Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2008
Story by Lizzie Guilfoyle
THE Evening Standard Theatre Awards took place today (November 24) at a star-studded ceremony hosted by Richard Wilson at the Royal Opera House.
And it was the Donmar Warehouse that did particularly well, converting four of its six nominations into important wins.
They included Best Director Award for the Donmar’s artistic director, Michael Grandage, for his productions of Othello, The Chalk Garden and Ivanov, the first work in the Donmar West End season at Wyndham’s Theatre; and Best Actor for Chiwetel Ejiofor for his performance in Othello.
Meanwhile, in a double but rare honour, The Chalk Garden‘s leading ladies Penelope Wilton and Margaret Tyzack were jointly awarded Best Actress.
Best Musical went to the Young Vic’s production of Kurt Weill’s Street Scene which, in spite of its brief run, triumphed over West End productions La Cage Aux Folles and Marguerite.
Winner of the coveted Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright was 28-year-old American Tarell Alvin McCraney, whose In the Red and Brown Water and The Brothers Size were both staged at the Young Vic. The award carries with it a cheque for £10,000. Runners-up, Bola Agbaje (Gone Too Far) and Anumpama Chandresekhar (Free Outgoing) each received £2,500.
Lee Hall’s The Pitmen Painters, which originated at the Live Theatre, Newcastle, before transferring to the National Theatre, was named Best Play. Neil Murray was awarded Best Design for Brief Encounter (The Cinema, Haymarket), while Outstanding Newcomer was Ella Smith for Fat Pig (Trafalgar Studios and Comedy Theatre).
The Old Vic’s artistic director, Kevin Spacey, received a ‘Special Award’ for bringing new life to the Old Vic. Judges were particularly impressed with his revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s The Norman Conquests and David Mamet’s threehander Speed-the-Plow, in which Spacey starred alongside Jeff Goldblum and Laura Michelle Kelly.
And the Editor’s Award went to the Royal Shakespeare Company for the transfer of its epic eight-play Histories to the Roundhouse.