The 25th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards rolled into the London Palladium yesterday (9th February 2025), celebrating a quarter-century of theatrical excellence. Leading the charge was Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express, which steamed ahead with seven awards, including Best Musical Revival and Best Professional Debut for Jeevan Braich. This impressive haul mirrors last year's success of another Lloyd Webber classic, Sunset Boulevard, which also basked in the glow of seven awards. Clearly, the maestro has a knack for hitting the right notes with theatregoers year after year.
In a twist that seems plucked from a sci-fi script, former Doctor Who co-stars David Tennant and Freema Agyeman both clinched acting accolades for their roles in Shakespearean revivals. Tennant, best known for his time-traveling exploits as the Tenth Doctor, won Best Performer in a Play for his portrayal of Macbeth. Meanwhile, Agyeman, who journeyed alongside him as companion Martha Jones, secured Best Supporting Performer in a Play for her role as the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet. It's almost as if their stellar performances were written in the stars—or perhaps in the time vortex.
The evening also saw Imelda Staunton take home the award for Best Performer in a Musical for her dazzling turn in Hello, Dolly! The West End will be saying "hello" to her again soon, as she's set to star alongside her real-life daughter, Bessie Carter, in mother-and-daughter drama Mrs. Warren's Profession. Talk about method acting!
Layton Williams, who is currently making waves as the Iceberg in Titanique, was honored with Best Takeover Performance as the Emcee in Cabaret.