Stage-stealing actors and creatives attended the 2022 Evening Standard Theatre Awards to celebrate the best of London theatre. Presented in association with Garrard, winners were announced at a dinner ceremony December 11.
Taking home the Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress, Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) was recognized for her West End debut in the dramatic solo play Prima Facie by Suzie Miller. The show had a sold-out run in the West End, and will transfer to Broadway's John Golden Theatre for a strictly limited 10-week engagement beginning April 11, 2023. The work follows a young and brilliant barrister who is forced to explore how patriarchal power over the law, burden of proof, and morals diverge after an unexpected event.
Though not in attendance, James McAvoy won won the Best Actor award for his performance as Cyrano de Bergerac in the Olivier-winning adaptation of Cyrano by Martin Crimp. The production premiered at London's Playhouse Theatre and earned the 2020 Olivier Award for Best Revival as well as four additional Olivier Award nominations, including Best Actor and Best Director. It made its U.S. premiere at Brooklyn Academy of Music in earlier this year.
Patrick Vaill was recognized for Best Musical Performance for Oklahoma!. Vaill transferred with Daniel Fish's Tony-winning revival to the West End's Young Vic Theatre after creating the role in the production's earlier runs at Bard College, Off-Broadway, and Broadway. Oklahoma! also picked up the award for Best Musical, while James Graham's Best of Enemies, currently starring Zachary Quinto and David Harewood as Gore Vidal and William F Buckley respectively, won Best Play.
Creatives that took home awards are Lynette Linton as Best Director for Pearl Cleage’s Blues For An Alabama Sky and Tom Schutt of Cabaret for Best Design. Tyrell Williams won the Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright recognizing his coming-of-age story Red Pitch; and Isobel McArthur was awarded Emerging Talent Award for pop-inspired adaptation Pride & Prejudice (*sort of).
Special awards were given to Nica Burns, who launched West End's newest purpose-built theatre @sohoplace, for her support of London theatre during the pandemic. Vanessa Redgrave also received a special award for campaigning for financial support of the arts during the pandemic. Josie Rourke's As You Like It plays @sohoplace theatre with a cast of stage and screen favorites through January 28, 2023.
London productions staged between May 20, 2021 and October 13, 2022 were considered for this year's awards, held for the first time since 2019 due to the pandemic. Evening Standard proprietor Lord Lebedev hosted the evening with actress Sheridan Smith compering the ceremony.
Jodie Comer in Prima Facie
Jodie Comer in Prima Facie
Jodie Comer in Prima Facie
Jodie Comer in Prima Facie
Jodie Comer in Prima Facie
Jodie Comer in Prima Facie
Jodie Comer in Prima Facie
Jodie Comer in Prima Facie
