The winners of the 62nd London Evening Standard Theatre Awards were announced tonight 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, several of whom took to the stage to present awards, 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 and Lady Stewart.
The winners (underlined) of the thirteen awards for the 62nd London Evening Standard Theatre Awards are as follows.
Winners & nominees in the 2016 Evening Standard Theatre Awards
Best Actor
- Sir Kenneth Branagh The Entertainer, Garrick Theatre
- O-T Fagbenle Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, National Theatre, Lyttelton
- Ralph Fiennes The Master Builder/Richard III, Old Vic/Almeida Theatre
- James McArdle Platonov, Chichester Festival Theatre/National Theatre, Olivier
- Ian McKellen No Man’s Land, Wyndham’s Theatre
Best Actress
- Noma Dumezweni Linda, Royal Court, Jerwood Downstairs
- Helen McCrory The Deep Blue Sea, National Theatre, Lyttelton
- Sophie Melville Iphigenia In Splott, National Theatre, Temporary Theatre (a Sherman Theatre production)
- Billie Piper Yerma, Young Vic
Best Musical Performance
- Glenn Close Sunset Boulevard, Coliseum
- Andy Karl Groundhog Day, Old Vic
- Sheridan Smith Funny Girl, Menier Chocolate Factory/Savoy Theatre
Best Play
- Father Comes Home From The Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3) by Suzan-Lori Parks, Royal Court, Jerwood Downstairs
- The Flick by Annie Baker, National Theatre, Dorfman
- Harry Potter And The Cursed Child by Jack Thorne, J K Rowling and John Tiffany, Palace Theatre
Audience Award for Best Musical
- Funny Girl Menier Chocolate Factory/Savoy Theatre
- Groundhog Day Old Vic
- Guys And Dolls Savoy Theatre/Phoenix Theatre
- Jesus Christ Superstar Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
- Our Ladies Of Perpetual Succour National Theatre, Dorfman
- Sunset Boulevard Coliseum
Best Director
- Dominic Cooke Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, National Theatre, Lyttelton
- John Malkovich Good Canary, Rose Theatre Kingston
- John Tiffany Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, Palace Theatre
Best Design
- Jon Bausor You For Me For You, Royal Court, Jerwood Upstairs
- Gareth Fry with Pete Malkin (sound design) The Encounter, Complicite/Edinburgh International Festival/Barbican
- Rob Howell The Master Builder/Groundhog Day, Old Vic
Best Revival
- Les Blancs National Theatre, Olivier
- Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom National Theatre, Lyttelton
- No Man’s Land Wyndham’s Theatre
- Young Chekhov: Platonov, Ivanov and The Seagull Chichester Festival Theatre/National Theatre, Olivier
Most Promising Playwright
- Charlene James Cuttin’ It Young Vic/Royal Court Theatre
- Jon Brittain Rotterdam, Theatre 503/Trafalgar Studios
- David Ireland Cyprus Avenue, Royal Court, Jerwood Upstairs
Emerging Talent Award
- Jaygann Ayeh The Flick, National Theatre, Dorfman
- Anthony Boyle Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, Palace Theatre
- Aoife Duffin A Girl Is A Half-Formed Thing/The Taming Of The Shrew, The Corn Exchange, Dublin and Young Vic/Shakespeare’s Globe Tyrone Huntley Jesus Christ Superstar, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
- Tyrone Huntley Jesus Christ Superstar, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Beyond Theatre Award
- Sir David Attenborough – for his contribution to broadcasting
Editor’s Award
- Good Chance Theatre at The Jungle refugees’ camp in Calais
Lebedev Award
- Sir Kenneth Branagh – for his plays at the Garrick Theatre
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