| Play of the Year | Musical of the Year |
|---|
- Children of a Lesser God by Mark Medoff – Albery
- Passion Play by Peter Nichols – RSC at the Aldwych
- Translations by Brian Friel – National Theatre Lyttelton
- Quartermaine's Terms by Simon Gray – Queen's
| - Cats – New London
- Barnum – London Palladium
- One Mo' Time – Cambridge
- The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas – Theatre Royal Drury Lane
|
| Comedy of the Year |
|---|
- Steaming by Nell Dunn – Comedy
- Anyone for Denis by John Wells – Whitehall
- Can't Pay? Won't Pay! by Dario Fo – Criterion
- On the Razzle by Tom Stoppard – National Theatre Lyttelton
|
| Actor of the Year in a Revival | Actress of the Year in a Revival |
|---|
- Daniel Massey as Jack Tanner in Man and Superman – National Theatre Olivier
- Warren Mitchell as Davies in The Caretaker – National Theatre Lyttelton
- David Suchet as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice – RSC at the Aldwych
- John Wood as Sir John Brute in The Provoked Wife – National Theatre Lyttelton
| - Margaret Tyzack as Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf – National Theatre Lyttelton
- Sinéad Cusack as Evadne in The Maid's Tragedy – RSC at the Warehouse
- Rosemary Harris as Kate Keller in All My Sons – Wyndham's
- Penelope Wilton as Ann Whitefield in Man and Superman – National Theatre Olivier
|
| Actor of the Year in a New Play | Actress of the Year in a New Play |
|---|
- Trevor Eve as James Leeds in Children of a Lesser God – Albery
- Edward Fox as St. John Quartermaine in Quartermaine's Terms – Queen's
- James Grout as Henry Windscape in Quartermaine's Terms – Queen's
- Karl Johnson in Television Times – RSC at the Warehouse
| - Elizabeth Quinn as Sarah Norman in Children of a Lesser God – Albery
- Eileen Atkins as Nell in Passion Play – RSC at the Aldwych
- Janet Dale as May in The Accrington Pals – RSC at the Warehouse
- Maggie Smith as Virginia Woolf in Virginia – Theatre Royal Haymarket
|
| Actor of the Year in a Musical | Actress of the Year in a Musical |
|---|
- Michael Crawford as P. T. Barnum in Barnum – London Palladium
- Brian Blessed as Old Deuteronomy in Cats – New London
- Henderson Forsythe as Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas – Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- Wayne Sleep as Mr. Mistoffolees in Cats – New London
| - 'Carlin Glynn as Mona Stangley in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas – Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- Petula Clark as Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music – Apollo Victoria
- Patricia Hodge as Nancy Mitford in The Mitford Girls – Globe
- Sylvia Kumba Williams as Big Bertha Williams in One Mo' Time – Cambridge
|
| Comedy Performance of the Year |
|---|
- Rowan Atkinson as Himself in Rowan Atkinson in Revue – Globe
- Georgina Hale as Josie in Steaming – Comedy
- Donald Sinden as Garry Essendine in Present Laughter – Vaudeville
- Angela Thorne as Margaret Thatcher in Anyone for Denis – Whitehall
|
| Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role | Actress of the Year in a Supporting Role |
|---|
- Joe Melia as Maurice in Good – RSC at the Warehouse
- Tony Church as Polonius in Hamlet – RSC at the Aldwych
- Norman Rodway as Seuman Shields in The Shadow of a Gunman – RSC at the Warehouse
- Tom Wilkinson as Horatio in Hamlet – RSC at the Aldwych
| - Gwen Watford as Monica Reed in Present Laughter – Vaudeville
- Brenda Bruce as Nurse in Romeo and Juliet – RSC at the Aldwych
- Sinéad Cusack as Celia in As You Like It – RSC at the Aldwych
- Gwen Taylor as Queen Gertrude in Hamlet – Ambassadors
|
| Most Promising Newcomer of the Year in Theatre |
|---|
- Alice Krige as Raina Petkoff in Arms and the Man – Lyric
- Catherine Hall as Gemma in Naked Robots – RSC at the Warehouse
- Jeremy Nicholas for writing and performing as Various in Three Men in a Boat – Mayfair
- Eric Peterson as Billy Bishop in Billy Bishop Goes to War – Comedy
|
| Director of the Year | Designer of the Year |
|---|
- Peter Wood for On the Razzle – National Theatre Lyttelton
- Donald McWhinnie for Translations – National Theatre Lyttelton
- Trevor Nunn for Cats – New London
- Harold Pinter for Quartermaine's Terms – Queen's
| - Carl Toms for The Provoked Wife – National Theatre Lyttelton
- Eileen Diss for Measure for Measure – National Theatre Lyttelton
- John Napier for Cats – New London
- Saul Radomsky for Tonight at 8.30 – Lyric
|
| Outstanding Achievement of the Year in a Musical |
|---|
- Gillian Lynne for choreographing Cats – New London
- Vernel Bagneris for directing and writing One Mo' Time – Cambridge
- The staging of Barnum – London Palladium
- The style and design of The Mitford Girls – Globe
|
| Outstanding Achievement of the Year in Ballet | Outstanding First Achievement of the Year in Ballet |
|---|
- Forgotten Land, Stuttgart Ballet – London Coliseum
- Dances of Albion, The Royal Ballet – Royal Opera House
- Death and the Maiden, London Contemporary Dance Theatre – Sadler's Wells
- Night Moves, The Royal Ballet – Sadler's Wells
| - Bryony Brind in Dances of Albion, The Royal Ballet – Royal Opera House
- Stephen Beagley for work in new productions, The Royal Ballet – Royal Opera House
- Michael Clark for work in new productions, Ballet Rambert – Sadler's Wells
- Ashley Page in Isadora, The Royal Ballet – Royal Opera House
|
| Outstanding Achievement in Opera | Outstanding First Achievement of the Year in Opera |
|---|
- Les contes d'Hoffmann, The Royal Opera – Royal Opera House
- Die Frau ohne Schatten, Welsh National Opera – Dominion
- Lulu, The Royal Opera – Royal Opera House
- Samson et Delilah, The Royal Opera – Royal Opera House
| - Anne Mackay in The Gypsy Princess – Sadler's Wells
- Helen Field in The Cunning Little Vixen – Dominion
- Claire Powell in Les contes d'Hoffmann, The Royal Opera – Royal Opera House
- David Wilson-Johnson in The Lighthouse – Sadler's Wells
|
The following 18 productions, including one ballet and one opera, received multiple nominations: