Legally Blonde won three awards including best new musical, while the National Theatre's revival of Terence Rattigan's After the Dance collected four awards. Despite being nominated in seven categories, the Phantom sequel Love Never Dies was left empty-handed.
Best Lighting Design went to Neil Austin forThe White Guard at the NT Lyttelton. Also nominated this year were Mark Henderson for After the Dance at the NT Lyttelton; Hugh Vanstone for Deathtrap at the Noel Coward; and Paule Constable for Love Never Dies at the Adelphi. The Award for Best Sound Design went to Adam Cork for King Lear at the Donmar Warehouse. Also nominated were Gareth Owen for End of the Rainbow at the Trafalgar Studios 1; Nick Manning for Ghost Stories at the Duke of York's Theatre and Craig Vear for The Railway Children at the Waterloo Station Theatre. The XL Video Award for Best Set Design went to Bunny Christie, also for The White Guard. Also nominated were Lez Brotherston forDesign for Living at the Old Vic; Miriam Buether for Earthquakes in London at the NT Cottesloe; and Bob Crowley for Love Never Dies at the Adelphi. Best Costume Design went to Hildegard Bechtler for After the Dance at the NT Lyttelton; the other nominees were Lez Brotherston for Design for Living at the Old Vic; Mark Thompson for London Assurance at the NT Olivier and Bob Crowley for Love Never Dies at the Adelphi.
(Lee Baldock)
