Winners Announced for the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards 2026

At a ceremony at the National Theatre today, the Critics’ Circle announced the winners of the 2026 Theatre Awards, sponsored by Finito. These are the only prizes to be entirely voted for by the professional theatre critics who are members of the Circle.

Both Ivo van Hove’s production of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons and Jordan Fein’s production of Sondheim’s Into the Woods received two awards each. Van Hove won the award for Best Director, with the production also receiving Best Revival of a Play or Musical. Into the Woods won the inaugural award for Best Ensemble or Cast, with Tom Scutt taking Best Designer.

Paddington The Musical with music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher and book by Jessica Swale, currently running at the Savoy Theatre, won Best New Musical; with James Graham’s Punch awarded Best New Play; and Ava Pickett Most Promising Playwright for 1536 which will shortly transfer to the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End.

Completing the acting categories, Rosamund Pike won for her acclaimed performance in Suzie Miller’s Inter Alia – which is currently in previews at the Wyndham’s Theatre having transferred from the National Theatre; with Brendan Gleeson receiving the Best Actor award for his West End debut performance in The Weir, which has recently been adapted by playwright Conor Macpherson into a film with Gleeson reprising his much celebrated performance. The Most Promising Newcomer Award went to Ruby Ashbourne-Serkis for Tom Stoppard’s Indian Ink at Hampstead Theatre.

2026 Chair of the Critics’ Circle Drama Section, Mark Lawson said today, “In the first year that our members voted from long lists and shortlists - an attempt to extend the range of work considered - around 250 candidates were considered across the process, of which 179 received at least one vote. These came down to the 11 winners honoured today. Some categories were won by a landslide, but others were tight five-or six-way contests eventually decided after a recount, suggesting strong quality among the quantity. Overall - and with the winner of the Empty Space…Peter Brook Award, decided by a separate panel - they show an exhilarating range of work across a vast variety of venues and genres - all achieved in challenging economic times. It is particularly pleasing that the array of talents in the Most Promising Playwright and Best Newcomer categories indicate that the current high quality of theatre here is guaranteed to continue.”

This is the fourth year of the acclaimed Empty Space…Peter Brook Award being part of the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards. Founded by Blanche Marvin MBE, who died earlier this year just short of her 101st birthday, the award recognises a theatre that embodies the spirit of Peter Brook, both in its use of space and in relationship to its locality. Blanche’s daughter, Niki Marvin, an Oscar-nominated director/producer, has taken over the running of the award. From this year, the award has been renamed The Empty Space…Peter Brook Award (In Memory of Blanche Marvin), Sponsored by Nica Burns. Decided by a separate panel of critics chosen by the Marvin family, the 2026 Award was given to Red Rose Chain, Ipswich.

The Awards are made possible through the generous support and encouragement of Finito.

“After a long-standing support of The Jack Tinker Award for Best Newcomer, we are delighted to become the main sponsor of the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards” said Ronel Lehmann, Chief Executive, Finito.

Other individual awards are sponsored by 5RB,NLP and Nica Burns. The awards are also generously supported by Nick Hern Books and by an anonymous philanthropic donation. We also gratefully acknowledgethe participation of the Trewin Family who created the Best Shakespearean Performance Award.