Northampton’s Royal & Derngate nominated for theatre of the year at The Stage Awards 2022

The Royal & Derngate has been nominated for a national theatre of the year award.

A Northampton theatre has been nominated for a prestigious, national theatre of the year award.

Royal & Derngate has been recognised for its work throughout 2021, reopening after the pandemic closure with acclaimed shows including original musical Gin Craze! and taking Ralph Fiennes in Four Quartets to the West End.

It has also been noted for launching a new three year partnership with the National Youth Theatre and re-imagining its education, community and outreach programme, both online and in-person.

Artistic director, James Dacre, said: “It’s a heartening end to a really challenging year to be shortlisted for the theatre of the year award.

“We’re truly proud to work with such remarkable colleagues and collaborators and hugely grateful to our amazing audiences and artists for their enduring support as we continue to weather the storm.”

The other nominees for the award are Battersea Arts Centre, Donmar Warehouse, Lyric Theatre Belfast, Marlowe Theatre Canterbury and Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

Royal & Derngate chief executive, Jo Gordon, added: “This nomination cites some of the many projects that we’ve been lucky enough to have led on, but what it can’t capture is the tsunami of support from our Northamptonshire audiences, our funders, the artists we’ve worked with, our industry and the local partners and friends who have made it all possible and to whom we are truly grateful.

“It’s still a tough time for theatre and we are thinking of everyone trying to get back to doing what they do best, against impossible odds, doing brilliant and courageous work.”

Now in its twelfth year, The Stage Awards has, for the first time, merged the regional and London theatre of the year categories to create a single ‘theatre of the year’ award.

The winner of each category will be announced at the awards ceremony on Monday January 31, 2022 at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London.

Royal & Derngate was previously named regional theatre of the year in 2011.