Best music:

These shows all have amazing music that stays with you:

1st – The Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber)

2nd – Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky)

3rd – Muse (Drones) (Muse)

4th – Lady Gaga’s ARTPOP Ball (Lady Gaga)

5th – Funny Girl (Jule Styne)

Best lyrics:

These shows all include impressively witty, meaningful, complex or otherwise special song lyrics:

1st – The Book of Mormon (Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, Matt Stone)

2nd – Matilda the Musical (Tim Minchin)

3rd – Groundhog Day (Tim Minchin)

4th – Guys and Dolls (Frank Loesser)

5th – In the Heights (Lin-Manuel Miranda)

Best book or play:

A good book provides the backbone for a musical, and of course in a play the writing is even more important. These shows, in my opinion, display virtuosic writing:

1st – Much Ado about Nothing (Shakespeare)

2nd – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Jack Thorne)

3rd – Matilda the Musical (Dennis Kelly)

4th – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Simon Stephens)

5th – Richard III (Shakespeare)

Best choreography:

Choreography, at its best, elevates a show and adds to the escapism:

1st – Swan Lake (Graeme Murphy)

2nd – 42nd Street (Gower Champion – original choreography; Andy Skinner – choreography)

3rd – La Reve (Cirque du Soleil)

4th – West Side Story (Jerome Robbins)

5th – Chicago (Walter Bobbie)

Best performance:

Standout performances like the following are the kind you never forget, and the kind that lead you to follow that performer to other shows:

1st – Pink (The Truth About Love) (Pink)

2nd – Lady Gaga’s ARTPOP Ball (Lady Gaga)

3rd – Richard III (Kevin Spacey as Richard III)

4th – Matilda the Musical (Bertie Carvel as Miss Trunchbull)

5th – Cabaret (Will Young as the Emcee)

Best direction:

The best directors, like those listed below, put their own stamp on a show without losing any of its magic:

1st – Much Ado about Nothing (Josie Rourke)

2nd – Richard III (Sam Mendes)

3rd – In the Heights (Luke Sheppard)

4th – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Marianne Elliott)

5th – One Man, Two Guvnors (Nicholas Hytner)

Best value:

Going to the theatre or to gigs can be very expensive, so it’s always welcome when shows like the below offer good value for money:

1st – In the Heights

2nd – Rob Delaney (Meat)

3rd – Vanities the Musical

4th – Speed the Plow

5th – Elbow (Cast of Thousands)

Best shows to go to with friends:

These shows are good for a group of friends, and will give you plenty to talk about:

1st – Rob Delaney (Meat)

2nd – Muse (Black Holes and Revelations)

3rd – One Man, Two Guvnors

4th – The Book of Mormon

5th – Legally Blonde

Best for family occasions:

These shows are family-friendly and should be enjoyable for all:

1st – Matilda the Musical

2nd – Singin’ in the Rain

3rd – School of Rock

4th – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

5th – The Lion King

Best for dates:

These shows are either very romantic or offer some great talking points for dates:

1st – La Reve

2nd – Swan Lake

3rd – Funny Girl

4th – Much Ado about Nothing

5th – Singin’ in the Rain

Best venue:

These venues offer something extra or are simply a pleasure to visit:

1st – Wynn Theatre

2nd – Royal Opera House

3rd – Palace Theatre

4th – The O2

5th – Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Best staging:

These shows had staging which made them stand out and displayed the music, play or gig to its best advantage:

1st – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Christine Jones, Jamie Harrison)

2nd – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Bunny Christie)

3rd – Muse (Drones)

4th – Matilda the Musical (Matthew Warchus)

5th – An American in Paris (Bob Crowley)

Best song

These songs are very clever, memorable or moving and stay with you:

1st – Chicago (All That Jazz)

2nd – The Phantom of the Opera (Music of the Night)

3rd – Singin’ in the Rain (Singin’ in the Rain)

4th – Matilda the Musical (School Song)

5th – The Wizard of Oz (Somewhere Over the Rainbow)