This is a bit more of a mixed bag - but beneath the cut you will find my choices for Best Direction, Best New Writing, Best Fight Choreography, Best Theatre/Company, Best Front of House (I'm including advertising/media here as it's all linked together for me) and my prize for the moment of theatrical magic that made me gasp most so far this year:
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Best Direction - Rupert Goold, Merchant of Venice (Royal Shakespeare Theatre)
Each of the three director's I've chosen here has been at the top of the list at some point during the last few days and I'm still not entirely certain that tomorrow I'll still agree with my choice but tonight I've got to go for Rupert Goold - the incredible transformation of the play's setting shouldn't work but utterly does. All the clever little touches shine through and the ending manages to be utterly, surprisingly and perfectly shattering.
Runners Up:
* Michael Boyd, Macbeth (Royal Shakespeare Theatre) - This was another RSC production driven by ideas and it left me shuddering at the end - the use of the children, the evocation of hell and the doubling of the Porter and Seyton all blew me away.
* Carrie Cracknell - Electra (Gate Theatre) - That the production managed to marry an intensly immersive experience with an almost filmic approach to storytelling to make this a powerful, real experience was magical.
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Best New Writing - Jimmy Grimes, Then The Snow Came (Orange Tree Theatre)
It's difficult to completely understand how the writing of Then The Snow Came occurred - it seems to be a third adaptation, a third devised and a third created by director/writer Jimmy Grimes but it still easily takes the prize for new writing. It managed to marry a deeply moving reality with a sense of magic and fantasy and made me cry - I hope it has further life after it's short run finishes.
Runners Up:
* Vivienne Franzmann, Mogadishu (Lyric Hammersmith) - an incredibly powerful, clever and truthful approach to a sensitive topic.
* Aleksey Scherbak translated by Rory Mullarkey, Remembrance Day (Royal Court) - As with Mogadishu I thought that Remembrance Day managed to span an impressive range of arguments on a difficult topic whilst maintaining a deep emotional core.
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Best Fight Choreography - Chris Main, Three Farces (Orange Tree Theatre)
I always enjoy a good sword fight and the first of the Three Farces, Slasher and Crasher, certainly provided and without even spearing any of the closely packed audience members - on top of which is was delightfully characterful, exciting and incredibly funny. It's hard to resist a fight which involves one character wearing the others trousers as a cape.
Runners Up:
* Georgina Lamb, Electra (Gate Theatre) - I am not sure if Ms. Lamb is the right person to list here but regardless I was stunned by the final moments in Electra - which married moments of blackout with incredible violence.
* Terry King, As You Like It (Globe Theatre) - As well as fitting the Victorian setting of the play perfectly the fight also works incredibly well at winning the audience to Orlando's side and I have never seen it not be greeted by a thrilling roar of approval from the crowd as he wins.
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Best Theatre/Company - Royal Shakespeare Company
I think I'm well known as a fan of the RSC but with the excitement of the new theatre opening, the excellent Open Day and an almost entirely superb repetoire at the moment I couldn't imagine giving this to anyone else.
Runners Up:
* The Globe Theatre - There's something utterly thrilling about just stepping inside the Globe and this year they've already provided us with several amazing productions.
* Orange Tree Theatre - Though I only went to the theatre for the first time a month ago it's rocketed up my list - the space is charming, the staff likewise and I've loved the things I've seen there so far. Plus it's hard not to admire initiatives like the director's showcases.
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Best Front of House - The Globe Theatre
Although the staff at The Globe are always very friendly and helpful (and impressively adept at spotting fainters) - what really won this for me is how well they use both twitter and facebook to interact with their supporters, it's the perfect model of information, snippets, entertainment and person connections. Plus ideas like Adopt-An-Actor are fantastic.
Runners Up:
* Hampstead Theatre - As well as really liking their website, I've always found the Hampstead Theatre staff incredibly friendly and welcoming (and I couldn't resist the joy of watching one of them dancing along at Comedy of Errors recently), though must admit the food isn't to my taste
*Union Theatre - I really love how personal the Union feels, it feels like a family and that's incredibly welcoming as an audience member.
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Moment of Theatre Magic - Frankenstein, Frankenstein's Birth (National Theatre)
Frankenstein truly felt like an event and I still haven't worked out quite how they did some of the effects at the opening, but the birth was a stunning sequence that kept the audience gripped.
Runners Up:
* Cardenio (Swan Theatre) - Fireworks - This probably impressed me far more than it should (though fireworks do that too) but getting to see the beautiful bursts of light exploding above the stage was magical.
* I Am The Wind (Young Vic) - The Boat - I thought the boat worked incredibly well and the moments when it rose and then again disappeared blew me away.
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