Around about now I would be compiling the nominations for the annual Chrissies Awards for best in 2020 theatre but in this time of COVID that is impossible to do. So I thought why not look further back than a mere 12 months?
The Chrissies were invented for the blog era but what about the earlier amazing productions and performers which molded my love of theatre and - more often than not - have proved definitive. Although details are lost in time, these have all left a theatrical glitter twinkling in my mind's eye like a cavernous diamond mine.
They all live in my head and heart... here is a remembrance of the 1990s - the names in bold are those no longer with us:
BEST PLAY
KING LEAR by William Shakespeare (Cottesloe, NT)
ABSOLUTE HELL (Ackland, Lyttelton) ~ ANGELS IN AMERICA (Kushner, Cottesloe)
CLOSER (Marber, Cottesloe) ~ DANCING AT LUGHNASA (Friel, Phoenix)
THE ICEMAN COMETH (O'Neill, Almeida) ~ AN INSPECTOR CALLS (Priestley, Aldwych)
IVANOV (Chekhov, Almeida) ~ JOHN GABRIEL BORKMAN (Ibsen, Lyttelton)
LES PARENTS TERRIBLES (Cocteau, Lyttelton)
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE (Shakespeare, Cottesloe)
OTHELLO (Shakespeare, Cottesloe) ~ RACING DEMON (Hare, Cottesloe)
RICHARD III (Shakespeare, Lyttelton) ~ SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION (Guare, Comedy)
SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER (Williams, Comedy) ~ THREE TALL WOMEN (Albee, Wyndhams)
UNCLE VANYA (Chekhov, Albery) ~ WHEN SHE DANCED (Sherman, Globe)
WHITE CHAMELEON (Hampton, Cottesloe)
BEST MUSICAL
SWEENEY TODD by Stephen Sondheim / Hugh Wheeler (Cottesloe, NT)
ASSASSINS (Sondheim, Donmar) ~ THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE (Rodgers/Hart, Regents Park)
CAROUSEL (Rodgers/Hammerstein, Shaftesbury) ~ CHICAGO (Kander/Ebb, Adelphi)
CITY OF ANGELS (Coleman/Zippel, Prince of Wales) ~ COMPANY (Sondheim, Albery)
DEADLY SERIOUS (various, The Place) ~ FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE (various, Stratford East)
FORBIDDEN BROADWAY (Alessandrini, Theatre East NY)
HIGHLAND FLING (Schneitzhoeffer, Lilian Bayliss)
INTO THE WOODS (Sondheim, Donmar) ~ A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (Sondheim, Olivier)
NINE (Yeston, Donmar) ~ NOEL & GERTIE (Coward, Comedy)
OH, WHAT A LOVELY WAR! (various, Roundhouse)
THE PERCYS OF FITZROVIA / THE INFERNAL MACHINE (various. Lyric Hammersmith)
PIPPIN (Schwartz, Bridewell) ~ STAURDAY NIGHT (Sondheim, Bridewell
SHOW BOAT (Kern/Hammerstein/Wodehouse, Palladium)
BEST ACTOR - PLAY
PAUL SCHOFIELD - John Gabriel Borkman (Lyttelton, NT)
ALUN ARMSTRONG (Death of A Salesman, Lyttelton) ~ SIMON RUSSELL BEALE (Othello)
SIMON RUSSELL BEALE (Volpone, Olivier) ~ KENNETH CRANHAM (An Inspector Calls)
RALPH FIENNES (Ivanov) ~ OLIVER FORD DAVIES (Racing Demon)
HENRY GOODMAN (The Merchant of Venice) ~ DAVID HAIG (Art, Wyndhams)
DAVID HAREWOOD (Othello) ~ GREG HICKS (Absolute Hell)
IAN HOLM (King Lear) ~ DEREK JACOBI (Uncle Vanya)
SAEED JAFFREY (White Chameleon) ~ IAN McKELLEN (Richard III)
IAN McKELLEN (Uncle Vanya, Cottesloe) ~ MIKE NICHOLS (The Designated Mourner, Cottesloe)
CORIN REDGRAVE (Not About Nightingales, Cottesloe) ~ KEVIN SPACEY (The Iceman Cometh)
ROBERT STEPHENS (King Lear, Barbican)
BEST ACTRESS - PLAY
MAGGIE SMITH - Three Tall Women (Wyndhams)
EILEEN ATKINS (The Night of The Iguana, Lyttelton)
EILEEN ATKINS (Vita and Virginia, Ambassadors)
STOCKARD CHANNING (Six Degrees of Separation)
FRANCES DE LA TOUR (Les Parents Terribles)
JUDI DENCH (Absolute Hell) ~ JUDI DENCH (Amy's View, Lyttelton)
SHEILA GISH (Suddenly Last Summer)
JANE HORROCKS (The Rise & Fall of Little Voice, Aldwych)
ANNA MASSEY (Mary Stuart. Lyttelton)
LYNN REDGRAVE (Shakespeare For My Father, Haymarket)
VANESSA REDGRAVE (John Gabriel Borkman) ~ VANESSA REDGRAVE (When She Danced)
DIANA RIGG (Medea, Wyndhams) ~ MAGGIE SMITH (Talking Heads, Comedy)
MAGGIE SMITH (The Importance of Being Earnest, Aldwych)
SAMANTHA SPIRO (Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick, Lyttelton)
ALISON STEADMAN (The Rise and Fall of Little Voice)
EMMA THOMPSON (A Midsummer Night's Dream, Dominion)
RACHEL WEISZ (Suddenly Last Summer)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - PLAY
MICHAEL BRYANT - King Lear (Cottesloe, NT)
DAVID BAMBER (The Merchant of Venice) ~ DAVID BAMBER (Racing Demon)
DAVID BAMBER (Troilus and Cressia, Olivier) ~ SIMON RUSSELL BEALE (Ghosts, The Pit)
MICHAEL BRYANT (Racing Demon) ~ RON COOK (Our Country's Good, Garrick)
TREVOR EVE (Uncle Vanya) ~ ADAM GODLEY (Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick)
JAMES HAZELDINE (The Iceman Cometh) ~ DAVID HEALY (The Last Yankee, Duke of Yorks)
MAL Z LAWRENCE (Catskills on Broadway, Lunt-Fontanne NY)
ADRIAN LESTER (Six Degrees of Separation) ~ FINBAR LYNCH (King Lear)
RICHARD McCABE (Absolute Hell) ~ OLEG MENSHIKOV (When She Danced)
JOSEPH MYDELL (Angels in America) ~ JOHN NORMINGTON (Ghosts)
JOHN NORMINGTON (King Lear, Barbican) ~TIM PIGOTT-SMITH (The Iceman Cometh)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - PLAY
EILEEN ATKINS (John Gabriel Borkman) ~ ANNETTE BADLAND (The Rise and Fall of Little Voice)
GILLIAN BARGE (The Children's Hour, Lyttelton) ~ LINDA BASSETT (Our Country's Good)
BRID BRENNAN (Dancing at Lughnasa) ~ DIANE BULL (Ivanov)
DIANE BULL (Man of The Moment, Globe) ~ HELEN BURNS (The Last Yankee)
CHERYL CAMPBELL (Volpone) ~ FRANCES DE LA TOUR (When She Danced)
PATRICIA HODGE (Money, Olivier) ~ CELIA IMRIE (The Sea, Olivier)
ROSEMARY LEACH (Separate Tables, Albery) ~ PHOEBE NICHOLLS (Three Sisters, Queens)
ANITA REEVES (Dancing at Lughnasa) ~ EMMA THOMPSON (King Lear, Dominion)
SOPHIE THOMPSON (Wildest Dreams, The Pit)
MARGARET TYZACK (Talking Heads) ~ HARRIET WALTER (Ivanov)
BEST ACTOR - MUSICAL
DENIS QUILLEY - Sweeney Todd (Lyttelton, NT)
ROGER ALLAM (City of Angels) ~ ALUN ARMSTRONG (Sweeney Todd, Cottesloe)
SIMON RUSSELL BEALE (Candide, Olivier) ~ DAVID BURT (Pippin)
BRENT CARVER (Kiss of The Spider Woman, Shaftesbury)
DANIEL EVANS (Candide) ~ DAVID FIRTH (Assassins)
HENRY GOODMAN (Chicago) ~ LAURENCE GUITTARD (A Little Night Music)
ANTHONY HEAD (The Rocky Horror Show, Piccadilly)
ROY HUDD (A Funny Thing Happened on The Way To The Forum, Regents Park)
LARRY LAMB (Nine) ~ ADRIAN LESTER (Company)
JOSEPH McFADDEN (Rent, Shaftesbury) ~ RICHARD O'CALLAGHAN (The Boys From Syracuse)
CLARKE PETERS (Five Guys Named Moe) ~ CLARKE PETERS (Guys and Dolls, Olivier)
PHILIP QUAST (Sunday In The Park With George, Lyttelton) ~ GILZ TERRERA (Honk!, Olivier)
BEST ACTRESS - MUSICAL
JULIA McKENZIE - Sweeney Todd (Cottesloe, NT)
LYNDA BARON (Gypsy, Chichester) ~ SHARON BENSON (Carmen Jones, Old Vic)
JUDI DENCH (A Little Night Music) ~ MARIA FRIEDMAN (Lady In The Dark, Lyttelton)
LOUISE GOLD (Anything Goes, Prince Edward) ~ LOUISE GOLD (The Boys From Syracuse)
JAN HARTLEY (Show Boat) ~ PATRICIA HODGE (Noel and Gertie)
MEG JOHNSON (Carousel) ~ STEPHANIE LAWRENCE (Blood Brothers, Phoenix)
UTE LEMPER (Chicago) ~ PATTI LuPONE (Sunset Boulevard, Adelphi)
JULIA McKENZIE (Into The Woods, Phoenix)LILIANE MONTEVECCHI (Grand Hotel, Dominion)
ETTA MURFITT (Deadly Serious) ~ CHITA RIVERA (Kiss of The Spider Woman)
IMELDA STAUNTON (Guys and Dolls) ~ IMELDA STAUNTON (Into The Woods. Phoenix)
SOPHIE THOMPSON (Into the Woods, Donmar)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - MUSICAL
HENRY GOODMAN - City of Angels (Prince of Wales)
DAVID BAMBER (Honk!) ~ MATTHEW BOURNE (Deadly Serious)
DAVID BURT (Honk!) ~ BERNARD CRIBBINS (Anything Goes)
JAMES DREYFUSS (Lady In The Dark) ~ HENRY GOODMAN (Assassins)
DAVID HEALY (Show Boat) ~ CIARAN HINDS (Assassins)
BRUCE HUBBARD (Show Boat) ~ BARRY JAMES (Grand Hotel)
BARRY JAMES (Sweeney Todd) ~ ADRIAN LESTER (Sweeney Todd)
DAMIAN LEWIS (Into The Woods) ~ PAUL J MEDFORD (Five Guys Named Moe)
JOHN NORMINGTON (Guys and Dolls) ~ DENIS QUILLEY (Candide)
DENIS QUILEY (Sweeney Todd, Cottesloe)
ALISTAIR ROBINS (Forbidden Broadway, Jermyn Street) ~ HUGH ROSS (Passion, Queens)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - MUSICAL
KARLA BURNS - Show Boat (Palladium)
SHARON D CLARKE (Guys and Dolls) ~ BJ CROSBY (Smokey Joe's Cafe, Prince of Wales)
MARILYN CUTTS (Show Boat) ~ SUSANNAH FELLOWS (City of Angels)
SUSANNAH FELLOWS (Nine) ~ JENNY GALLOWAY (The Boys From Syracuse)
JENNY GALLOWAY (Nine) ~ SHEILA GISH (Company)
LOUISE GOLD (Assassins) ~ HAYDN GWYNNE (City of Angels)
SARAH-JANE HASSELL (City of Angels) ~ PATRICIA HODGE (A Little Night Music)
MEG JOHNSON (Chicago) ~ SARA KESTELMAN (Nine)
MAZZ MURRAY (Pippin) ~ LYNNETTE PERRY (Grand Hotel)
SIAN PHILLIPS (A Little Night Music) ~ SHERIDAN SMITH (Into The Woods)
SOPHIE THOMPSON (Company)
BEST DIRECTOR
RICHARD EYRE - King Lear (Cottesloe, NT)
ROBERT ALLEN ACKERMAN (When She Danced) ~ MICHAEL BLAKEMORE (City of Angels)
STEPHEN DALDREY (An Inspector Calls) ~ HOWARD DAVIES (The Iceman Cometh)
DECLAN DONNELLAN (Angels in America) ~ DECLAN DONNELLAN (Sweeney Todd)
RICHARD EYRE (John Gabriel Borkman) ~ RICHARD EYRE (Racing Demon)
RICHARD EYRE (Richard III) ~ JONATHAN KENT (Ivanov)
JONATHAN KENT (Medea) ~ PATRICK MARBER (Closer)
PATRICK MASON (Dancing at Lughnasa) ~ SAM MENDES (Assassins)
SAM MENDES (Othello) ~ TREVOR NUNN (The Merchant of Venice)
ANTHONY PAGE (Absolute Hell) ~ ANTHONY PAGE (Three Tall Women)
IAN RICKSON (The Weir, Duke of Yorks)
BEST DESIGNER
IAN MacNEIL - An Inspector Calls (Aldwych)
SETSU ASAKURA (Tango At The End of Winter, Piccadilly)
HILDEGARD BECHTLER (The Merchant of Venice)
STEPHEN BRIMSON LEWIS (Les Parents Terribles) ~ BOB CROWLEY (The Iceman Cometh)
BOB CROWLEY (King Lear) ~ BOB CROWLEY (The Night of The Iguana)
BOB CROWLEY (Racing Demon) ~ BOB CROWLEY (Richard III)
BOB CROWLEY (When She Danced) ~ JOHN GUNTER / DEIRDRE CLANCY (Absolute Hell)
TIM HATLEY (Suddenly Last Summer) ~ RICHARD HOOVER (Not About Nightingales)
JEREMY HERBERT (The Lights, Royal Court) ~ JOHN NAPIER (Sunset Boulevard)
NICK OMEROD (Sweeney Todd) ~ MARK THOMPSON (The Wind In The Willows, Old Vic)
ROBIN WAGNER (City of Angels) ~ ANTHONY WARD (John Gabriel Brokman)
ANTHONY WARD (Othello)
BEST LIGHTING
JEAN KALMAN - King Lear (Cottesloe, NT)
NICK CHELTON (The Rehearsal, Almeida) ~ PAULE CONSTABLE (The Weir)
TREVOR DAWSON (Dancing at Lughnasa) ~ ARDEN FINGERHUT (When She Danced)
RICK FISHER (An Inspector Calls) ~ RICK FISHER (Medea)
PAUL GALLO (City of Angels) ~ MARK HENDERSON (Absolute Hell)
MARK HENDERSON (The Iceman Cometh) ~ MARK HENDERSON (John Gabriel Borkman)
MARK HENDERSON (Les Parents Terribles) ~ MICK HUGHES (Sweeney Todd)
JEAN KALMAN (The Night of The Opera) ~ JEAN KALMAN (Richard III)
PETER MUMFORD (The Merchant of Venice) ~ CHRIS PARRY (Not About Nightingales)
PAUL PYANT (Assassins) ~ PAUL PYANT (Othello)
PAUL PYANT (Talking Heads)
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
ANN REINKING / BOB FOSSE - Chicago (Adelphi)
CHARLES AUGINS (Five Guys Named Moe) ~ TERRY JOHN BATES (Dancing at Lughasa)
MATTHEW BOURNE (Deadly Serious) ~ MATTHEW BOURNE (Highland Fling)
MATTHEW BOURNE (The Percys of Fitzrovia/The Infernal Gallop)
JONATHAN BUTTERELL (Nine) ~ ALETTA COLLINS (Honk!)
PETER DARLING (Oh What A Lovely War!)
LAURA DEAN, CHARLES MOULTON, MARGO SAPPINGTON (Billboards, Festival Hall)
LINDSAY DOLAN (Show Boat) ~ STUART HOPPS (Carmen Jones)
WAYNE McGREGOR (A Little Night Music) ~ KENNETH McMILLAN (Carousel)
JOEY McNEELY (Smokey Joe's Cafe) ~ KENN OLDFIELD (The Boys From Syracuse)
WALTER PAINTER (City of Angels) ~ VINCENT PATERSON (Kiss of The Spider Woman)
DAVID TOGURI (Guys and Dolls) ~ TOMMY TUNE (Grand Hotel)
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