Paddington The Musical Dominates WhatsOnStage Awards with Record Haul

Paddington The Musical has made awards history at the WhatsOnStage Awards, taking home nine prizes after its celebrated West End debut last year.

The production, based on the beloved stories by Michael Bond, premiered at the Savoy Theatre in November and quickly became a fan favourite among audiences and critics alike.

Its nine wins represent the most awards ever received by a new musical at the ceremony, equalling the record previously held by Miss Saigon and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

A record breaking night for Paddington

Among the honours were Best New Musical and Best Professional Debut for 17 year old performer Timi Akinyosade. The production also collected awards for direction, set design, costumes, wigs and make up, sound design, music supervision and casting.

The creative team included director Luke Sheppard, whose work on the show earned the Best Direction award.

Reacting to the results, WhatsOnStage editors Darius Thompson and Alex Wood joked that “the voters really did look after that Bear,” adding that the show’s success had firmly established it as one of the West End’s most popular new productions.

Major acting awards for Zegler, Bailey and Davies

The ceremony, held at the London Palladium, also celebrated a number of standout performances across the theatre industry.

Rachel Zegler picked up two awards on the night. She was named Best Performer in a Musical for her performance in Evita and also won Best Concert Event for Rachel Zegler: Live at the London Palladium.

Her performance in Evita attracted widespread attention during its run thanks to a striking staging choice that saw Zegler leave the theatre each evening to sing “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” from the Palladium’s outdoor balcony. The performance was live streamed to audiences inside the theatre while crowds gathered outside to watch.

The production went on to win five awards overall, including Best Musical Revival.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Bailey was named Best Performer in a Play for his leading role in a modern dress production of Richard II. The award placed him ahead of a competitive field that included Tom Hiddleston, Joe Locke, Ncuti Gatwa, Maxine Peake and Rosamund Pike.

Amber Davies was recognised as Best Supporting Performer in a Musical for her role in The Great Gatsby, while Stephen Fry won Best Supporting Performer in a Play for his performance in a revival of The Importance of Being Earnest.

Celebrating theatre chosen by audiences

Established in 2001, the WhatsOnStage Awards are unique among major theatre prizes in the United Kingdom because they are voted for entirely by the public.

Other winners on the night included Best New Play for The Comedy About Spies and Best West End Show for Les Misérables.

With its record equalling haul, Paddington The Musical has firmly established itself as one of the West End’s biggest recent success stories, proving that the beloved marmalade loving bear continues to capture the hearts of theatre audiences around the world.