A Round-Up of 2024

2024... an interesting year to say the least. I've had a great end to the year personally, but my job at the same time is tiring. And as a result, I have not seen as much theatre as I normally do. 

However, despite that, and this being already released in 2025, I still want to celebrate the theatre I did see. 

And my one resolution I make is to not kick myself if I am not able to get content out like I used to. We'll see how long that lasts....

Anyways, let's have a look to last (!) year and relive the highlights. 

Let's get started

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Performance of the Year Award: 

Leading: 

Nominees: 

• Stephanie J Block as Lilli Vanessi/Katherine in Kiss Me Kate at the Barbican Centre, London
• Bronte Barbe and Rebekah Hinds as Kathy and Stella in Kathy & Stella Solve A Murder at the Ambassador's Theatre, London
• Louis McCartney as Henry Creel in Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre, London
• Sam Tutty and Dujonna Gift as Sam and Robyn in Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York) at the Criterion Theatre, London
• Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Glinda in Wicked

Winner: Beating big West End shows, Broadway royalty and more, is a pair from a show that soared high in Salford in 2024, and is set to have a run in Chicago (I think) in 2025: 42 Balloons. Its leads, Charlie McCullagh and Evelyn Hoskins, are a huge reason as to why the show works. They are its beating heart

Supporting: 

Nominees:

• Paige Fenlon as Vivian Ward in the UK Tour of Pretty Woman
• Yeukayi Ushe as the Genie in the UK Tour of Aladdin
• Meg Brassington as Mary Flynn in Merrily We Roll Along at Altrincham Garrick (I didn't review this one, but was so happy to see Merrily on stage. It has now become one of my favourite Sondheim pieces, and Mary's characterisation was a part of that. Being honest, she's a little bit of me)
• Eugene McCoy and Maddie Rice in the UK Tour of The 39 Steps
• Christian Andrews as Hester Leggat and others in Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre, London
• Carly Mercedes Dyer as Cassie and Manuel Pacific as Paul in the UK Tour of A Chorus Line

Winner: This had to go to Hammed Animashaun and Nigel Lindsay as the Gangsters in the Barbican's Kiss Me Kate. Every second these two were on stage had me in stiches. I would honestly love a spin off of those two. 

Understudy/Alternate of the Year Award: 

Nominees: 

• Jennifer Caldwell, Sorrelle Marsh and Chelsea Hall as Sue, Felicia and Erica respectfully in Kathy & Stella
• Mya Fox-Scott, Rachael Louise and Lillie-Pearl Wildman as Joy, Rose and Nicki in Standing at the Sky's Edge at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, London

Winner: When thinking about it, I had to go to the one who made my family believe he was the regular performer, and that was Charlie Ryan as Orin Scrivello, the crazy dentist in Little Shop of Horrors at the Octagon in Bolton. He was so over the top but also had the darker side to him that Orin needed. 

Almost-But-Not-Quite Award: 

Nominees: 

• Pretty Woman
• Northanger Abbey at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton
• Your Lie in April at the Harold Pinter Theatre, London

Winner: Whilst it was a fun show, upon reflection, Burlesque, which was at Manchester's Opera House, was a fair amount of style over substance. It was popular among audiences, but the material for me wasn't there, as much as they tried. Seeing Todrick Hall live on stage was a treat though, not going to lie about that one. 

Laugh-Out-Loud Award: 

Nominees: 

• Hazbin Hotel, Season 1
• Kiss Me Kate
• Kathy & Stella
• Operation Mincemeat
• The Rocky Horror Show UK Tour (which I saw at the Liverpool Empire with my boyfriend. It was just as fun as I remembered) 
• Tinderella at the Hope Mill Theatre. This naughty panto is finishing its run this weekend, but you will be able to catch Happy Panto at the Hope Mill next year for Jack Off the Beanstalk

Winner: In the end, this has to go to The 39 Steps. This classic British comedy thriller had me smiling from beginning to end. From the slapstick, to the insanity of characters the actors swap between and the costume gags, The 39 Steps was definitely the one that made my belly ache the most. 

Leaky Eyes Award: 

Nominees: 

• Merrily We Roll Along
• Your Lie in April
• War Horse UK Tour, which I saw as both a theatre-goer and a volunteer. A powerful story like that is bound to get the emotions going
• Come From Away UK Tour, which again, I saw as both theatre-goer and volunteer. The epitome of a happy-sad show

Winner: For a particularly special reason, I have gone with Standing at the Sky's Edge. There is Sheffield blood running in my veins. This show packs a punch anyway, but for me and my family, it was particularly emotional. 

Danced-Till-They-Dropped Award: 

Nominees: 

• 
  Kiss Me Kate. This is for the Too Darn Hot sequence alone
• A Chorus Line
• Burlesque

Winner: All of these feature amazing big dance numbers during points of the show, but when you have the revolutionary Matthew Bourne version of Swan Lake thrown in there, it's very hard to top. I saw this iconic piece of dance at the Lowry on its UK tour. I was working it, hence no review, but I was so happy to finally see this powerhouse of a piece. 

Costume of the Year Award: 

Nominees: 

• The Wizard of Oz, UK Tour (especially for the puppetary design on Toto)
• Little Shop of Horrors - with costumes honouring its B movie roots, and I cannot of course resist an Audrey II puppet
• The 39 Steps
• Wicked

Winner: This was quite tricky, but I ended up with picking Spirited Away at the London Coliseum. To get all the costumes and puppetry so close to the imagination the film was famous for was not easy. 

On-Screen Award: 

Winner: Whilst Hazbin Hotel dominated the start of my year (especially being constantly played on my car radio), and I would highly recommend this hilarious show based in Hell and full of Broadway talent to (almost) anyone... it has to be Wicked. Come on! We members of the theatre community have been waiting for this movie adaptation for years, and it was worth every single minute of its long run time. I, like many, look forward to part 2, Wicked: For Good, in November this year. 

Shift of the Year Award: 

This may be a little different, but as you know, I also work as a Front of House volunteer at the Lowry, and the year has brought me some amazing experiences of shows that I would never think to book, or would have no reason to book. Therefore, I wanted to celebrate that. 

Nominees: 

• While not theatre related as such, the Britain's Got Talent auditions were a privilege to work. And yes, I did get to see a Golden Buzzer (not telling you who's though)
• There was a buzz around 42 Balloons as it was a show Lowry had nurtured through its development. And it's potential is to soar as high as Larry's balloon. 
• I particularly enjoy working the children's shows as it is often the children's very first show. Seeing their faces light up is pure joy. Bluey's Big Play was packed out, but The Gruffalo's Child and Charlie Cook's Favourite Book were my personal favourites in that category

Winner: Whilst I have loved every shift, working the press night of Come From Away was incredibly special. On top of the general excitement of the show, the real Come From Aways who's stories formed the show were invited along to the evening. I'll leave a link to the Mayor of Gander's speech at the end of the show. It was incredibly moving. 

Blew My Mind Award: 

Nominees: 

• 42 Balloons
• Standing at the Sky's Edge
• Kathy & Stella Solve A Murder
• Stranger Things: The First Shadow
• Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York)
• Wicked

Winner: In the end for me, it has to be Spirited Away. To see my favourite film of all time brought to the stage so beautifully was astounding. Everything about it blew me away. And it really is a spectacle, which is what this category is all about.  

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Like I said, what a year. I hope you all have a happy 2025. Let's see what it brings shall we..!