The awards event allows national and international theater critics the opportunity to mark the best productions from London's large theater world.

　　This year's Special Award went to the Shakespeare's Globe Theater for its ambitious Globe to Globe season.

　　The Globe to Globe season saw dozens of theater companies from across the world come to the Shakespeare Globe Theater to perform all of Shakespeare's plays in their own languages.

　　The season saw all 37 of Shakespeare's plays performed in the playhouse, a modern recreation of a Shakespeare-era theater which is round and open to the elements and constructed using techniques that would have been around in Shakespeare's day.

　　Included in the season was the National Theater of China, based in Beijing, which performed 'Richard III' in mandarin.

　　Other awards made by the Critics' Circle included Best New Play, 'The Effect' by Lucy Prebble which was performed at the National Theater.

　　The award for Best Shakespearian performance went to Simon Russell Beale in another National Theater production, Timon of Athens.

　　The Young Vic Theater also featured prominently in the awards, with Hattie Morahan winning Best Actress for the Young Vic's production of Henrik Ibsen's 'A Doll's House', and Benedict Andrews winning Best Director for Anton Chekhov's 'Three Sisters.'

　　The Award for Best Musical went to the revival of Stephen Sondheim's 'Merrily We Roll Along' at the Menier Chocolate Factory Theater.

　　The Best Actor award went to Adrian Lester in 'Red Velvet' at the Tricycle Theatre.

　　Lester's award was one half of a remarkable double; his wife Lolita Chakrabarti is the author of 'Red Velvet' and won the Most Promising Playwright Award.