Ruth Wilson and Elton John among the star-studded cast celebrating stage talent at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards
Andrew Scott collected the Best Actor award while British director Sam Mendes received special honour
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Your support makes all the difference.Tom Hiddleston, Jenna Coleman, David Tennant and Ruth Wilson were among the star-studded guests taking to the red carpet at the 67th Evening Standard Theatre Awards on Sunday evening (19 November).
The glamorous ceremony, held in Claridge’s Hotel in central London, honoured the finest of stage talent, with many notable names collecting prizes.
For the second time, Andrew Scott was awarded the Best Actor gong, for his role in the radical one-man show Vanya which received critical acclaim during its six-week run at the Duke of York’s Theatre.
Co-stars Patsy Ferran and Anjana Vasan were jointly awarded the Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress for their performances in A Streetcar Named Desire, while the Best Play was given to The Motive and the Cue by Jack Thorne.
It was performed at the National Theatre but is due to be transferred to the Noel Coward Theatre this December, with its director Sam Mendes also awarded the Lebedev Award for his contribution to theatre.
The event, hosted by the newspaper’s proprietor Lord Lebedev with the help of Ian McKellen, was presented by Susan Wokoma. Among those presenting the awards were Hayley Atwell, Boy George and Paloma Faith, while guests enjoyed champagne, vodka cocktails and musical entertainment.
Elton John received a special Editor’s Award for bringing his collaborative spirit to the world of musical theatre, while Ruth Wilson received the same award for her performance in The Second Women at the Young Vic.
The 24-hour production saw Ms Wilson sat within a glass box as she offered variations on the same scene with 100 different partners, often improvising and changing character.
Meanwhile, the Best Musical went to the Bridge Theatre’s blockbuster Guys & Dolls which was nominated for four other Awards on the night, while Tatenda Shamiso won the Emerging Talent for NOI.D. at the Royal Court.
Founded in 1955, the ceremony is the UK’s oldest drama awards, with Richard Burton first winning the Best Actor title for his role in the Shakespearean history play Henry V.
Lord Lebedev, a shareholder of The Independent and Evening Standard, said: “I am proud to have hosted so many people at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards tonight, all of whom are testament to the resilience of the West End, and the resurrection of the London stage after several challenging years.”
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