Evening Standard Theatre Awards winners announced

The winners of the 62nd London Evening Standard Theatre Awards have been announced at a ceremony at London’s Old Vic Theatre. Evening Standard owner Evgeny Lebedev co-hosted this year’s awards alongside Sir Elton John. The ceremony was presented by Rob Brydon.
 
Thirteen awards which recognised excellence in theatre and beyond over the last year were given. Ralph Fiennes won Best Actor for both The Master Builder and Richard III, despite stiff competition from Ian McKellen, Kenneth Branagh, James McArdle and O-T Fagbenle.
 
Billie Piper was named Best Actress for Yerma, triumphing over Noma Dumezweni,Helen McCrory and Sophie Melville, who were all shortlisted for the award presented in memory of the late Natasha Richardson.
 
Harry Potter And The Cursed Child won one of the three awards it was shortlisted for, picking up the award for Best Play, which was co-written by Jack Thorne, JK Rowling and John Tiffany.
 
Three special awards were also given. His Royal Highness, The Duke of Cambridge, presented the first award of the evening, the Beyond Theatre award, to Sir David Attenborough for his outstanding contribution to broadcasting. Sir Kenneth Branagh was recipient of this year’s Lebedev Award for his Garrick season, and the efforts of Good Chance Theatre in Calais, founded by British playwrights Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, were recognised by the Editor’s Award.
 
From the musical Dreamgirls, opening at the Savoy Theatre next month, Glee star Amber Riley entertained guests with a performance of ‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going’. One of Riley’s co-stars in the show, Tyrone Huntley, was presented with the Emerging Talent Award, given in partnership with Burberry by Sir Elton John, for his earlier role in Jesus Christ Superstar.
 
Among guests for the evening were Mark Rylance, Glenn Close, James McAvoy, Dominic Cooper, Elizabeth Debicki, Salma Hayek, Tom Hollander, John Malkovich, Ian McKellen, Tuppence Middleton, Orlando Bloom, Sir Michael Gambon, Helen McCrory, Dame Joan Collins, Dominic Cooper, Clara Paget, Kristin Scott Thomas, Dame Eileen Atkins, Dame Maggie Smith, Sir Patrick andLady Stewart.  
 
The winners of the thirteen awards for the 62nd London Evening Standard Theatre Awards are as follows:
 
•         BEST ACTOR
Ralph Fiennes                  
The Master Builder (Old Vic) & Richard III (Almeida)
 
•         NATASHA RICHARDSON AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS
Billie Piper
Yerma (Young Vic)
 
•         BEST PLAY WITH HISCOX, OFFICIAL ARTS PARTNER
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Co-written by Jack Thorne, JK Rowling & John Tiffany (Palace)
 
•         BEST MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
Glenn Close
Sunset Boulevard (Coliseum)
 
•         Evening Standard Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical
Jesus Christ Superstar                   
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
 
•         MILTON SHULMAN AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR
John Malkovich               
Good Canary (Rose Kingston)
 
•         BEST REVIVAL
No Man’s Land
Wyndham’s (dir Sean Mathias)
 
•         BEST DESIGN
Gareth Fry with Pete Malkin (sound design)
The Encounter (Edinburgh International Festival/Barbican)
 
•         CHARLES WINTOUR AWARD FOR MOST PROMISING PLAYWRIGHT
Charlene James                
Cuttin’ It (Young Vic/Royal Court)
 
•         EMERGING TALENT AWARD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BURBERRY
Tyrone Huntley                
Jesus Christ Superstar (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre)
 
•         BEYOND THEATRE
Sir David Attenborough
For his contribution to broadcasting
 
•         EDITOR’S AWARD
Good Chance Theatre
 
•         LEBEDEV AWARD
Sir Kenneth Branagh
For his Plays at the Garrick