The winners of the 2022 Evening Standard Theatre Awards, in association with Garrard were revealed at a dinner last tonight at The Ivy, West End.
Killing Eve star Jodie Comer was awarded the Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress for her West End debut in Prima Facie. Comer’s take on criminal defence barrister Tessa shattered records when it was broadcast on the big screen, becoming the highest-grossing event cinema release, taking in an impressive £4.47 million. The award was presented by close friend and mentor of Jodie, Stephen Graham.
James McAvoy won the Best Actor award for his performance in Cyrano de Bergerac, a radical, rapping remake of Edmond Rostand’s classic play. McAvoy was unable to attend the event, so compere Sheridan Smith picked up the award on his behalf.
The Evening Standard’s 2022 Best Play is awarded to Best of Enemies by James Graham, a fictionalised retelling of the 1968 ABC TV debates between William F. Buckley and Gore Vidal. Zachary Quinto, David Harewood and James Graham were all present to accept the award. A transfixing production of Pearl Cleage’s Blues for an Alabama Sky won Lynette Linton the Milton Shulman Award for Best Director, presented by Josie Rourke and Martha Plimpton.
Nica Burns, co-owner of the Nimax Theatres group, accepted a Special Award presented by Dan Gillespie Sells. This was in recognition of her support of London theatre during the pandemic. One of the first producers to reopen playhouses in a time of critical uncertainty, Burns also unveiled the West End’s first new purpose-built theatre in fifty years this summer.
The second special award of the evening went to legendary actress Dame Vanessa Redgrave, one of the strongest campaigners for financial support to the arts.
Oklahoma!, a transformative production from directors Daniel Fish and Jordan Fein, won Best Musical. Patrick Vaill, who plays Jud Fry, also took home the award for Best Musical Performance.
Tom Scutt was awarded Best Design for his inventive Cabaret set at the Playhouse Theatre. Isobel McArthur was presented with the Emerging Talent Award for Pride & Prejudice (sort of), her pop music-laced adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel.
Red Pitch, a coming-of-age story about gentrification and community, earned Tyrell Williams the Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright. The award comes with a generous donation from Dame Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue, Artistic Director and Global Content Advisor of Condé Nast.
The 66th Evening Standard Theatre Awards was hosted by the Evening Standard’s Proprietor, Evgeny Lebedev, with compere Sheridan Smith presenting the ceremony.
Lord Lebedev says:
“I am delighted to celebrate the best of London theatre together with the talented writers, actors, directors and producers who brought the West End back to life. I am also glad to rekindle one of the paper’s greatest traditions, one I have sorely missed these past pandemic years.”
Actor and Best Actor winner James McAvoy says:
“It’s great to get this award but really it’s down to Jamie and Martin as well and the bravery of this show.”
GUESTS INCLUDED: Lord Lebedev, Sheridan Smith, Dame Vanessa Redgrave, Jodie Comer, Luke Thompson, Ruth Wilson, Layton Williams, Dan Gillespie Sells, Zachary Quinto, Ben Cobb, James Graham, David Harewood, Lynette Linton, Tom Scutt, Jordan Fein, Isobel McArthur, Lucy Davies, Patrick Vaill, Tyrell Williams, Daniel Bailey, Nica Burns, Stephen Graham, Josie Rourke, Martha Plimpton, Jack Lefley, Nick Curtis, Alice Saville, Baz Bamigboye, Matt Wolf and Farah Najib.
This year’s Evening Standard Theatre Awards is in partnership with Garrard. Other event partners include Dolce & Gabbana, Donnafugata, Polestar, Laurent Perrier, Moyses Stevens.
The winners for the 66th Evening Standard Theatre Awards are as follows:
BEST ACTOR
James McAvoy
Cyrano de Bergerac
Harold Pinter Theatre
NATASHA RICHARDSON AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS
Jodie Comer
Prima Facie
Harold Pinter Theatre
BEST PLAY
Best of Enemies
By James Graham
Young Vic Theatre
MILTON SHULMAN AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR
Lynette Linton
Blues for an Alabama Sky
National Theatre
BEST MUSICAL
Oklahoma!
Young Vic Theatre
BEST MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
Patrick Vaill
Oklahoma!
Young Vic Theatre
BEST DESIGN
Tom Scutt
Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
Playhouse Theatre
CHARLES WINTOUR AWARD FOR MOST PROMISING PLAYWRIGHT
Tyrell Williams
Red Pitch
Bush Theatre
EMERGING TALENT AWARD
Isobel McArthur
Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of)
Criterion Theatre
SPECIAL AWARDS
Nica Burns and Dame Vanessa Redgrave
for their outstanding contribution to London theatre
To find out more about the 2022 Evening Standard Theatre Awards, visit here…
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