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 – Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda)
2nd – The Book of Mormon (Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, Matt Stone)
3rd – Matilda the Musical (Tim Minchin)
4th – Groundhog Day (Tim Minchin)
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 – Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda)
3rd – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Jack Thorne)
4th – Matilda the Musical (Dennis Kelly)
5th – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Simon Stephens)
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 – Hamilton (Jamael Westman as Alexander Hamilton)
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 – Hamilton (Thomas Kail)
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 – Hamilton (The Room Where It Happens)
5th – Matilda the Musical (School Song)
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