Maria Winner Takes Newcomer Award

The Sound Of Music and a cast of wicked witches have scooped a host of theatre awards.

Connie Fisher won most promising newcomer at the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards for her performance as singing nun Maria. Andrew Lloyd Webber's revival of The Sound Of Music was awarded the prize for best musical revival. And How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, the BBC talent show which turned Fisher into a West End star, was named theatre event of the year.

Wicked, the story of the witches from the Wizard Of Oz, triumphed with four awards. It was named best new musical, while Idina Menzel won best actress in a musical for her role as the Wicked Witch of the West and Miriam Margolyes scooped best supporting actress in a musical. The show, which transferred to the West End from Broadway in September, also won an award for best set design.

Other winners include Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey, named best actor for his leading role in Eugene O'Neill's A Moon For The Misbegotten; and Oscar nominee Dame Judi Dench, for her role in Noel Coward's Hay Fever.

These are the only major theatre awards decided entirely by the public. More than 12,000 theatregoers cast their vote.

The Sound Of Music was overlooked in the nominations for next week's Laurence Olivier Awards and Lord Lloyd Webber was criticised for choosing his leading lady via a TV talent show. But the theatre impresario said he was delighted with the trio of prizes.

"When you try something new in theatre, there are always those who will criticise and How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? was no exception," he said. "But the whole experience has been so worthwhile. Not only have we achieved our goal of finding a new star for The Sound Of Music, but so many of the finalists have gone on to secure their first professional roles in musical theatre as a direct result of the show. I am hugely proud of the talent the show unearthed and of the fact that we showcased musical theatre in front of millions of TV viewers every week."

Wicked's executive producer Michael McCabe said he was "thrilled" with the show's success, adding: "It is very exciting that Wicked has been honoured by the theatregoing public whose support of, and reaction to, the show has been so incredible from the outset."

Spacey's tenure at the Old Vic has been a troubled one and critics have been underwhelmed by many of the London theatre's productions. But theatregoers have chosen him as best actor for the second year running. He said: "It's very gratifying for me personally to receive this award, but even more so for us as a company because it represents an entire production."

Tom Stoppard's Rock 'N' Roll won best new play and a best director award for Trevor Nunn. Tim Curry was named best actor in a musical for his comic performance as King Arthur in Spamalot. And there were also wins for Patrick Swayze (best takeover in a role for Guys And Dolls) and Patrick Stewart (best solo performance for A Christmas Carol).