Winners of ‘The Stage’ Debut Awards 2022.

Winners announced in online event.

The winners of The Stage Debut Awards 2022 have been announced in a ceremony on Sunday 18 September, live streamed via Facebook. The ceremony featured performances from Samuel Thomas (The Last Five Years) and Shan Ako (Hamilton), Frances Mayli-McCann (Bonnie & Clyde) and Natalie Paris (Six the Musical), and was hosted by BAFTA Award-winning actor Susan Wokoma.

Jodie Comer (Killing Eve, Thirteen, Doctor Foster) more than deservedly received the Best West End Debut Performer award for her blistering performance in Prima Facie at the Harold Pinter Theatre. The entire ensemble of For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy have received the award for Best Performer in a Play, the first time the award has ever been presented collectively to a group of performers. Mark Akintimehin, Emmanuel Akwafo, Nnabiko Ejimofor, Darragh Hand, Aruna Jalloh and Kaine Lawrence were honoured for their moving performances at the New Diorama Theatre and the Royal Court Theatre, alongside Elisabeth Gunawan for Unforgettable Girl at Voila! Europe Theatre Festival. Elijah Ferreira took home the Best Performer in a Musical award for Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Leeds Playhouse. Best Director was awarded to Monique Touko for Malindadzimu at the Hampstead Theatre.

Further debut work honoured at this year’s awards included Best Writer to Tyrell Williams for Red Pitch at the Bush Theatre and TK Hay’s, Best Designer win for the set and costume for An Adventure at the Octagon Theatre Bolton, John Patrick Elliott took home the Best Composer, Lyricist or Book Writer award for Cruise The Play at the Duchess Theatre, and the Best Creative West End Debut award went to Julia Cheng for her choreography for Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre.

Alistair Smith, Editor of The Stage, said: “Congratulations to all our winners. Looking at this extraordinary array of emerging artists – and a couple of more established names – we can all be confident that the future of theatre in the UK is in incredibly exciting hands. I cannot wait to see what all these supremely talented theatremakers do next.”

Congratulations to all of the winners! I saw Jodie in the NT Live production of Prima Facie and she was going to be hard to beat! I know writer Suzie Miller a bit. And as a male, I’m still somewhat rocked by the piece. There will be a review when I’ve processed it. And maybe a chat with Suzie .

But in the meantime, well done to The Stage for… er… staging… the Debut Awards event! The arts need all the help they can get at the minute!