A pair of Hamlets and an Othello are going head to head in the contest to win the Whatsonstage Best Shakespearean Production Theatregoers’ Choice for 2010 which has been sponsored by Shakespeare 4 Kidz.

S4K have been touring musical adaptations of the Bard’s best-loved works for 13 years and were delighted to be able to sponsor the category. The nominees were announced at a glittering and star-studded party at London’s Café de Paris.

Lenny Henry was there to hear that his performance as Othello at Trafalgar Studios 1, which has already won him an award as best newcomer, is one of the six shows vying for the accolade.

A brace of Hamlets are in the running as well: David Tennant for the RSC at the Novello and Jude Law for Donmar West End at Wyndham’s.
Also nominated are All’s Well That Ends Well at the National Theatre Olivier, The Winter’s Tale at the Old Vic and Twelfth Night also for Donmar West End at Wyndham’s.

Among the stars announcing the nominations was James Earl Jones, currently appearing as Big Daddy in the all black revival of Tennessee Williams’ masterpiece Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Novello. Patina Miller, who stars in Sister Act, was part of the sizzling cabaret.
And spotted in the throng of celebs at the party were Jason Donovan, Alison Steadman, Roger Allam, Roger Lloyd Pack, David Harewood, Alistair McGowan and Timothy West with his wife Prunella Scales.

The Whatsonstage.com Awards, the “theatregoers’ choice”, are the only major theatre awards in which the audience are the judges across all 20+ categories.

The awards shortlists - covering the best of London theatre (and a bit beyond) - are drawn up with the help of thousands of theatregoers who log on to nominate their favourites. Names of the winners will be announced on Sunday 14 February 2010 (Happy Valentine’s Day!) at the West End’s Prince of Wales Theatre.

For more information and to vote click on www.whatsonstage.com