awards 2020, in association with Williamson Investment Management LLP authorised and regulated by the Access Entertainment, and that you are keen to continue to support Financial Conduct Authority. The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate emerging talent in our industry. The Stage Debut Awards will return in 2021. all services referred to in this document. © Smith & Williamson Holdings Limited 2020. *Accountancy Age 2019 and **Smith & Williamson Investment Management If you would like to support the event there are a number of ways you can as at 31/03/20. get involved.

NOMINATE Nominate debut performers, directors, writers, composers, lyricists and designers in the productions you’re involved in – or others you have watched and enjoyed. TRAFALGAR ENTERTAINMENT Nominations for The Stage Debut Awards 2021 are open now. Trafalgar Entertainment is a live entertainment business and home to Trafalgar See the eligibility criteria and nominate online at thestage.co.uk/debuts Studios, Productions, Trafalgar Releasing (formerly Picturehouse Entertainment) and Stagecoach Performing Arts. It is the latest venture from Sir and Dame OBE – two of the CHAMPION most influential entertainment entrepreneurs of the last 20 years. Share The Stage Debut Awards with your industry contacts as well as on The production arm of the company, Trafalgar Theatre Productions, is producing a social media with #DebutAwards. If you have ideas and think your skills group of new shows and classic musicals in London and internationally. could benefit The Stage Debut Awards, we would love to hear from you. Trafalgar Entertainment has a particular interest in nurturing new creative talent Please get in contact [email protected] and is delighted to be supporting this event.

SPONSOR Gain vital exposure for your business and help us support emerging talent by supporting the awards commercially in 2021. Email: [email protected] Call: 07710 414 608 With thanks

JUDGES Alistair Smith Baz Bamigboye Bridget Minamore Lyn Gardner Natasha Tripney Sam Marlowe Tim Bano & all our expert advisers

EVENT SUPPLIERS Belafonte EFX Theatre Royal Haymarket

THE STAGE DEBUT AWARDS TEAM Alistair Smith Editor Hugh Comerford Managing director Martin Crandon Designer Rachel Pottle Events co-ordinator Rachel Scott Head of marketing Simon Hassell Commercial director

BOOKLET PHOTOGRAPHY ANAÏS MITCHELL Alex Brenner PERFORMING AT THE STAGE

Thanks DEBUT AWARDS 2018 David Monteith-Hodge WINNERS PORTRAIT THE STAGE DEBUT AWARDS 2019 thestage.co.uk/debuts #DebutAwards