Into the Woods, Paddington, More Win U.K. Critics' Circle Theatre Awards; Read the Full List of Winners

Winners of the 2026 Critics' Circle Theatre Awards were revealed March 26 at an afternoon ceremony at London's National Theatre, with the current West End revival of All My Sons and Bridge Theatre's Into the Woods emerging as the most-honored productions. The coveted Best New Musical Award went to Paddington The Musical, while Best New Play went to James Graham's Punch.

Both All My Sons and Into the Woods took two categories, with the former winning Best Director for Ivo van Hove and Best Revival of a Play or Musical, and the latter taking the honors' inaugural Best Ensemble or Cast category and Best Designer, for scenic and costume designer Tom Scutt.

“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," says Critics' Circle Drama Section Chair Mark Lawson in a statement. "These came down to the 11 winners honored 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.”

See the full list of winners and nominees—voted on by professional theatre critics that are members of the Circle—below:

Best New Play
David Adjmi, Stereophonic
Alice Birch, Romans A Novel
Jack Holden and Ed Stambollouian, Kenrex
WINNER James Graham, Punch (from a book by Jacob Dunne)
David Ireland, The Fifth Step
Suzie Miller, Inter Alia
Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, Kyoto

Best Revival of a Play or Musical
WINNER All My Sons
Brigadoon
Evita
Intimate Apparel
Into the Woods
Indian Ink
The Weir

Best New Musical
Cable Street
Here We Are
WINNER Paddington The Musical
Shucked
Sing Street
Titaníque

Best Director
Daniel Aukin, Stereophonic
Jordan Fein, Into the Woods
Lynette Linton, Intimate Apparel
Jamie Lloyd, Evita and Much Ado About Nothing
Luke Sheppard, Paddington The Musical
WINNER Ivo van Hove, All My Sons

Best Ensemble or Cast
1536
Here We Are
WINNER Into the Woods
Stereophonic
The Weir
When We Are Married

Most Promising Playwright
Jamie Armitage, A Ghost in Your Ear and An Interrogation
Sophia Chetin-Leuner, Porn Play
Hannah Doran, The Meat Kings! (Inc) of Brooklyn Heights
Sophia Griffin, After Sunday
Katherine Moar, Ragdoll
WINNER Ava Pickett, 1536
Shaan Sahota, The Estate

Best Actor
Adeel Akhtar, The Estate
Bryan Cranston, All My Sons
Paapa Essiedu, All My Sons
WINNER Brendan Gleeson, The Weir
Sean Hayes, Goodnight, Oscar
James Hameed and Arti Shah, Paddington The Musical
David Shields, Punch

Best Actress
Kate Fleetwood, Into the Woods
Julie Hesmondhalgh, Punch 
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, All My Sons
WINNER Rosamund Pike, Inter Alia
Nicola Walker, The Unbelievers
Samira Wiley, Intimate Apparel
Rachel Zegler, Evita

Best Designer
Miriam Buether, Kyoto and The Land of the Living
Lizzie Clachan, The Lady From The Sea
Soutra Gilmour, Much Ado About Nothing and Evita 
Tom Pye, Paddington The Musical
WINNER Tom Scutt, Into the Woods
David Zinn, Stereophonic and Here We Are

Best Shakespearean Performance
WINNER Hayley Atwell, Much Ado About Nothing
Jonathan Bailey, Richard II
David Harewood, Othello
Tom Hiddleston, Much Ado About Nothing
Francesca Mills, Hamlet
Samuel West, Twelfth Night

Most Promising Newcomer
Isobel Akuwudike, The Lady From the Sea
WINNER Ruby Ashbourne-Serkis, Indian Ink
Asa Butterfield, Second Best
Kate Phillips, The Weir
Diego Andres Rodriguez, Evita
Jasper Talbot, Inter Alia
Artie Wilkinson-Hunt, The Land of the Living