HAIRSPRAY - HAIRSPRAY + MACBETH LEAD CRITICS' CIRCLE THEATRE AWARDS

HAIRSPRAY + MACBETH LEAD CRITICS' CIRCLE THEATRE AWARDS

The London stage adaptation of HAIRSPRAY has triumphed at the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards, picking up two prizes including the gong for Best Musical. The West End show, which stars Mel Smith and Michael Ball as the cross-dressing Edna Turnblad, also saw actress Leanne Jones take home the Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her role as Tracy Turnblad. Shakespeare play MACbeth was also a double winner at Tuesday's (20Jan08) awards ceremony at London's Prince of Wales Theatre. The production scooped the Best Director prize for Rupert Goold, while leading actor Patrick Stewart was awarded the The John and Wendy Trewin Award for Best Shakespearean Performance along with Othello star Chiwetel Ejiofor. Ejiofor beat competition from Hollywood actor Ewan MCGregor to take the prize - the first time the Critics' Circle Theatre judges have given the Best Shakespearean Performance award to two actors. Other winners include Simon MCBurney's A Disappearing Number for Best New Play; Charles Dance for Best Actor for his role in Shadowlands, a production about C.S. Lewis' life; and James MCAvoy's wife Anne-Marie Duff was named Best Actress for her leading role in Saint Joan.