16 July 2020

The Stage Debut Awards in association with Access Entertainment will return in September as a virtual ceremony.

Trafalgar Entertainment is once again proud to be supporting the event and this year is sponsoring the award for Best West End Debut.

The ceremony will take place on 27 September, celebrating the very best breakthrough talent in theatre. The awards ceremony will be streamed on The Stage’s Facebook page at 7pm on 27 September and on The Stage website.

Any actors, directors, designers, writers, composers or lyricists who have made their professional debuts between 1 August, 2019 and 31 July, 2020 in productions reviewed by The Stage are eligible.

The Stage editor Alistair Smith, who is also on the judging panel, said: “2020 has been an extremely difficult year for everyone in theatre, but it has been especially difficult for those looking to establish their careers in a sector that has been decimated by lockdown and the coronavirus pandemic.

“Now, more than ever, we felt it was crucially important to continue to celebrate and champion emerging talent and ensure we can rebuild the best version of our sector possible. Theatre must continue to support and nurture talent from all backgrounds – the current crisis will make it increasingly challenging to enter and sustain a career in the theatre industry.”

He added that the free virtual ceremony “would not have been possible without our sponsors’ generous support”.