Shortlists have been announced for the 65th annual Evening Standard Theatre Awards ceremony, which will take place on Sunday 24 November 2019 at the London Coliseum.
Across nine award categories, the shortlist features the biggest names and emerging talents from the London stage over the last twelve months. Among the contenders are some strong commercial hits that have transferred or are about to move onto the West End or Broadway – including Betrayal, Fiddler on the Roof, The Son, Sweat and, opening tonight at the West End’s Piccadilly Theatre after its sell-out run at the Young Vic, Death of a Salesman.
Dame Maggie Smith is in the running for the Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress, given in partnership with Christian Louboutin. She has previously won the Best Actress at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards four times and is this year shortlisted for her performance as Goebbels’ secretary in A German Life. Cecilia Noble is shortlisted for performances in two new plays at the National Theatre: Downstate and Faith, Hope and Charity. Completing the line-up for Best Actress are Juliet Stevenson in The Doctor at the Almeida, Hayley Atwell in Ian Rickson’s production of Rosmersholm and Anjana Vasan in A Doll’s House at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre.
For their performances in Downstate, K Todd Freeman and Francis Guinan are both separately shortlisted for Best Actor, given in partnership with the Ambassador Theatre Group. Also competing in this category is Andrew Scott for his performance in a gender-switched version of Noel Coward’s autobiographical comedy, Present Laughter. After winning Best Actor for Coriolanus in 2014, Tom Hiddleston has been shortlisted again this year for his role in Betrayal at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Completing the shortlist for Best Actor is Wendell Pierce for his performance as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman.
Contenders for Best Play, given in partnership with Chanel, include three female writers: Caryl Churchill for Glass. Kill. Bluebeard. Imp, debbie tucker green for ear for eye and Lynn Nottage for Sweat. Also competing is Bruce Norris for Downstate at the National Theatre.
Three women also compete for the Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright. Zoe Cooper with Out Of Water, Yasmin Joseph for J’Ouvert, and Jasmine Lee-Jones with seven methods of killing kylie jenner are all in the running, along with Ross Willis’ Wolfie.
Co-directors Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell are shortlisted for the Milton Shulman Award for Best Director for their version of Death of a Salesman, set among Brooklyn’s black middle class. Elliott won this category last year for her revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Company. Also competing is Jamie Lloyd for his revival of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal and Robert Icke with two productions at the Almeida, The Doctor and The Wild Duck.
Musical newcomer Anne-Marie Duff and musical veteran Sheridan Smith compete for Best Musical Performance in Sweet Charity and Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, respectively. They are up against Andy Nyman in Trevor Nunn’s revival of Fiddler On The Roof.
In partnership with Access Entertainment, the Emerging Talent Award recognises the rising stars of tomorrow. The contenders are Shiloh Coke in Chiaroscuro, Laurie Kynaston for his performance in The Son, Grace Molony in The Watsons and Bobby Stallwood in Faith, Hope and Charity.
Evening Standard Editor, George Osborne commented:
“The London theatre scene continues to thrive and the Evening Standard Theatre Awards recognises and celebrates the talent from the rising stars of tomorrow to best directors and actresses. There have been so many incredible theatre performances this year and we look forward to the award ceremony to unveil the outstanding achievements.”
The winners will be announced on Sunday 24 November 2019 at an awards ceremony, held at the London Coliseum with headline sponsor Michael Kors. The Evening Standard Theatre Awards are hosted by the newspaper’s proprietor Evgeny Lebedev, with co-hosts Dame Anna Wintour, Editor in Chief of American Vogue and Artistic Director and Global Content Advisor of Condé Nast, Damian Lewis, Helen McCrory and this year’s presenter Cush Jumbo.
Full 2019 Awards shortlists
Best Actor
- K. Todd Freeman – Downstate, National Theatre (Dorfman)
- Francis Guinan – Downstate, National Theatre (Dorfman)
- Tom Hiddleston – Betrayal, Harold Pinter Theatre
- Wendell Pierce – Death of a Salesman, Young Vic & Piccadilly
- Andrew Scott – Present Laughter, Old Vic Theare
Best Actress
- Hayley Atwell – Rosmersholm, Duke of York’s Theatre
- Cecilia Noble – Downstate, National Theatre (Dorfman) & Faith, Hope and Charity, National Theatre (Dorfman)
- Dame Maggie Smith – A German Life, Bridge Theatre
- Juliet Stevenson – The Doctor, Almeida Theatre
- Anjana Vasan – A Doll’s House, Lyric Hammersmith
Best Play
- Downstate – by Bruce Norris, National Theatre (Dorfman)
- ear for eye – by debbie tucker green, Royal Court
- Glass. Kill. Bluebeard. Imp. – by Caryl Churchill, Royal Court
- Sweat – by Lynn Nottage, Donmar Warehouse & Gielgud Theatre
Best Director
- Marianne Elliott & Miranda Cromwell – Death of a Salesman, Young Vic & Piccadilly
- Robert Icke – The Doctor, Almeida & The Wild Duck, Almeida
- Jamie Lloyd – Betrayal, Harold Pinter Theatre
Best Musical
- Come From Away – Phoenix Theatre
- Evita – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
- Fiddler on the Roof – Menier Chocolate Factory & Playhouse
- Sweet Charity – Donmar Warehouse
Best Musical Performance
- Anne-Marie Duff – Sweet Charity, Donmar Warehouse
- Andy Nyman – Fiddler on the Roof, Menier Chocolate Factory & Playhouse
- Sheridan Smith – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Palladium
Best Design
- Appropriate – Fly Davis, Donmar Warehouse
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Bunny Christie, Bridge
- A Very Expensive Poison – Tom Scutt, Old Vic
Most Promising Playwright
- Zoe Cooper – Out of Water, Orange Tree Theatre
- Yasmin Joseph – J’Ouvert, Theatre503
- Jasmine Lee-Jones – seven methods of killing kylie jenner, Royal Court
- Ross Willis – Wolfie, Theatre503
Emerging Talent Award
- Shiloh Coke – Chiaroscuro, Bush
- Laurie Kynaston – The Son, Kiln & Gielgud
- Grace Molony – The Watsons, Chichester & Menier Chocolate Factory
- Bobby Stallwood – Faith, Hope and Charity, National Theatre (Dorfman)