Layton Williams puts on a VERY animated display as he leads the winners alongside leggy Cush Jumbo and Dame Imelda Staunton at the star-studded WhatsOnStage Awards

Layton Williams put on a very animated display as he led the winners at the star-studded WhatsOnStage Awards at London's Palladium on Sunday evening. 

The actor, 30, posed energetically with his trophy after being honoured with the Best Take Over Performance award for his role at the MC in Cabaret.

Layton couldn't contain his excitement after nabbing the gong and posed up a storm alongside fellow honouree Cush Jumbo, 39.

The gorgeous actress, who stunned in a leggy black mini dress, accepted the award for Best Play Revival for Macbeth, in which she plays Lady Macbeth.

Cush also took to the stage on behalf of co-star David Tennant, 53, who was awarded Best Performer In A Play for his role in the Shakespeare tragedy. 

Meanwhile Dame Imelda Staunton, 69, won her third WhatsOnStage award after being crowned Best Performer In A Musical for her critically acclaimed role in Hello Dolly!.

But the biggest winner on the night was Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express  scooping an impressive total of seven awards.

It comes just a week after it was revealed David and Cush's West End production of Macbeth was cancelled on multiple occasions last year because the cast caught swine flu. 

Theatregoers hoping to see the Doctor Who actor as Shakespeare's Scottish anti-hero were left disappointed at the end of last year when four performances were scrapped due to 'company illness'. 

Now, actor Cal MacAninch, who played Banquo in the tragedy, has revealed the cast including David were hit by a bout of swine flu. 

Cal- who starred in period dramas Downton Abbey and Mr Selfridge - said they should have been more 'respectful' about the infamous 'curse of Macbeth'.  

According to the superstition, saying the play's name inside a theatre - other than when rehearsing or performing - is bad luck, so it is often nicknamed 'the Scottish play'.

The curse is said to have caused all manner of toil and trouble for productions of Macbeth over the years - and at their peril, the actor said they did not adhere to the curse's superstitions. 

And with this one ravaged by a virus, it seems the cast could have done with taking Lady Macbeth's famous words as she washes her hands, 'Out, damned spot', more literally. 

The Time Lord starred as Macbeth alongside Olivier-nominated Cush, as the West End from October to December 2024. 

It followed a sold-out, two-month stint at the Donmar Warehouse in Covent Garden earlier in the year. 

Four shows had to be cancelled at the Harold Pinter Theatre, with the only explanation at the time that the cast was ill.

Fans were furious in the comments section of an Instagram post from the theatre announcing the cancellation, with one saying: 'I am all for the actors taking care of themselves but cancelling 1.5 hours beforehand is a bit rude.' 

Another expressed frustration about having already spent money on travel, accommodation and food: 'We came to tonight's performance from Lyon [in France]. 

'Shame they didn't announce the cancellation at least a bit earlier in the day... Now we just wasted time and money for an empty evening in London... 

'Maybe we could have got to see something else.' 

Scottish actor Cal said he adhered to 'none' of the superstitions of the curse of Macbeth. 

The 61-year-old told the BBC Radio 4 Loose Ends podcast: 'The idea of the curse on the play, It was quite a physical show and [during] part of the sequence, I landed awkwardly and my hip swelled up.

'They had to take me to A&E and I couldn't do the show the next day. The next day, David's voice starts to go. And he gets a fever overnight. Then Lady Macbeth goes down on the Friday'.

'Then Macduff goes down on the Saturday. Then the porter goes down on the Sunday. They all had swine flu as it turned out.'

'We had to cancel the Friday, two shows on Saturday and the Monday. On the Tuesday, five understudies went on.

 'So in terms of the curse of the play, maybe we should have been more respectful.'

The theatre said in social media announcements at the time: 'Your ticket provider will be in contact with you in the next few days regarding your tickets. 

'We're very sorry and thank you for understanding.'