The Evening Standard’s annual Theatre Award Ceremony took place at the Old Vic Theatre in London in an evening hosted by Rob Brydon. Here is a list of the winners and Love London Love Culture’s thoughts:
Best Actor: James McAvoy for The Ruling Class at the Trafalgar Studios – an undeniably strong performance from the star, whose presence and charisma throughout out the production was electrifying. His second collaboration with Jamie Lloyd, it shows the great working relationship between the pair.
Natasha Richardson Award for best Actress: Nicole Kidman, photograph 51, Noel Coward Theatre – a production that received mixed reviews overall, but filled with plenty of praise for Kidman’s performance proves that she should take to the stage more often.
Best Musical Performance: Imelda Staunton, Gypsy: the Musical, Savoy Theatre/Chichester Festival Theatre – it is rapidly becoming clear that there is very little that Staunton can’t do. The power of her performance in Gypsy is stunning and memorable for all the right reasons – so this award is truly deserved!
Newcomer in a Musical: Gemma Arterton, Made in Dagenham, Adelphi Theatre – it may have been a show that gained a mixed reaction from critics but audiences loved and it is nice to see that Gemma Arterton gets some recognition for her role in the musical.
Beyond Theatre: Alexander McQueen, Savage Beauty – this hugely successful exhibition, which showed at the Victoria and Albert Museum earlier this year has certainly proved one of the unmissable events of the year with hundreds of people flocking to see McQueen’s stunning and unusual creations.
Evening Standard Radio 2 audience award for best musical (voted for by the public): Kinky Boots, Adelphi Theatre – warmly received by audiences and critics alike, this award will certainly mean that this musical deserves to stay in the West End for a long time yet!
Milton Shulman Award for Best Director: Robert Icke, Oresteia, Almeida Theatre & Trafalgar Studios – again, winning praise from critics and the public alike, the Almeida Theatre production was awarded a West End transfer after its huge success at the theatre.
Other awards on the night included:
- Best play: The Mother with the Hat (Stephen Adly Guirgis), National Theatre’s Lyttelton.
- Best design: Anna Fleischle, Hangmen, Royal Court.
- Charles Wintour award for most promising playwright: Molly Davies, God Bless the Child, Royal Court Upstairs.
- Emerging talent award in partnership with Burberry: David Moorst, Violence and Son, Royal Court Upstairs.
- Editor’s award: Vanessa Redgrave.
- Lebedev award: Stephen Sondheim.