The Stage Debut Awards, in partnership with Netflix, has revealed its 2026 shortlist, and Irish eyes will be firmly on Brendan Gleeson, nominated for his stage return in THE WEIR, one of the most quietly devastating Irish plays of the modern era. The Oscar-nominated actor’s inclusion on this list is a reminder that even at the height of a screen career defined by films like THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN and THE GUARD, Gleeson remains drawn back to the stage, and to material that demands the kind of raw, ghost-story intimacy that THE WEIR has built its reputation on. His nomination sits among a shortlist that spans eight categories and celebrates emerging and returning talent across the West End, regional theatres, touring productions and fringe venues throughout the UK.

Stranger Things star Sadie Sink and actor Noah Jupe earned nods for their West End debuts in ROMEO AND JULIET, while BAFTA and Tony winner Ralph Fiennes was recognised for stepping behind the curtain as director on AS YOU LIKE IT at Theatre Royal Bath. But it is Gleeson’s presence on this list that resonates most for anyone tracking Irish theatrical heritage on a global stage, a nod to a career that has always kept one foot in the raw, unglamorous power of live performance even as Hollywood came calling. Voting for Best West End Debut Performer is open now to the public and closes on 13 September, ahead of the winners being announced at the ninth annual ceremony on 27 September at 8 Northumberland Avenue in London.