Jodie Comer is to be the first recipient of the Outstanding Achievement in British Theatre Award, which UK Theatre will present at its awards ceremony on Monday 12 October in recognition of her UK and Ireland tour of Prima Facie.
UK Theatre has introduced a new award this year, and it has made a point of tying the very first presentation to touring. Jodie Comer is named as the inaugural recipient of the Outstanding Achievement in British Theatre Award for returning to Prima Facie, Suzie Miller’s one-woman play, and taking it around the UK and Ireland this year. She will receive it at the UK Theatre Awards 2026, sponsored by Encore, which La Voix hosts at 8 Northumberland Avenue on Monday 12 October.
The citation is as much about where the production went as about the performance itself. UK Theatre singles out Comer’s commitment to bringing the play to venues across the country, arguing that the tour put live theatre in front of new audiences and made the case for acclaimed work being seen outside London as well as in it.
It is a role that has already served her well. Her performance in Prima Facie, which marked her West End debut, won the Olivier Award in London and the Tony Award on Broadway, and alongside them she holds an Emmy and two BAFTAs. Between its stage runs and the National Theatre Live broadcasts, the production has now reached more than 1.2 million people worldwide.
Comer said: “I’m incredibly honoured to receive the inaugural Outstanding Achievement in British Theatre Award. Prima Facie has been such a huge part of my life, and taking the production on tour has been one of the most special experiences of my career. There’s something so unique about sharing live theatre with audiences in different communities and seeing the impact the story can have in each venue.”
She also thanked everyone who had supported the production and made the tour possible, singling out James Bierman at Empire Productions “for having the passion and ingenuity to make the idea a reality”. “To have our journey recognised in this way is a real privilege, and I’m hugely thankful,” she added.
The same evening will see the competitive UK Theatre Awards presented, celebrating work staged around the country over the past year; the nominees were announced in September.
