Evening Standard Theatre Awards Explained

Evening Standard Theatre Awards
Awarded For:	Outstanding achievements in London theatre
Presenter:	Evening Standard
Location:	London
Country:	United Kingdom
Year2:	2022
Website:	standard.co.uk/london-evening-standard-theatre-awards

The Evening Standard Theatre Awards, established in 1955,^[1] are the oldest theatrical awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. They are presented annually for outstanding achievements in London Theatre, and are organised by the Evening Standard newspaper. They are the West End's equivalent to Broadway's Drama Desk Awards.^{[2] [3]}

Trophies

The trophies take the form of a modelled statuette, a figure representing Drama, designed by Frank Dobson RA, a former Professor of Sculpture at the Royal College of Art.

Categories

Three of the awards are given in the names of former Evening Standard notables:

• Arts editor Sydney Edwards (who conceived the awards, and died suddenly in July 1979) for the Best Director category.
• Editor Charles Wintour (who as deputy-editor in 1955, launched the awards after a nod from the proprietor, Lord Beaverbrook') for Most Promising Playwright.
• Long-serving theatre critic Milton Shulman (for several years a key member of the judging panel) for the Outstanding Newcomer award.

In 2009, the Special Award was given in the name of Evgeny Lebedev, executive director of the Evening Standard.

In 1980, noting the first use of the Special Award category, Shulman observed that "In 1968 the judges felt that Alan Bennett's work Forty Years On did not fit either the category of a Play or a Musical. But since they liked it so much they gave him the coveted Dobson statuette as a Special Award. In a quarter of a century, only in 1968 had no-one been designated as 'Promising' although it could conceivably be argued that Alan Bennett's Special Award was a reasonable substitute for this category."^[4]

The Special Award process came to a climax in 2004 when, in the 50th anniversary year, the category was used to signal peaks of accomplishment by the National Theatre (an institution), Harold Pinter (a playwright) and Dame Judi Dench (a performer).

The Patricia Rothermere Award, presented biennially from 1999 to 2005, was created to honour the memory of Patricia Harmsworth, Viscountess Rothermere, wife of Viscount Rothermere, chairman of the Daily Mail and General Trust, which formerly owned the Evening Standard. The two part award recognised those who had given outstanding support to young actors, while also providing a three-year scholarship award for a drama student.

Commencing in 2009, the Best Actress award was renamed in tribute to Natasha Richardson, who died after a skiing accident in Quebec in March 2009.^[5]

Awards ceremonies

The 2007 Awards lunchtime ceremony took place at the Savoy Hotel in London on 27 November 2007.^[6] The judges' assessments of the winners are online.^[7]

The 2008 winners were announced in a ceremony at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 24 November 2008.^[8] The judges' assessments are online.^[9]

The 2009 winners were announced in a ceremony, again at the Royal Opera House, on Monday, 23 November 2009.^[10] The judges' assessments are online.^[11]

The 2010 winners were announced at a celebratory evening ceremony on Thursday 28 November 2010 in the newly refurbished Savoy Hotel.^[12]

The 2011 winners were announced in a ceremony at the Savoy Hotel on 20 November 2011.

The 2012 winners were announced in a ceremony again at the Savoy Hotel on 25 November 2012.

The 2013 winners were announced in a ceremony again at the Savoy Hotel on 17 November 2013.

The 2014 winners were announced in a ceremony at the London Palladium on 30 November 2014.

The 2015 winners were announced in a ceremony at the Old Vic Theatre on 22 November 2015.

The 2016 winners were announced in a ceremony again at the Old Vic Theatre on 13 November 2016.

The 2017 winners were announced in a ceremony at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 3 December 2017.

The 2018 winners were announced in a ceremony again at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 18 November 2018.

The 2019 winners were announced in a ceremony at the London Coliseum on 24 November 2019.

The 2022 winners were announced in a ceremony at The Ivy on 11 December 2022.

The 2023 winners were announced in a ceremony at Claridge's Hotel on 19 November 2023.

Awards by year

List of existing articles for individual years:

Winners 1955–2022

Best Play

See main article: Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Play.

Best Director

Also known as The Sydney Edwards Award for Best Director from 1979. Renamed the Milton Shulman Award for Best Director from 2014.

Best Actor

See main article: Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor.

Best Actress

See main article: Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress. Also known as The Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress from 2009

Best Musical

Renamed the Ned Sherrin Award for Best Musical in 2007

Best Musical Performance

See main article: Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical Performance.

Most Controversial Play

• 1955 – Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett (Only award in this category)

Most Promising Playwright

Also known as the Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright

Outstanding Newcomer

Also known as the Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer

Note: Category ceased but is re-styled as the Emerging Talent Award

Theatrical Achievement

• 1998 – Jonathan Kent and Ian McDiarmid of the Almeida Theatre (Only award in this category)

Lady Rothermere Drama Award

Two part award, originally as the Patricia Rothermere Award

• 1992 - Fionuala Clarence, Scholarship award
• 1993 – Matthew Rhys, scholarship award^[13]
• 1997 – Judi Dench, for outstanding services to the theatre
  • 1997 – Mark Rice-Oxley, scholarship award
• 1999 – Simon Callow, for outstanding services to the theatre
  • 1999 – Martin Rea, scholarship award
• 2001 – Prunella Scales, for ...
  • 2001 – Cassandre Joseph, scholarship award
• 2003 – Richard Attenborough, for exceptional support for young actors
  • 2003 – Elif Yesil, scholarship award
• 2005 – Penelope Keith, for ...
  • 2005 – Hannah Croft, scholarship award

Theatre Icon Award

• 2013 – Maggie Smith^[14]

Moscow Art Theatre's Golden Seagull

• 2010 – Sir Peter Hall
• 2011 – Sir Tom Stoppard
• 2012 – Judi Dench

Beyond Theatre award

• 2011 – Pet Shop Boys and Javier de Frutos for The Most Incredible Thing
• 2012 – Danny Boyle and his teams for the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics
• 2013 – BBC Proms 2013
• 2014 – Here Lies Love

Award For Comedy

• 2013 – David Walliams for A Midsummer Night's Dream

Best Revival of the Year

• 2014 – Skylight

See also

• Laurence Olivier Awards
• Black British Theatre Awards
• Critics' Circle Theatre Awards
• WhatsOnStageAwards
• The Offies (The Off West End Theatre Awards)
• UK Theatre Awards

Sources

• Celebration: 25 Years of British Theatre. W. H. Allen Ltd, 1980., for Awards 1955–1978
• Theatre Record and its annual Indexes, for Awards 1981 to date.^{[15] [16]}

Notes and References

1. News: Bowie-Sell. Daisy. Olympics Opening Ceremony honoured at Evening Standard Theatre Awards. 27 November 2017. Daily Telegraph. 25 November 2012. 31 August 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230831201435/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/9701909/Olympics-Opening-Ceremony-honoured-at-Evening-Standard-Theatre-Awards.html. live.
2. Web site: Press Release:Glenn Close wins the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Sunset Boulevard . gateplc.com . Gate Ventures PLC . 11 January 2019 . 14 November 2016 . 11 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190111175734/http://gateplc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Congratulatory-statement-Press-Release-clean.pdf . dead .
3. Web site: BWW News Desk . Imelda Staunton, Nicole Kidman, and More Lead Evening Standard Theatre Award Winners- Full List! . BroadwayWorld.com . 11 January 2019 . en . 22 November 2015 . 31 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230831201437/https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Imelda-Staunton-Nicole-Kidman-and-More-Lead-Evening-Standard-Theatre-Award-Winners--Full-List-20151122 . live .
4. Celebration: 25 Years of British Theatre
5. Web site: Louise . Jury . The Standard Theatre Awards 2009: Longlist revealed – Theatre – Going Out – London Evening Standard . Thisislondon.co.uk . 2009-11-02 . 2013-11-16 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110606125514/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/article-23763315-the-standard-theatre-awards-2009-longlist-revealed.do . 2011-06-06 .
6. Web site: Macbeth and Joan of Arc storm ES awards – News – London Evening Standard . Thisislondon.co.uk . 2007-11-27 . 2013-11-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090904122844/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23423308-details/Macbeth+and+Joan+of+Arc+storm+ES+awards/article.do . 2009-09-04 . dead .
7. Web site: Winning performances on the West End stage – News – London Evening Standard . Thisislondon.co.uk . 2007-11-28 . 2013-11-16 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071230225548/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23423447-details/Winning+performances+on+the+West+End+stage/article.do . 2007-12-30 .
8. Web site: Donmar dominates the London stage at ES Theatre Awards – News – London Evening Standard . Thisislondon.co.uk . 2008-11-24 . 2013-11-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090228141156/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23591624-details/Donmar+dominates+the+London+stage+at+ES+theatre+awards/article.do . 2009-02-28 . dead .
9. Web site: A winning year for leading lights of the London stage – News – London Evening Standard . Thisislondon.co.uk . 2008-11-25 . 2013-11-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081205010810/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23592167-details/A+winning+year+for+leading+lights+of+the+London+stage/article.do . 2008-12-05 . dead .
10. Web site: Louise . Jury . It’s a Royal flush at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards – News – London Evening Standard . Thisislondon.co.uk . 2009-11-23 . 2013-11-16 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120101032324/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23773738-its-a-royal-flush-for-cutting-edge-theatre-at-standard-awards.do . 2012-01-01 .
11. Web site: Winners of Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2009 – Theatre – Going Out – London Evening Standard . Thisislondon.co.uk . 2009-11-24 . 2013-11-16 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120104030742/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/article-23774119-winners-of-evening-standard-theatre-awards-2009.do . 2012-01-04 .
12. Web site: Evening Standard Theatre Awards celebrate a year of high emotion on stage – Theatre – Going Out – London Evening Standard . Thisislondon.co.uk . 2010-11-29 . 2013-11-16 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120101124849/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/article-23901946-evening-standard-theatre-awards-celebrate-a-year-of-high-emotion-on-stage.do . 2012-01-01 .
13. News: Rosanna . Greenstreet . Q & A Matthew Rhys . 13 October 2001 . . . 7 March 2014 . 8 March 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140308020953/http://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2001/oct/13/weekend7.weekend1 . live .
14. Web site: Award winning actress Maggie Smith hopes to return to the stage . Playbill . 6 July 2017 .
15. Web site: Heavyweights of the stage battle for best actor prize – News – London Evening Standard . Standard.co.uk . 2008-11-04 . 2013-11-16 . 2014-03-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140304214117/http://www.standard.co.uk/news/heavyweights-of-the-stage-battle-for-best-actor-prize-6833239.html . live .
16. Web site: Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2007: the longlist – Theatre – Going Out – London Evening Standard . Standard.co.uk . 2007-10-31 . 2013-11-16 . 2023-08-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230831202039/https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/evening-standard-theatre-awards-2007-the-longlist-6658718.html . live .