2008 Evening Standard Theatre Awards Explained

The Evening Standard Theatre Awards were announced on November 24, 2008.^[1] The longlist was revealed on November 4, 2008 ^[2] and the shortlist on November 7, 2008.^[3]

Winners, shortlist and longlist

= winner

Best Play

Shortlisted

• Black Watch by Gregory Burke (National Theatre of Scotland at the Barbican Theatre)
• Now Or Later by Christopher Shinn (Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Downstairs)
• The Pitmen Painters by Lee Hall (Live Theatre and National Theatre co-production)

Longlisted

• Black Watch by Gregory Burke (National Theatre of Scotland at the Barbican Theatre)
• Days Of Significance by Roy Williams (Royal Shakespeare Company at the Tricycle Theatre)
• Her Naked Skin by Rebecca Lenkiewicz (National Theatre Olivier)
• Never So Good by Howard Brenton (National Theatre Lyttelton)
• Now Or Later by Christopher Shinn (Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Downstairs)
• The Pitmen Painters by Lee Hall (Live Theatre and National Theatre co-production)

Sydney Edwards Award for Best Director

Shortlisted

• Michael Boyd for The History Cycle (Royal Shakespeare Company at the Roundhouse)
• Michael Grandage for Othello (Donmar Warehouse), The Chalk Garden (Donmar Warehouse), Ivanov (Donmar West End at the Wyndham's Theatre)
• John Tiffany for Black Watch (National Theatre of Scotland at the Barbican Theatre)

Longlisted

• Lucy Bailey for Timon Of Athens (Shakespeare's Globe)
• Michael Boyd for The History Cycle (Royal Shakespeare Company at the Roundhouse)
• Rupert Goold for Six Characters In Search Of An Author (Gielgud Theatre), No Man's Land (Duke of York's Theatre), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Almeida Theatre)
• Michael Grandage for Othello (Donmar Warehouse), The Chalk Garden (Donmar Warehouse), Ivanov (Donmar West End at the Wyndham's Theatre)
• Katie Mitchell for The Trojan Women (National Theatre Lyttelton)
• Emma Rice for Brief Encounter (Kneehigh at the Cinema Haymarket)
• Alan Rickman for Creditors (Donmar Warehouse)
• John Tiffany for Black Watch (National Theatre of Scotland at the Barbican Theatre)

Best Actor

Shortlisted

• Kenneth Branagh, Ivanov (Donmar West End at the Wyndham's Theatre)
• David Calder, King Lear (Shakespeare's Globe)
• Chiwetel Ejiofor, Othello (Donmar Warehouse)

Longlisted

• Kenneth Branagh, Ivanov (Donmar West End at the Wyndham's Theatre)
• David Calder, King Lear (Shakespeare's Globe)
• Adam Godley, Rain Man (Apollo Theatre)
• Chiwetel Ejiofor, Othello (Donmar Warehouse)
• Will Keen, Waste (Almeida Theatre)
• Simon Russell Beale, Much Ado About Nothing (National Theatre Olivier)
• Jonathan Slinger, Richard II/Richard III (Royal Shakespeare Company at the Roundhouse)
• Kevin Spacey, Speed-The-Plow (Old Vic)

Best Actress

Shortlisted

• Lesley Manville, Her Naked Skin (National Theatre Olivier)
• Margaret Tyzack, The Chalk Garden (Donmar Warehouse)
• Penelope Wilton, The Chalk Garden (Donmar Warehouse)

Longlisted

• Lesley Manville, Her Naked Skin (National Theatre Olivier)
• Helen McCrory, Rosmersholm (Almeida Theatre)
• Phoebe Nicholls, Waste (Almeida Theatre)
• Lesley Sharp, Harper Regan (National Theatre Cottesloe)
• Margaret Tyzack, The Chalk Garden (Donmar Warehouse)
• Penelope Wilton, The Chalk Garden (Donmar Warehouse)

Ned Sherrin Award for Best Musical

Shortlisted

• La Cage Aux Folles, Menier Chocolate Factory and Playhouse Theatre
• Marguerite, Theatre Royal Haymarket
• Street Scene, The Opera Group, Young Vic and Watford Palace Theatre co-production

Longlisted

• La Cage Aux Folles, Menier Chocolate Factory and Playhouse Theatre
• Eurobeat, Novello Theatre
• Jersey Boys, Prince Edward Theatre
• Marguerite, Theatre Royal Haymarket
• Street Scene, The Opera Group, Young Vic and Watford Palace Theatre co-production

Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright

Shortlisted

• Tarell Alvin McCraney, Brothers Size and In the Red and Brown Water
• Anupama Chandrasekhar, Free Outgoing (Royal Court)- Runner up
• Bola Agbaje, Gone Too Far! (Royal Court) - Runner up

Notes and References

1. http://www.musicomh.com/extra/theatre/evening-standard-theatre-awards-2008 Winners
2. http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/news/latest-news/article/item102797 Longlist
3. http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/news/latest-news/article/item102890 Shortlist